Numerous representatives from industry and science came together at this year's REX/PSI user meeting (REX = computer-aided extruder design, PSI = Paderborn injection moulding simulation). As in previous years, the meeting took place in hybrid form.
The foundation stone for the development of the REX simulation software was laid a good 30 years ago by Prof. Dr. Helmut Potente. Volker Schöppner has been responsible for its further development since 2007.
The latest versions of the simulation programmes for single-screw machines REX 18.1 and PSI 16.1 were presented at this year's user meeting. With the help of these software programs, a theoretical assessment of the machine behaviour is possible, allowing the optimisation of barrel and screw configurations as well as the process parameters to be implemented for both single-screw extrusion and the plasticising units of injection moulding machines without the need for time-consuming experimental investigations. Analytical equations that enable simulation times of less than one minute are used for the most part.
In September 2025, the project will enter its 19th phase, in which the software is to be further improved through numerous projects in terms of calculation scope, user-friendliness and presentation of results.
The following presentations were given
- Implementation of a solids conveying calculation model for grooved barrels in PSI (Jan Landgräber)
- Presentation of the periphery module (Leon Schmidt)
- Current model improvements (Christoph Schall)
- Improving melting modelling by considering the solid bed density (Felix Knaup)
- Model improvements (Christoph Schall)
- Current software development (Nils Kretzschmar)
- Closing time calculation of the annular non-return valve (Jonas Petzke)
- Expanding the 3D CFD simulation to include the annular non-return valve (Daniel Stüker)
