3D-Printed Manifold Engineered to Eradicate Dead Spots Behind Valve Pins

Hasco Hot Runner is presenting the new manifold concept Streamrunner Shadowfree, an advanced 3D-printed hot runner system engineered to eradicate “shadow formations” behind valve pins.

Traditional injection molding often yields undesirable, poorly flowed areas in the hot runner due to flow disruptions around the valve pin. These shadows are responsible for plastic degradation and suboptimal color transitions. Streamrunner Shadowfree, however, effectively divides the material flow into streamlined channels, reuniting them at the point where the valve pin enters the melt channel. Rigorous testing demonstrates its capability to achieve rapid black-to-white material transitions in just 25 cycles, outpacing conventional valve gating systems by three to four times for color changes.

In addition to the common advantages of the Streamrunner, such as the eradication of dead spots, a gentle material flow and therefore a recognizable reduction in pressure losses, the Streamrunner Shadowfree now also has a solution for highly sensitive materials regarding heat stability in combination with valve gating systems.