Customize a Mold Base Layout

Autodesk Inventor Tooling - Customize a mold base layout

In this Skill Builder, explore how to use Autodesk Inventor Tooling to customize a mold base layout.

A mold base is an assembly of steel plates that contain the cores and cavities of a mold. The Mold Base feature is used to create a mold base.

Expected completion time: 15 minutes

Use with: Autodesk Inventor Professional 2010 with the Tooling add-in available here:

www.autodesk.com/ait

Start a new mold design

1. To begin, start a new mold assembly or open an existing mold assembly. If you are starting with a new assembly, you must place a plastic part to enable the Mold Assembly tab.
   
   
2. In the Mold Assembly tab,  Mold Assembly panel, select Mold Base.

Note: Be sure to have the Mold Library loaded in order to read Content Center data. To load a Mold Library, click Inventor > Manage > Projects > Configure Content Center Libraries. In the Configure Libraries: Default dialog box, check the box in the Mold field, and click OK.

Select an existing mold base layout

1. In the Standard area, use the drop-down menu to select mold base layout template.
   
   
   
   Note: This skill builder is intended to show you the general workflow. Therefore, it is not important which mold base you select. We will not direct you to select a particular mold base. Select any template you like.
   
   
2. In the Standard area, check the Customize box. The dialog box expands  to show the Component section.
   

To change or add to the layout do the following:

1. In the Component area, click the “Click to add a component“ text. Select the desired layout. You can use the Vendor and Category drop-down menus to narrow the selection.
   
   
   
   

   You can select from following types of components:

• Bottom Clamping Plates
• Cavity Plates
• Core Plates
• Ejector Plates
• Ejector Retainer Plates
• Runner Stripper Plates
• Spacer Blocks
• Support Plates
• Top Clamping Plates
• Return Pins
• Guide Pins
• Support Pins
• Guide Bushings
• Ejector Guide Pins
• Ejector Guide Bushings
• Locating Sleeves
• Countersunk Screws
• Stripper Plates
• Socket Head Cap Screws
• Washers
  
  
2. You can also change position of the part: Select the part in the Component area and click the Position settings button. Define new position in preview.
   
   
   
   
3. If you want to change part properties, click the Property Settings button to open the Edit dialog box. Change properties as needed. Or, you can double-click the part and the edit dialog box opens automatically.
   
   
   
   
4. If you want to delete parts or plates, select the desired component, and click the Delete button.
   
   
   
   
5. Click the Type Settings button to select another type of parts or plate. In the selection select the new type of component.
   You can narrow the selection by setting filters using the Vendor and Category menus.
   
   
   
   
6. You can change the location of the component. Select the component, click Choose targets and then select locations on Front view.
   
   
   
    
7. Click Add Pattern Data command to set new pattern data for a selected component.
   
    
   

To save mold base layout template, do the following steps:

1. Click Export a mold base template button in the right upper corner.
   
   
   
   
2. Select a path for the layout template
   
3. In the Export Template dialog box, specify a name for the layout template.
   
   
   
   

You can then re-use the mold base layout template:

1. Click the Import a mold base template command in the right upper corner.
   
   
   
   
2. In the Import Template dialog box, select the preferred layout template.
   
   
   
   
   

Summary

In this skill building exercise you:

• Learned how to select a standard mold base layout
• Learned how to activate customization
• Modified an existing layout
• Imported a mold base template
• Exported a mold base as a template