Enhancing Complex Injection Mold Design Validation Using Multicombined RV Environments

Abstract

The intricate design of real complex injection molds poses significant challenges. Mold design validation often falls to operators with tool-handling experience but limited CAD proficiency. Unlike other industries, the scale and costs of injection mold fabrication hinder prototyping before production. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a revolutionary solution offering a safe, immersive, and realistic experience and accessible using QR codes. This paper presents a new multimodal virtual environment tailored to validate mold design complexities. Integrating knowledge-enriched visual tools like interactive 3D models and dynamic visualizations enables users to explore complex mold designs. Statistical analyses, including the Wilcoxon test, unveil significant differences in interference detection, internal topology tracking, and validation of assembly and disassembly accessibility for both small and large mold components when comparing validation conducted through traditional means using solely CAD systems versus the utilization of multidimensional validation methods. Efficiency gains in using VR devices for mold design validation in a hybrid environment in the analysis of relative frequencies. The present study surpasses the state of the art illustrating how VR technology can substantially reduce manufacturing errors in injection molding processes, thereby offering important advantages for manufacturers emerging as an essential tool for this impact industry in the next years.