Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard: Key Highlights in Mold Design

The Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard release introduces several important enhancements aimed at improving parameter control, streamlining the mold design workflow, and increasing production readiness.

The Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard release introduces several important enhancements aimed at improving parameter control, streamlining the mold design workflow, and increasing production readiness.

Designcenter Mold Design provides an integrated solution throughout the mold development process, from initial part design and core–cavity–insert creation to standard component placement, verification, and manufacturing data preparation. The platform also connects with product design, simulation, and CAM workflows, helping manufacturers reduce manual tasks, minimize errors, and shorten time to market.

In the 2606 release, the enhancements focus on four key areas:

• Complete tasks faster with fewer operations;
• Increase parametric and expression-based control over the model;
• Improve the design of cooling channels, runners, gates, and venting systems;
• Enhance data traceability and model organization for manufacturing.

1. Better Workpiece Position Control with Reset Workpiece

The Mold CSYS – Reset Workpiece feature provides greater control over the workpiece position when users modify the mold coordinate system.

A new Reset Workpiece option has been added to the Mold CSYS settings. Designers can now determine whether the workpiece should be repositioned according to the new coordinate system after the Mold CSYS is moved.

The feature is intelligently enabled based on the workpiece creation method being used and is enabled by default when appropriate.

This enhancement helps:

• Prevent unintended workpiece displacement;
• Maintain a consistent workpiece position after coordinate system changes;
• Improve accuracy during mold setup;
• Reduce the time required to readjust the model.

2. Automatic PMI Linking During Pocket Creation

The Pocket – Link PMI Objects feature automatically links PMI information from tool components or standard parts to the target object during pocket creation.

The PMI information may include:

• Dimensions;
• Annotations;
• Technical symbols;
• Identification labels;
• Information supporting Model-Based Definition (MBD).

When the source PMI is modified or removed, the linked PMI on the target object is automatically updated accordingly.

This ensures that technical data remains synchronized without affecting geometric operations. It is a valuable enhancement for companies implementing MBD, helping improve document consistency and information traceability throughout the mold design lifecycle.

3. More Flexible Vent System Design

The enhancements in the Vent Enhancements group provide more precise control over the placement and layout of vent paths.

Users can directly create vent holes on the mold surface. The system automatically connects each hole to the nearest secondary vent line, while allowing the hole size to be adjusted through the Vent_Hole_D parameter.

NX 2606 also supports:

• Simultaneously moving multiple vent line segments;
• Moving a group of vent lines located on the same side;
• Controlling the automatic creation of internal vent lines;
• Switching to manual point-by-point placement when needed;
• Supporting Standard Vent, Simple Vent, and Side Vent.

These enhancements make vent layout faster and more efficient while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate different mold structures and specific venting requirements.

4. Enhanced BOM Customization and Traceability

NX 2606 enhances the Bill of Materials (BOM) creation and management process, particularly in template selection and tracking data-saving history.

Users can display BOM templates as visual icons, supporting both default and customized templates. Icons can be defined at multiple resolutions to ensure proper display across different screen types.

The new version also adds automatic export capabilities for:

• The last user who saved the file through the <$SAVE_USER> attribute;
• The last save date through the <$SAVE_DATE> attribute.

These details can be displayed directly in the BOM dialog box and included in exported reports. The data is synchronized with the part metadata in read-only mode, improving transparency, accountability, and change traceability.

5. More Accurate Mold Cost Estimation

The Mold Cost Enhancements focus on improving the accuracy and flexibility of mold cost estimation.

The system can automatically adjust the mold base size based on slide complexity through the Mold_Base_Increment configuration logic.

In addition, users can:

• Customize hot runner brands;
• Customize hot runner system configurations;
• Automatically recalculate costs when selections are changed;
• Link pricing logic to cost data tables;
• Configure different standard components for each mold base type;
• Select and display components directly within the interface.

Cost data can be managed by categories such as undercuts, mold size, hot runners, and customer requirements. This enables quotations to more accurately reflect the actual configuration of the mold assembly.

6. Percentage-Based Wall Thickness Analysis

The Check Wall Thickness feature now supports displaying results as percentages.

Instead of viewing only absolute wall thickness values, users can evaluate wall thickness based on predefined percentage ranges. When this option is enabled, the results in both the graphics window and dialog box are updated according to the same criteria.

The option status can be saved and automatically restored in subsequent sessions.

This enhancement helps engineers to:

• Quickly identify areas that are too thin or too thick;
• Make relative comparisons between different areas of the part;
• Evaluate wall thickness uniformity;
• Maintain consistent inspection criteria across projects.

7. More Efficient Standard Component Library Management

The Standard Part Library has been enhanced to provide greater control over components through spreadsheets, reference sets, and wireframe models.

Users can define component parent relationships directly in the spreadsheet using the PARENT parameter. When spreadsheet data is modified, component relationships are updated accordingly.

