Valeo is a global automotive supplier headquartered in France, providing a full range of products both to automakers and their suppliers. In the Czech Republic, Valeo has five plants and a research and development center, developing and manufacturing air conditioning systems, exhaust gas recirculation systems, interior control panels and front modules, hydraulic clutch and brake actuators, and ultrasonic sensors.

At the Rakovník plant, Valeo produces air conditioning units. An air conditioning unit consists of more than a hundred components and is assembled on 15 assembly lines.

Therefore, good design of each part, which must be manufacturable and fit into the assembly, is essential.

The problem concerned a component of the air conditioning unit that was already in production. Its deformation after molding was so large that it did not fit into the assembly. The injection mold had already been manufactured and installed. Valeo engineers faced the challenge of solving the part deformation using the existing mold and avoiding the need for a new mold, while also finding a solution that required minimal intervention and redesign of the mold to avoid jeopardizing the project’s production start date.

The solution consisted of several steps. The first step was to describe the current state and identify the source of deformation using Moldflow analysis based on complete production documentation, including injection parameters, gating system, temperature control system, etc.

The Moldflow analysis revealed several causes of deformation, the main ones being mold temperature and polymer shrinkage.

Six design proposals to solve the deformation were developed and verified by Moldflow analysis.

Valeo chose one of the proposals — to modify the part design in a way that requires minimal mold intervention. The modification involved creating ribs on the upper side of the part, which fix and subsequently minimize part deformation.

The proposed solution was carefully verified with Moldflow analysis — the predicted part deformation was reduced by 50% compared to the original design.

Based on Moldflow simulations, the cause of the part deformation was identified and six methods to eliminate the deformation were proposed. Each variant was verified by Moldflow simulation and accompanied by commentary.

Valeo was able to make a qualified decision and validate it before modifying the mold. Using Moldflow simulation, Valeo precisely defined the problem and its cause, found a solution, selected the best design modification, and verified it. Solving the problem with Moldflow analyses took several days and cost thousands of euros. The cost of a new mold would have been tens of thousands of euros and its production would have taken months.