Pin

 

 

Links / Videos :

 

 

This command allows you to include Pins in the mold file, position them, dimension them and trim then with the shape with shrick.

 

Creation stages / Use:

Click the icon or select the Mold > Pin... command from the drop-down menu.

 

  1. Select the pin to include among the available TopSolid libraries.

  2. Position the pin by point or sketch.

  3. Determine its dimensioning and positioning.

  4. It is possible to choose the keying mode to apply.

  5. Then, it is possible to set the trimming mode.

  6. Validate .

 

 

  • The point mode allows you to insert the pins one by one, and set carefully for each one the inclusion parameters.
  • The sketch mode allows you to insert simultaneously several pins. In this case, only the automatic modes can be chosen.

 

 

  • Before launching the command, if a face from a previously created pin is selected, the Pin command is initialized with the settings and parameters of the pin "template".

 

 

Available options:

 

 

  • Manufacturer: It allows you to choose the library among the available ones in TopSolid.
  • Type: 4 ejector types are available: Cylindrical, Shouldered, Blade and Tubular.
  • Use the best code: If the Dimensioning option describes bellow is checked, it is possible to choose the best code, it means the more appropriated, taking in account of this dimensioning.
  • Code : Choose the wanted code in the drop down menu.

    Two positioning modes are available:
  • Point : This mode allows you to insert an ejector on a point. This one can be selected on the shape with shrink, on the core/cavity blocks or on the plates... the pin center will be aligned with this point. It is also possible to create the wanted point with the "special inputs" .

 

By default, if an edge is selected to position a blade pin, the blade orientation will be the chosen edge one. The blade will be centered on this edges. Graphics arrows allow you to align a blade side with the selected edge.

 

   

  • Sketch: It is possible to select a sketch to insert several pins in the same operation. It is also possible to create a new sketch with the "special inputs" .

 

With the sketch mode, the pins need to be inserted in automatic mode. Then, to get specific settings, you need to edit the pin to modify.

 

  
 With the sketch mode, deux positioning are available:

    • Points : A pin will be inserted on each point in the sketch. They will have all the same diameter.
    • Identical pins by repetition: allows to put an pin, and to repeat it by a sketch pattern. The pattern is automatically built from the point sketch chosen at the time of inclusion.

     

     

    • This option is only available in Point Sketch mode. It is necessary to uncheck the circle mode.

    • All the pins will be identical, no limitation check is performed on repeated pins.

     

     

    • Circles : It is possible to position the pins by circles. They will have the same diameter of the circles, or the first higher diameter available in the code list.
    • Blade pin symbols : It is possible to position the blade pins by including a Flat pin symbol family in the sketch. These symbol families are available in the TopSolid Tooling, Symbols, Ejector Pins Symbols, Flat or Keyed Flat.

     

    • Checking the Profiles option when the symbol is included allows you to select the sketch graphically in the sketch area.

    • Preview : Including many pins simultaneously in sketch mode in a large mould file can be quite time-consuming. In order to avoid the calculation of the preview of each ejector, it is possible to activate or not this preview.

     

     

     

 

For all the ejector pin types, two dimensioning options are checked : Diameter and Length. In this case, the dimensioning is automatically computed with taking in account the mold environment.

  • Diameter: It is possible to give a dimensioning constraint on the pin diameter. The code of the inserted pin will respect this constraint.
  • Length: This constraint makes it possible to choose an ejector long enough to be limited to the desired length. Several modes of calculation of this length are available:
    • Given by trimming: The element(s) trimming the pins will allow to calculate the length constraint.
    • Shape: It is possible to select a shape to dimension the pin.
    • None: No length constraint is applied to dimension the pin.

 

For ejectors of the shouldered type, an additional dimensioning constraint is proposed:

  • Shouldered length:
    • It allows to restrict the choice of the ejector by keeping only those whose the length of the shoulder is less than: the value of the length calculation in the "Given by trimming" mode - the value of the ejection stroke - a margin.
    • The Ejection stroke is calculated when the base is included.
    • The default margin can be set in the document options.
    • The value of the stroke in the process is automatically associated with the ejection stroke.

