Special Report: Heating, insulating products save energy, costs
Heating and insulating products for injection molding equipment are key to consistent and reliable plastics manufacturing, as well as energy savings.
Barrel heating is a straightforward process, but over the course of the past year, a couple of companies have announced additions to their product lines.
Plastic Process Equipment Inc.
Plastic Process Equipment Inc., Macedonia, Ohio, expanded its line of ceramic adjustable I.D. heater bands this year. The I.D. in the name stands for interior diameter.
For years, the company has offered 1.5-inch and 2.5-inch-wide ceramic adjustable I.D. heater bands. The company reports that because of customer demand, it has expanded its line to offer 3-inch-wide ceramic adjustable I.D. heater bands made with the same materials.
The heater bands include 0.25-inch thick insulation for added energy savings, a stainless steel sheath and extra-long bolts for diameter adjustment.
The stock I.D. ceramic heater bands are ideal for injection, blow molding and extruder applications, according to the company.
The 1.5-inch-wide ceramic bands are available for 240-volt operation, while the 2.5-inch and 3-inch-wide are stocked for both 240-volt and 480-volt operation.
The company said it has lowered its prices for the heater bands because of high volume and improved manufacturing techniques.
UniTherm International Inc.
UniTherm International Inc., Lewisville, Texas, manufactures products that insulate injection molding barrels and heater bands to help reduce energy usage and costs, including its popular UniVest line.
In December 2015, Plastics Machinery Magazine wrote about UniTherm making its UniVest product line available in standard sizes that are offered as off-the-shelf items.
However, the company continues to expand its off-the-shelf sizes, company spokesman Danny Sherrill said.
"The modular sizes have expanded, so we've been able to incorporate larger widths and larger diameters," Sherrill said. "These jackets come in hundreds of sizes."
The biggest vest has a diameter of 20 inches, but jackets can be connected to accommodate larger diameter needs.
In addition, the company recently introduced a new version of its DroolShield, a Teflon-coated, rigid aluminum shield that protects insulation vests, heater bands and electric wiring from drool blowback from injection molding nozzles.
"It really makes sense that if you're going to insulate and you're going to go toward energy savings, you should put a DroolShield on the nozzle," Sherrill said. "Because once you do that, you're saving the money you just spent on your insulation system."
If plastic gets on the shield, it can be easily peeled off in only a few seconds once it cools, Sherrill said.
"The old maintenance hack to not having a DroolShield is a blowtorch and a chisel," he said. "So any time plastic comes back on all your wiring and all your insulation, they shut the machine down and start taking a blowtorch to the plastic and cutting off wires and heater bands and our jackets. Then they've got to go replace them with brand-new ones."
The new DroolShield is an upgrade from previously available drool discs that performed a similar function but were disposable and needed regular replacement instead of simple cleaning.
UniTherm also introduced its Mica Board, an insulating board that is attached to injection molds to trap heat and reduce energy consumption. The Mica Board is offered in addition to the company's previously available Glastherm Insulation Grade HT200 sheet board.
Bruce Geiselman, correspondent
Contact:
Plastic Process Equipment Inc., 216-367-7000, www.ppe.com
UniTherm International Inc., 972-436-1401, www.unitherm.com
About the Author
Bruce Geiselman
Lead Reporter
Senior Reporter Bruce Geiselman covers plastics processing technologies and end markets including automotive and packaging. He also writes features, including In Other Words and Problem Solved, for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and The Journal of Blow Molding. He has decades of experience in daily and magazine journalism, including eight years at PMM, and is the recipient of a Jesse H. Neal Award, among other recognitions.
