Tutorial: Polymer Coextrusion

Set up and run a coextrusion analysis.

Open the Tutorial Model

Data files are available in the tutorial_models folder in the installation directory in Program Files\Altair\2024\InspireExtrudePolymer2024.1\tutorial_models\extrudepolymer\tutorial-2\.
Open the bodysidemoldTool.x_t tutorial model file from the file menu or by dragging and dropping the file into the Inspire Extrude window.
Note: In this tutorial, the die geometry includes a feeder and die cap. The CAD file can be in parasolid, step, or part file format.
The model should appear in the Inspire Extrude window.

Orient the Model

  1. Click the Extrusion ribbon.
  2. Click the Orient icon.

  3. On the model, click the exit surface.

    The model is oriented such that the profile is on the run-out table surface, which is at Y=0, and the profile extrudes in the +Z direction.

Extract Flow Volume

  1. Click the Polymers ribbon.
  2. Click the Flow Volume icon.
  3. Click and drag the cursor over the entire model to create a box, then release.


Delete Unwanted Solids

  1. Press A to show all solids.

  2. Press and hold CRTL and select flow die solids.

  3. Press H to hide the selected solids.

  4. Optional: Verify the names of Extract Solids. To start, open the model browser by pressing F2. This model's extracted flow solids are renamed as Plate1, Plate2, Plate3, Plate4, Plate5, and Plate6.
    Note: If a die plate has more than one void, then each of the extracted solids will have the same name. In this example, there are two components named Plate4 and two named Plate5.
    Note: You can perform this check to ensure that future progress will proceed as shown in this tutorial.

Select Materials

This die is a coextrusion die, so you will need to select two polymers for this situation. Those polymers are:
  • EXXON_PAXON_AB50_003
  • HF_PC_LEXAN_GE
  1. Click the Materials icon.

  2. Select Polymers > HF_PC > HF_PC_LEXAN_GE

  3. Right click on the material and click Select.
  4. After the material is selected, verify the bottom material under Selected Materials and deselect the materials that are not the two needed for this analysis.
    Note: To deselect a material, right click on the selected material and click Deselect.

  5. Repeat the above steps to select the EXXON_PAXON_AB50_003 material.
  6. Optional: Another way to search for your materials is to click in the Search Box in the Materials Window.
    1. Click in the Search Box.

    2. Type the name of the alloy.
    3. Right click on the alloy name and select it.

Specify Process Data: Inlets

  1. Click the Inlet icon.

  2. Zoom in to the first Inlet Region of the Polymer Melt.

  3. Select the first inlet face. Specify the inlet conditions:

  4. Zoom in to the second Inlet Region of the Polymer Melt.

  5. Select the second Inlet face. Specify the inlet conditions:

  6. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Organize Solids Into Polymer Layers

Click the Organize icon.



Inspire Extrude will then automatically organize all the displayed flow solids into polymers layers based on the previously specified inlet conditions.

Cut Land

  1. Click the Cut Land icon.

  2. Click Parts and select the parts of the model with partitioning lines.



  3. Click Line and select the partitioning line.

  4. Click Cut and perform the trimming operation.


  5. Follow all the steps from the previous, but commit them to the other partitioning line.





Create Profile Solids

  1. Click the Profile icon.

  2. Zoom in to the land region and select the land exit surface as shown.

    Inspire Extrude will create a Profile solid and use 3 times the length of the Land as default. You can change this if needed. We recommend the profile solid length be 3-4 times the actual land region. In this model, use 12 mm for the profile length.

  3. Repeat the above steps if you have multiple exits. This model has 3 exits, the rest of which are shown below.



Save Model

Click File > Save As... to save the model.
Note: We suggest you save this new model in a location that is different than the original tutorial model's location to prevent any future conflict with those files.

Submit the Job for Simulation

  1. Click the Analysis icon.

  2. Specify the parameters of the analysis process.
  3. Click Run.

Monitor Job Status

Once the results are ready, you should see a green flag notifying you that the results are ready for visualization. Click that green flag to view the results.

View Simulation Results

Review simulation results in the Analysis Explorer.
Figure 1. Velocity


Figure 2. Velocity - Die Exit


Figure 3. Deformation


Figure 4. Pressure


Figure 5. Temperature


Figure 6. Temperature - Polymer Layer 1


Figure 7. Temperature - Polymer Layer 2


Figure 8. Temperature - Die Exit


Figure 9. Strain Rate


Figure 10. Residence Time


Figure 11. Residence Time