A Windows-native 3D plastic injection mold design system

3D solid-modeling revolution has reached the design mainstream. While high-end 3D solid-modeling systems have been on engineers’ workstation at large aerospace, consumer products, and automobile companies for years, many smaller companies are now making the switch from workstations to PC. One reason for the shift is that the flexibility and advancement of Windows-native/NT has let software developers create applications that are affordable and easy to use. High-end users are finding that mid-range solid modelers, such as SolidWorks, have met their needs. SolidWorks was chosen as the platform due to the Windows-native design environment, powerful assembly capabilities, ease-of-use, rapid learning curve, and affordable price. A Windows-native 3D plastic injection mold designs system has been implemented on an NT through interfacing Visual C++ codes with the commercial software, SolidWorks 99 and API. The system provides a designer with an interactive computer-aided design environment, which can both speed up the mold design process and facilitate standardization.