HxGN Mould & Die, developed by Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, is a set of specialized CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing), engineering, and automation tools that help tool and mold makers serve customers in a wide variety of industries, from automobiles to airplanes. The suite was created so that those who design and build plastic injection molds, progressive dies, forming dies, and other similar instruments may achieve operational excellence in their design and production processes.
The capabilities of the suite include process simulation and G-code verification and optimization, shop-floor production intelligence, automation and collaboration powered by Nexus, Hexagon’s digital-reality platform, and CAD/CAE (computer-aided design and engineering) for plastic injection mould design, CAD/CAE (computer-aided design and engineering) for progressive die design, CAD for manufacturing preparation, CAM for CNC (computer numerical code) machine-tool programming, and CAD for manufacturing preparation. The suite’s simulation tools provide manufacturers with useful insight into the viability and cost of mold-making procedures.
According to Chuck Mathews, general manager, production software at Hexagon, “we took everything we know about mould-and-die manufacturing, including our best-in-class Hexagon technologies, to build a specialized suite that empowers mould and die shops of any size to get the best results faster.” Nexus, which links desktop applications with the cloud to increase automation and collaboration, will provide them a competitive advantage. In addition to providing teams with a centralized location to access libraries for tools, fixtures, and materials from their desktop applications, it also makes it simple to share 3D models with clients through secure web-based visualisation.
By fusing the difficulties faced by our clients with our extensive expertise in this area, we have developed an innovative new product called the HxGN Mould and Die suite. Parth Joshi, Hexagon’s chief product & technology officer, adding, “We are refocusing innovation to bring our ecosystem technologies together and enable production teams make more informed choices, quicker.
Tools for design and engineering, flow simulation, reverse engineering, automated electrode design, and CNC machining are all included in this package, which is aimed at plastic-injection mould makers. It expands upon Hexagon’s already-popular VISI and WORKNC tools by adding support for direct modeling of solids and surfaces, multi-axis CAM programming, and the ability to create, modify, and repair complicated 3D geometry. In the event that CAD files are unavailable, mould manufacturers may use reverse engineering techniques to effectively construct solid models from scanned data, which is essential for mould maintenance and redesign.
The suite also includes plastic flow analysis tools to assist manufacturing staff in making high-quality molds at a reasonable cost. These robust simulation capabilities are easy to use, so even non-engineers or less seasoned workers can get the best possible outcomes for their projects. EDM (electrical discharge machining) electrodes and their related holders may be designed and simulated automatically, streamlining the process of creating even the most complex or challenging injection mold features.
HxGN Mould and Die provides a unified workflow for the progressive die industry by integrating design, engineering, simulation, and manufacturing technologies. It allows surface and solid models to be unfolded incrementally, providing designers with more influence over the shaping process as a whole. With the ability to easily replicate the strip’s performance at any point in the design process and a flexible strip layout, analyzing the effects of design modifications is a breeze. When problems with material performance are discovered, the program also provides producers with methods to compensate for the setback.
The suite aids factories in getting the most out of their high-tech machine tools by giving programmers access to tried-and-true applications like Hexagon VISI and WORKNC, which improve machining cycles and tailor-made cutting methods for mold making. NCSIMUL, the G-code simulation software in the suite, may be used to simulate and verify CNC programs before they are ever machined. This is possible because NCSIMUL combines the complete machining environment to create an accurate digital twin of the equipment, the component, and the processes involved.
