CSWP: Mold Tools

Just looking at what is next on the list to study for. I’ve got a few side projects I plan to work on but there are lingering vouchers for the Mold Tools and Surfacing tests and figured I may as well study for them with what time I do have.

Having worked for an injection molder for a little over two years the Mold Tools exam seems like it would be right in my wheelhouse. However, due to the workflow and design process at our shop it was rare that we used mold tool features other than cavity. Most other features were created using non-mold specific features. Typically we would import the part into an existing mold base, luckily this is one industry where the leaders have realized that getting CAD data out there for customers to work with is beneficial. DME, one of the big players in mold bases and mold components has data for their entire product line, though a login is required. Working from these files it always seemed the best route was to extract and build onto the existing base rather than model a generic mold and then merge it with the stock base.

So on to the test, Solidworks says the test covers the basic mold tools and will “help to aid a user in the completion of a robust mold design in an efficient manor“. Although this may be the case it’s silly not to point out that this test does nothing for showing a user knows MOLD DESIGN. Rather this shows that a user can model a mold. The specifics of mold design, allowing for stable molding and efficient mold fabrication, are not the core of the exam. So here is what it covers:

Exam features hands-on challenges in many of these areas of the SolidWorks Mold Tools functionality:

• Parting Line Creation
• Parting Line Surface Creation
• Draft Analysis
• Shut-off Surface Creation
• Imported Part Repair
• Cavity Tool
• Parting Line Split Face

All of the above should be reviewed for the exam, but I will also take a look at a few concepts that are core to good mold design, and at least one feature that is left off the above list

• Core Tool
• Part Draft
• Ejection
• Undercuts and side pulls
• Wall Thickness
• Materials

Of course the sample exam for the CSWP Mold tools (zip) will also help. More things may come up along the way and as they do they will be added. Again I’ve found a lot of information on Youtbue as well, as I find/upload more they’ll be placed in this playlist.