Mold Tools - Parting Lines

Parting lines lie along the edge of the molded part, between the core and the cavity surfaces. They are used to create the parting surfaces, and to separate the surfaces. You create the parting lines after the model is scaled and proper draft is applied. You can create:

• Multiple parting line features in a single part.

• Partial parting line features.

You can automatically split straddle faces found during draft analysis, either along the +/- boundary or at a specified draft angle. Additionally, you can split a face by selecting a sketch segment, a pair of vertices, or a spline on a surface. Before creating parting lines, you can use Parting Line Analysis to visualize and optimize possible parting lines.

To make parting line features visible even when they are not selected, click View Parting Lines (View toolbar) or View, Parting Lines.

When you create the first parting line in a part, the software automatically creates the Cavity Surface Bodies folder and Core Surface Bodies folder and populates them with the appropriate surfaces. See Mold Folders.

To create a parting line:

1. Click Parting Lines (Mold Tools toolbar) or Insert, Molds, Parting Line.

2. In the PropertyManager, set the following options, then click .

Mold Parameters

• Direction of Pull. Defines the direction that the cavity body is pulled to split the core and cavity. Select a plane, planar face, or edge.
  
  An arrow appears on the model.
  
  

Note the direction of the arrow, and click Reverse Direction if necessary.

• Draft Angle. Set a value. Faces with draft less than this value are reported as No Draft in the analysis results.

• Use for Core/Cavity Split. Select to create a parting line that defines the core/cavity split.

• Split faces. Select to automatically split straddle faces found during the draft analysis. Select one of the following:

• At +/- draft transition. Splits straddle faces at the transition between positive and negative draft.

• At specified angle. Splits straddle faces at the specified draft angle.

• Draft Analysis. Click to perform draft analysis and generate the parting line. After clicking Draft Analysis:

• Four blocks appear under Draft Analysis to indicate the colors for Positive, No Draft, Negative, and Straddle faces. In the graphics area, model faces change to the corresponding draft analysis color.

• You should have a combination of Positive and Negative draft. If you need to add draft, click Cancel to exit the PropertyManager, then do one of the following:

• With a SolidWorks model, click Draft on the Molds toolbar, or click Insert, Molds, Draft.

• With an imported model, click Ruled Surface on the Molds toolbar, or click Insert, Molds, Ruled Surface.

You can also perform draft analysis by clicking Draft Analysis on the Mold Tools toolbar.

Parting Lines

• Edges . Displays the names of edges selected for the parting line. In Edges , you can:

• Select a name to identify the edge with a callout in the graphics area.

• Select an edge in the graphics area to add or remove it from Edges .

• Right-click and select Clear Selections to clear all selections from Edges .

If the parting line is incomplete, then in the graphics area a red arrow appears at the endpoint of an edge and indicates a possible next edge, and the following options appear under Parting Lines:

• Add selected edge . Adds the edge indicated by the red arrow to Edges .

You can press Y instead of Add selected edge .

• Select next edge . Changes the red arrow to indicate a different possible next edge.

You can press N instead of Select next edge .

• Zoom to the selected edge . Zooms to the edge selection area.

Entities to Split

• Vertices or Sketch Segments . Select vertices, sketch segments, or splines in the graphics area to define where to split faces.

NOTES:

• If the model includes a chain of edges that runs between positive and negative faces (that includes no straddle faces), the parting line segments are selected automatically, and listed in Edges .

• If the model includes multiple chains, the longest chain is selected automatically.

• If you want to automatically select a different chain of edges:

1. Right-click and select Clear Selections.

2. Select an edge.

3. Click Propagate to display all the edges in Edges .

• If you want to manually select each edge:

1. Right-click and select Clear Selections.

2. Select an edge.

3. In the PropertyManager, under Parting Lines, click Add selected edge and Select next edge as needed until all the edges you want appear in Edges .