The SIGMA simulation software is a joint research project between leading industrial companies and Kunststofftechnik Paderborn. The program is used to simulate compounding and processing operations on co-rotating twin screw extruders. This year, for the first time after the Corona-Pandemic, the SIGMA user meeting took place on February 20 as a hybrid event, on-site in Paderborn and via Microsoft Teams. Here, Kunststofftechnik Paderborn presented the new SIGMA 14 release and its new features to the project partners. These include software improvements such as automated user-friendly naming of processes in the variation manager, the new diagram for visualizing the free channel volume and the introduction of new sample processes. Also presented were the modeling approaches for spatially resolved energy input and the further development of modeling for the molecular weight degradation of PP in the twin screw extruder. Furthermore, developments of material laws on gas-loaded melts and the development in the field of automated process design using swarm intelligence were presented. Furthermore, the latest enhancements of SIGMA3D in the field of particle tracking were presented to the users. IANUS Simulation GmbH showed the development status for the three-dimensional flow simulation of partially filled screw elements with Extrud3D and a new development for the simulation of melting. The event concluded with a presentation of the work planned for SIGMA 14.1.
The second project phase of the SIGMA 14 project ends in spring 2024 and will include the developments now underway. By exchanging ideas with the project partners involved, it was possible to gather additional suggestions for the further course of the project. Company representatives from KraussMaffei Extrusion, Evonik Industries and C.A.PICARD were present on site. BASF, Brückner Maschinenbau, Covestro Deutschland, Leistritz Extrusionstechnik and Reifenhäuser Extrusion Systems participated online in the user meeting.
