Moldex3D worked with University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) to re-design the component for rear derailleurs in bike gears using process and structural simulation. 

Rear derailleurs are the structural components for bike gears. They are commonly made using either aluminum, steel, or fiber-reinforced thermosets composites. The component is usually an assembly of two metal parts that hold the chain in between. This project proposed to use process and structural simulation to re-design the component for manufacturing with a fiber-reinforced resin.

This approach includes re-design and optimization of the part for injection molding, and structural analysis using the CAE results as inputs for the orthotropic material properties. Coupling the process simulation with the structural FEA allow for advanced optimization of part and mold design.

Read the case study here. 

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Moldex3D will be exhibiting at the Injection Molding and Design Expo 2022.