Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division has released the HxGN Mould & Die, an integrated suite of specialised CAD/CAM, engineering, and automation tools. This suite is designed to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver high-quality tools across various industries, such as automotive and aerospace.
The primary goal of the HxGN Mould & Die suite is to enable mould designers and makers to achieve excellence in designing and manufacturing plastic injection moulds, progressive dies, forming dies, and similar tools.
It encompasses a wide array of capabilities, including CAD/CAE for plastic injection mould design, CAD/CAE for progressive die design, CAD for manufacturing preparation, CAM for CNC machine-tool programming, process simulation, G-code verification and optimisation, shop-floor production intelligence, and automation features driven by Hexagon's Nexus digital-reality platform.
Chuck Mathews, the General Manager of Production Software at Hexagon highlighted Nexus, which enhances automation and collaboration, streamlining 3D model sharing and providing access to libraries for tooling, fixtures, and materials.
Parth Joshi, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Hexagon, noted, "The HxGN Mould and Die suite represents an exciting development, combining our customers' challenges with our deep domain knowledge to achieve more."
For plastic injection mould manufacturers, the suite offers tools for design and engineering, flow simulation, reverse engineering, automated electrode design, and CNC machining. It builds upon Hexagon's renowned VISI and WORKNC software, providing comprehensive multi-axis CAM programming capabilities, direct modeling of solids and surfaces, and support for constructing, editing, and repairing complex 3D geometry. Reverse engineering tools allow efficient creation of solid models from scanned data, essential for mold repair and redesign when CAD files are unavailable.
Additionally, the suite includes plastic flow analysis tools to aid shop-floor teams in producing cost-effective and reliable molds. These user-friendly simulation capabilities ensure that even non-engineers or less experienced employees achieve optimal results. The suite further simplifies intricate injection mold feature creation with automated design and simulation of EDM electrodes and their holders.
For progressive die manufacturers, HxGN Mould and Die provides a connected workflow with tools for design, engineering, simulation, and production. It enables step-by-step unfolding of surface and solid models, granting designers greater control over each forming stage. Flexible strip layout capabilities and the ability to simulate strip performance at any stage simplify the analysis of design changes. The software assists manufacturers in predicting springback and offers compensation strategies when material performance issues arise.
Moreover, the suite supports shops in fully utilising advanced machine tools, utilising Hexagon VISI and WORKNC software to optimise machining cycles and specialiesd cutting strategies specific to mold production. Prior to machining, CNC programs can be simulated and verified using NCSIMUL, the suite's G-code simulation software, which replicates the entire machining environment for an accurate digital representation of machinery, parts, and processes.
