RTM-Worx User Manual
Quick start

If You Are In a Hurry

You may want to start RTM-Worx right away, without having to read this manual. Here are some directions that will get you started quickly.

• Install RTM-Worx by inserting the CD with the Auto Run feature enabled and follow the instructions on-screen.
  
• Start RTM-Worx for the first time and contact us with the Site Code. We will supply a registration code to make RTM-Worx functional for the duration of your license. Restart RTM-Worx after you entered the Registration code.
  
• A Step by step checklist that describes the steps you need to take to create a model and run the simulation, is provided in section 1.4.1. Summarized, the steps are:
  
  1. Define the geometry of the part. Define keypoints, connect them by curves and create surfaces from closed loops of curves.
     
  2. Add and verify runner and surface properties: diameter/thickness and lay-up.
     
  3. Define injection and, optionally, venting ports.
     
  4. Optimze the mesh. Optional, but a full remesh is always a good idea.
     
  5. Enter resin viscosity and change calculation parameters if desired.
     
  6. Run the simulation: shortcuts are F9 to continue and Ctrl+F9 to restart.
     
  7. View results: shaded, contour line and vector plots.
     
  Now you are ready to try out alternative injection strategies and to vary properties to get a feeling for the robustness of the process. Repeat steps 6 and 7.
  
• Section 1.4.2 highlights some features that are not obvious to everyone, like the built in calculator available in a lot of edit fields for numerical values.
  
• Read section 1.4.3 that explains the way RTM-Worx stores your data in files. It is important to understand this if you want to keep track of your work.
  
• The structure of a model in RTM-Worx is explained in section 3.1.1. Creating objects and editing is not particularly difficult if you have experience with FEM modeling, so you may skip the remainder of this chapter.
  
• Use the online-help system: pressing Shift+F1 turns the arrow cursor in an arrow with a question mark. You can now click any part of the window and a brief explanation will pop up. You can close the popup window with Esc, or click a link in the pop up window to get more detailed information.
  
• The online-help contains a 'How to' section where the steps are detailed you need to take to perform common tasks.
  
• Archive your project when you reach milestones. Create some more archives during the creation of the model. You can always delete some archives afterwards.
  
• Examine the examples. The examples are installed in your WORX directory and you may find additional files on CD. Always copy files to a hard disk (or network disk where you have write access) first before you load any project.
  
• Do some simulations on products that have already been produced and are well documented to get a feeling for RTM-Worx. Try to explain any observations, compare predicted with actual filling time etc. If the permeability of the lay-up is unknown, vary the permeability until the filling time matches. Now you can use this permeability for other cases where the same lay-up is used.
  

If you did all of the above, you are now an experienced RTM-Worx user!

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