Mold Design Flashcards

What is the recommended order of operations when using SOLIDWORKS Mold Tools on a new part?

Answer: Scale → Draft Analysis → Parting Line → Shut-off Surfaces → Parting Surface → Tooling Split

The standard workflow scales the part first for shrinkage, performs draft analysis to confirm release, defines the parting line, fills shut-off surfaces, creates the parting surface, and finally runs the Tooling Split.

What does a 'straddle face' indicate in a SOLIDWORKS Draft Analysis result?

Answer: A face that crosses the parting line and contains both positive and negative draft regions

A straddle face (typically shown in yellow) crosses the parting line boundary, so part of the face has positive draft and part has negative draft on the same surface.

For most smooth-surfaced injection-molded parts, what minimum draft angle is commonly recommended?

Answer: 0.5° to 1°

A minimum of 0.5° to 1° draft is standard practice for smooth injection-molded surfaces; textured surfaces or deep draws require additional draft.

In SOLIDWORKS Mold Tools, what is the workpiece (mold block) used for?

Answer: To define the raw steel block that will be machined into the core and cavity

The workpiece represents the raw mold blank (steel or aluminum) that encloses the part; the Tooling Split then cuts this block into core and cavity using the parting surfaces.

Which SOLIDWORKS analysis tool should be used to verify there are no overlapping volumes between the core and cavity bodies before sending the mold for machining?

Answer: Interference Detection

Interference Detection checks for any overlapping or intersecting volumes between solid bodies, confirming the core and cavity will physically open and close without clashing.

How are core and cavity bodies from a SOLIDWORKS multi-body mold part typically prepared for individual machining files?

Answer: Bodies are saved as individual part files using the 'Save Bodies' feature

The 'Save Bodies' feature in SOLIDWORKS allows each solid body in a multi-body part to be exported as an individual .sldprt file, which is the standard step before machining.

Why is it important to apply the Scale feature BEFORE defining the Parting Line when using SOLIDWORKS Mold Tools?

Answer: The Parting Line references the scaled geometry, ensuring the mold split is based on the corrected shrinkage dimensions

Applying Scale first ensures that all subsequent mold features — parting line, surfaces, and tooling split — reference the enlarged (shrinkage-compensated) geometry, producing a mold that yields correctly sized parts.