 

For the blade pins, three additional dimensioning constraints are proposed:  

  • Blade X and Blade Y: They allow to restrict the choice of the ejector to the x and y dimensions of the Flat symbols.
  • Shouldered length: Calculated in the same way as for shouldered pins.

 

For the Tubular pins, an additional dimensioning option is proposed :

  • Internal diameter: It allows you to size the ejector according to a cylindrical ejector previously included. It is automatically associated with the cylindrical ejector selected in Point mode.

 

 

  • Positioning plane: The selected plane allows you to position the pin head on this plane.

 

If the pin is include in a TopSolid Mold base, the proposed plane will be the one between the two ejector plates.

 

 

  • Offset: It allows you to offset the pin position along the Absolute Z direction.
  • Reverse offset: If the offset is not toward the wanted sense, it is possible to reverse it.

 

 

This section is only displayed when a blade pin is included.

  • Direction : Gives the direction of the blade orientation. The field is filled in automatically according to the selected element:
    • Positioning on a point: The direction is that of the keying.

    • Positioning on an edge: The direction is given by this edge.

    • Inclusion on a point on profile: The direction is a direction on profile at this point.

    • Positioning on a symbol: the X direction of the "base" frame of the symbol. (The field is not filled in when placing on a sketch, but only when editing a pin)

  • Orientation : Allows you to orientate the blade pin by an angle of rotation around the Absolute Z Axis. corresponds to the reference direction.

 

 

  • Keyed type: a drop down menu allows you to choose the wanted keying mode:
    • Automatic: This is the default mode. Le pin will be keyed if its trimming is not plane, even it is cylindrical.
    • Cylindrical: The pin is cylindrical, whatever its trimming.
    • Keyed: The pin will be keyed even if its trimming is plane.
  • Direction: Give the direction of the keying trim.
  • Orientation: Allows you to orientate the pin with a rotation angle around the Absolute Z Axis. corresponds to the reference direction.
  • Offset: Allows you to position the keying trim relative the pin body.

 

 

 

 

If this section is unchecked, the pin will not be trimmed.

   

Trimming mode: Several trimming modes can be chosen:

  • Shapes: The ejector pin is trimmed by shapes.
    • Automatic detection: The software lists the potential trimming shapes of the pin. This is the default mode. It is possible, with unchecked the option, to select manually the wanted trimming shapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The automatic detection is dedicated to the case of inserting the pin on Ejector system plates. The parts automatically found are:

  • The blocks inserted in A Side.

  • The first core cavity plate found on the A side.

Plus, whatever the plate chosen for inclusion:

  • The parts of the To Mold set

  • The insert parts in the Movement set.

  • The parts of the Gating set

For some particular case of installation of the pin, it may be necessary to add manually other parts limiting the pin.

 

 

    • Opposite side trimming: By unchecking this option, it is possible to choose to limit the ejectors by the pieces present on the side of the ejector.

 

 

This option is dedicated to the case of a mold design in collaborative work, or a bottom up work, cases for which we do not have the trimming shapes on the opposite side.

 

 

    • Faces : The pin is limited by a set of faces, which can come from different parts. The trimming is made only once all the necessary faces are selected
    • Plan: The pin is trimmed by the selected plane.
    • Length: The pin is cut to a given length
  • Trimming  type: Allows you to control the pin trimming, in order to realize a trim by plane:

 

Automatic: The pin is trimmed by the moldinng areas and/or the A side plates.

Bottom plane: the pin is trimmed by the bottom plane of the molding area.

Middle plane: the pin is trimmed by the middle plane of the molding area.

Top plane: the pin is trimmed by the top plane of the molding area.

 

  • It is also possible to manage an offset value to make a pocket or a boss on the part with the ejector geometry.

 

Offset: Allows you to offset the trim along the Absolute Z direction.

Reverse offset: If the offset is not toward the wanted sense, it is possible to reverse it.

 

 

  • The part, however, colliding with the pin, is automatically ignored in the search for the targets to be operated by the pin process.

  • It is not necessary to create the process in manual mode.

 

   

  • Color faces: This option allows you to color the faces created by the pin trim with the colors of the blocks that were defined when creating the parting shapes in the Split.  

 

  • Trimming tolerances: Depending on the quality of the geometry, or its precision, it may be necessary to modify the geometrical tolerances used to trim the pin.