Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Hotset America, Hasco, PCS Company and CUMSA
Moldmaking can be a complex business, but having the right solutions in place to handle your moldmaking woes can make all the difference. To help readers keep up with the different technology that can positively impact their business, MoldMaking Technology puts together a technology roundup each month, giving a quick rundown of relevant tech on the market.
This month’s focus is hot runners and mold components. In this technology roundup, discover different hot runner and mold component technologies, services and processes that can help push business to the next level or just solve common problems shops may face on a day-to-day basis.
To check out more tech roundups from months prior, please browse the New Tech section of the MMT website or search “technology roundup” in the homepage’s search bar. To learn more about a product or service featured here, click the link in the respective product/service’s title.
Photo Credit: CUMSA USA
New Slide Design With Floating Insert Supports Mold Simplification
CUMSA USA is introducing a new concept of slide to the market with improved quality, lower costs and shorter production times. Available in six standard sizes that can accommodate a range of different strokes, the new slide is ideal for designers because of its design simplicity, mold builders for its easy installation and molders for the slide’s optimized maintenance.
Photo Credit: Regal Components
Custom-Manufactured Core Pins, Punches, Blades and Sleeves
Regal Components offers the manufactures, distributors and end users in the moldmaking industry custom core pins, sleeves ejectors, blades and punches. Suitable for a wide range of OEM requirements, the company can incorporate details including tapers, rings, vents, ribs and spiral shaped using wire EDM.
Gate Cutting Technology Advances Mold Material Selection
Gate cutting technology from Ermanno Balzi enables separation of the molded part from the cold runner during the mold cycle. This is performed via the axial movement of a cutter, driven by a mini cylinder fed with high-pressure oil. The cut is made with the mold closed at the end of the holding phase while the polymeric material is still hot.
Photo Credit: Fast Heat by Spark Industries
Industrial HMI Remote Access for Hot Runner Controls
Until now, Fast Heat hot runner controls have been able to be remotely controlled with a VNC Viewer application since the advent of the company’s latest touchscreen HMIs. However, according to the company, this application requires the remote access computer or device to be on the same network, meaning a remote user would have to use a virtual private network (VPN) to access the network in order to connect to a hot runner controller.
The company is offering EasyAccess 2.0 to address this issue, which is an application that is said to provide a secure and easy way to connect to Fast Heat’s hot runner controls from a remote PC not on the same network.
Photo Credit: Westfall Technik
Next-Generation Advanced Hot Runner Technology for Precision Molds
Westfall Technik’s MHS Hot Runner systems are designed for reliability and longevity in order to mass produce billions of precision-molded parts. Westfall says its hot runner solutions are designed to withstand a wide range of pressure and temperatures, and are capable of running materials from polypropylene (PP) to polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to bio-absorbable resins, with shot sizes that range from 1 mg to 400 Ibs.
Photo Credit: Orycon Hot Runner Systems
Sequential Valve Gate Controller Made More Intuitive for Moldmakers
Orycon Hot Runner Systems announces enhancements to its Model T-700 hydraulic sequential valve gate controller which reportedly make it more intuitive and user friendly for moldmakers. The T-700 features a 10" touchscreen with high-resolution graphics and is available in models from eight to 24 zones.
Photo Credit: PCS Company
Nozzle Leak Detector Helps Avoid Costly Repairs, Downtime
PCS Company has introduced the Nozzle Leak Detector (NLD) to help molders detect plastic leakage between the mold and the machine nozzle, preventing costly downtime and repairs. Caused by cracked nozzle tips, misaligned nozzles, plugged gates and other issues, nozzle leaks are a common problem that can cause time-consuming maintenance and repairs, resulting in lost productivity.
Photo Credit: INCOE
MultiPin Actuator Supports Multiple Valve Gate Nozzle Interconnections
For valve gate applications in which multiple nozzles have to be positioned in the most confined space, and need to be opened and closed simultaneously, hot runner manufacturer INCOE has developed the new pneumatic MultiPin valve gate actuator in two sizes. Based on its proven pneumatic (PE) units and designed for the (Slim) DF 5 and (Slim) DF 8 nozzle series, the MultiPin actuators are said to support the interconnection of up to four valve gate nozzles with cylindrical valve pin tip (ZTT).
Photo Credit: DME
Compact, Robust, and Customizable Hydraulic Cylinders
DME is the exclusive North American distributor for AHP Merkle hydraulic cylinders. AHP Merkle is a family-owned business with 50 years of innovation and global industry experience. The company’s hydraulic cylinders, especially the block cylinders (BZ series), were designed and developed to meet the needs of moldmakers for the plastic injection and die-casting industries.
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