LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany—TPU products now can be processed virtually in BASF's Utrasim mold and product simulation tool.
The company said the software accounts for the Mullins effect, a stress softening effect under cyclic loading. TPUs are subject to this effect, and the company said that factoring it into the software is indispensable.
The software can give an exact forecast for warpage behavior during injection molding, and considers the complex viscoelastic nature of TPUs.
"The simulation tool provides our customers with quick and reliable information about how BASF material will behave in their components," said Achim Besser, team leader for material modeling at BASF. It is designed to significantly shorten development times compared to using prototypes, Besser added.
The software has been written for BASF's range of Elastollan TPUs that are used in spring isolators, folding bellows and end stops in automotive applications. They also find use in products such as ski boots, shoe soles and cable sheathing.
