Special Report: System upgrades target automotive, caps & closures markets
Increased flexibility, energy savings and fast changeovers are highlights of hot-runner systems created specifically for use in the production of caps, closures and automotive parts.
ADVANCES IN AUTOMOTIVE HOT-RUNNER SYSTEMS
Mold-Masters Ltd., Georgetown, Ontario, a division of Milacron LLC, Cincinnati, created an upgraded version of its Dura hot-runner systems, the Dura+, designed for automotive lens and lighting applications. The new developments focus on improving part quality and increasing equipment flexibility.
Enhancements include new valve-pin position sensors that provide data to fine-tune the injection process. Dual thermocouples on the nozzles help prevent the production of bad parts, and actuators proven on the company's Fusion G2 hot-runner system (for automotive components, furniture and other large parts) are incorporated into Dura+ for consistency on gate closing.
New gating styles that reduce heat transfer to the cavities, and new valve pins with a superior flow profile update the system and allow for superior part finish. Dura+ features a new heater path at the manifold, which reduces the number of zones to control without jeopardizing thermal balancing. The angled manifold was redesigned for easier installation, which reduces the cost of mold machining, according to Michael Ellis, director of global marketing and communications for Milacron.
Mold-Masters also developed enhanced features for its Fusion G2, which is a prewired, pre-assembled, drop-in system with a single point of connection to the injection press. The system eases installation while promoting faster startup, operation and maintenance. Four models are offered — the F4000, F5000, F6000 and F7000 — handling shot weights from 15 grams to 3,500 grams.
Fusion G2 is now available with position monitoring of the valve pin and control of its opening speed to improve the surface finish of the part. Other additions include high-performance, water-cooled gate inserts and new gate designs for processing certain resins. Extended gate seals now also are available on the entire Fusion G2 product line as an option.
In addition, Mold-Masters offers a new compound nozzle for the Fusion G2 designed to avoid interference with cavity cooling lines. The nozzle can be positioned in very tight areas. Heated flange nozzles also are available in addition to the standard screw-in nozzles that are threaded directly to the manifold.
Like Mold-Masters, HRSflow, San Polo di Piave, Italy, has new equipment for automotive manufacturing. It launched ECOflow, its new energy-efficient hot-runner system that maintains a homogeneous temperature while lowering energy consumption by about 25 percent compared to a conventional system.
ECOflow is suited for molding large automotive parts, such as bumpers, wheel arch liners and instrument panels, and is designed to significantly reduce energy consumption without impairing hot-runner performance.
ECOflow requires a smaller cutout in the mold because the weight and volume of the manifolds are about one-third less than conventional manifolds. Its size allows it to reach a thermally constant state in less time than a conventional system, and any thermal fluctuations are balanced out more quickly, too.
HRSflow further enhanced the system's energy efficiency by analyzing and optimizing its materials, dimensions and the contact areas between the system and the mold. ECOflow uses a proprietary material with low heat conduction and high strength for the contact elements between the hot runner and the mold plates, including supports and positioning pins.
GATE TIPS SPEED COLOR CHANGES FOR CAP PRODUCTION
Mold-Masters also developed a new line of color-change gating tips for use with its Sprint hot-runner systems, which are engineered for the high-speed production of caps and closures in high-cavitation tools.
The new tips enable a change from a color to a clear material to occur up to 47 percent faster than with a standard gate tip, by preventing dead spots, Ellis said. The tips are available immediately as a standard package for all Sprint systems, and can replace current tip designs.
Fast color change is just one aspect of the Sprint hot-runner system that has been optimized to maximize productivity and processing efficiency. The high-performance Sprint system uses the company's iFLOW manifold technology, which provides superior fill balance in a high-cavity tool through uniform shear distribution. The system also uses brazed heater elements for precise temperature control and long heater life.
The system employs the company's Ecodisk ceramic pads, which reduce energy consumption by 21 percent while providing greater thermal balance to the whole hot-runner system. The 7mm-thick pad is installed flush to the bottom of a clamp plate that is positioned above the pressure disk.
The Sprint system achieves 2- to 6-second cycle times through high injection velocities and lower pressure drops. Part quality is maintained with optimized decompression and the nozzle/gate design that results in a precise gate vestige with no stringing. The Sprint system is offered in hot-tip and valve-gate nozzle designs.
Mold-Masters also rolled out the Velocity LS quick-delivery configurable hot-runner system, which features the company's Master-Series nozzles. Using the company's new eStore website, users can configure hot-runner systems with one to eight drops from a wide range of standard Master Series components. Customers also can receive 3-D drawings and quotations using the online system.
Mikell Knights, senior staff reporter
Contact:
HRSflow, 616-228-6900, www.hrsflow.com
Mold-Masters Ltd., 905-877-0815, www.milacron.com
