*Result*: Development of an Automated CAD Framework for Fully Parametric Design of Injection Molds.

*Injection mold design is a repetitive and time-consuming process with common individual tasks related to each other. This study presents the development of an automatic computer-aided design (CAD) tool for basic injection molds with complete modeling and no other interaction by the user after inserting the part, built on the SolidWorks Application Programming Interface 2022 (API) and Visual Basic for Applications 7.1 2012(VBA). The tool combines user input forms and supplier catalog data as inputs in an algorithm to automatically generate mold structures, cavity blocks, runner system, ejection system and straight drilled cooling channels without further manual modeling. Three case studies with one-, two-, and four-cavity molds demonstrate the approach. The results show that complete mold assemblies can be produced in less than 10 min rather than hours while maintaining standard component dimensions. Although the present version applies to rule-based geometric placement rather than thermal or injection process optimization, it provides a framework for future integration of more complex mold structures and functions such as slides, hot runner system, unscrewing geometries, conformal cooling, heat-transfer-based design, family molds and machine selection. This work demonstrates how API-driven automation can reduce design time, standardize layouts, and lay the groundwork for next-generation injection mold development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Manufacturing & Materials Processing is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)*