NX 2606 also allows users to:

• Predefine the default Reference Set;
• Automatically apply the Reference Set when inserting components;
• Create lightweight 3D wireframe models using the 3D_WIREFRAME keyword;
• Update wireframes according to the component’s size and position;
• Convert wireframes into fully defined standard components when needed.

This approach helps reduce model size during the preliminary layout stage while improving display and editing performance for mold assemblies containing a large number of components.

8. Create Multiple Cooling Channels in a Single Operation

The Direct Channel – Continuous Creation Mode significantly improves the efficiency of designing multiple cooling channels.

With the Continuous Creation option, users can create multiple channels consecutively within a single Apply operation without having to close and reopen the command.

When this mode is enabled, dragging the manipulator automatically creates an additional channel. When disabled, dragging the manipulator only changes the position of the current channel, consistent with the behavior in previous versions.

Continuous Creation is enabled by default to support faster multi-channel creation, reduce repetitive operations, and minimize unnecessary command switching.

9. Integrating Extend and Connect into Adjust Channel

The Extend Channel and Connect Channels tools were previously available as separate commands within the Cooling Tools menu. In NX 2606, both functions are now integrated directly into the Adjust Channel dialog box.

Users can select the required function under Adjust Channel Type while retaining all the capabilities of the original commands.

This enhancement helps to:

• Reduce the need to switch between commands;
• Minimize time spent searching for tools on the toolbar;
• Centralize channel editing operations within a single interface;
• Create a more seamless cooling system design workflow.

10. Formula- and Expression-Based Bounding Body Control

NX 2606 adds the ability to enter formulas and reference expressions directly into the Offset fields of the Bounding Body command.

In Uniform Offset mode, a single expression can control the offset distance in all directions simultaneously. In Non-uniform Offset mode, users can define six independent expressions corresponding to the six offset directions.

This enables bounding geometry to update automatically when design parameters change. It is particularly useful for workflows such as:

• Stock creation;
• Creating enclosure volumes;
• Electrode design;
• Preparing geometry for downstream processes;
• Developing parameter-driven mold design templates.

11. Enhanced Stock Size Control and Automated Data Organization

The Stock Size feature has been enhanced to improve the accuracy of stock positioning and automate model organization.

For cylindrical stock, users can specify a specific point through which the stock axis must pass. The new Specify Point option in the Orientation group provides greater control over the stock’s orientation and positioning.

After creation, the blank body can be automatically moved to:

• A specified Reference Set;
• A preconfigured layer.

The default setting uses Layer 99, while allowing users to configure the Reference Set name and layer number according to their company’s data management standards.

12. Linking QR Codes and Barcodes to Part Attributes

The Insert QR/Bar Code feature has been enhanced to allow codes to be directly linked to part attributes.

Users can create Code Rules based on attribute values. When a linked attribute is changed, the QR Code or Barcode is automatically updated in both the Model Part and Drawing Part environments.

This enhancement supports:

• Automated part identification;
• Version and product code management;
• Component information traceability;
• Data synchronization between 3D models and drawings;
• Improved digital data continuity throughout the manufacturing process.

13. Improved Runner and Gate Design in Plunger Design

The Plunger Design Enhancements provide greater control over runners, gates, and metal flow.

Runners and gates can be projected onto selected surfaces and accurately subtracted from the mold body, core, or cavity.

The new version supports:

• Adding gates for top-to-bottom flow configurations;
• Adding gates for inside-to-outside flow configurations;
• Adjusting the surface offset distance of runners and gates;
• Controlling the Cold Slug Well using a handle;
• Using reference edges to guide offset paths;
• Reusing Cold Slug Well objects in Offset Path and Comb Path.

These enhancements improve model stability, enhance runner alignment, and reduce errors when performing Boolean subtraction operations with mold components.

Overall Value of Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard

The enhancements in Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard go beyond adding individual features. They are designed to deliver a more parametric, automated, and highly connected mold design workflow.

The new version helps businesses:

• Reduce the number of manual operations during design;
• Achieve more precise control over mold models;
• Automatically update data when design changes occur;
• Improve the design of cooling channels, vents, runners, and gates;
• Standardize component libraries and BOM data;
• Enhance information traceability;
• Prepare data more effectively for machining and manufacturing;
• Reuse internal design knowledge, standards, and workflows.

In line with the solution’s overall direction, Designcenter Mold Design can read and modify data from multiple CAD systems, automate workflows based on best practices, and integrate design, simulation, and CAM on a unified technology platform.

Conclusion

Designcenter 2606 Mold Wizard is a major update focused on design productivity, parametric control, and manufacturing readiness.

From Mold CSYS setup, vent creation, standard component management, and wall thickness inspection to channel, runner, gate, and QR Code design, each enhancement helps users reduce manual operations while maintaining greater data consistency.

For mold design and manufacturing companies, 2606 provides a foundation for building faster, more standardized, and more adaptable design workflows, enabling teams to respond more effectively to changes throughout the product development process.