Temperature control | processing
A poorly temperature-
controlled mould can lead to rejects and process inefficiencies. But closer control of heating and
cooling improves moulding, writes Peter Mapleston
Temperature control comes in from the cold
Improved mould temperature control provides proces- sors with the means to make better parts and poten- tially save considerable amounts of energy at the same time. “Smart” communications between the injection moulding machine and third-party controllers are making the matter simpler than ever. Mould temperature control has been paid far too
little attention, says Mathias Schläger, project manager in the process technology development department at injection moulding machine manufacturer Engel, which in recent months has put considerable effort into mould temperature control innovation. Just as it has been for some 30 years, he says, the flow rate is still largely regulated by means of variable area flow meters, which do not allow genuine monitoring of the temperatures and flow rates. “A poorly temperature-controlled mould can quickly become a cause of rejects.” In recent years, however, a trend has developed
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towards monitoring and controlling the cooling parameters by means of electronic water manifolds. Manually adjustable designs already offer the signifi- cant advantage that they enable process monitoring. Automatically controlled designs are also capable of maintaining constant flow rates, even if, for example, there are fluctuations in the supply pressure. In addition, the chosen settings can be stored together with the part data for QC purposes. Schläger says temperature control units with a
speed-regulated pump form an ideal complement to closed-loop controlled water manifolds. “Since they are integrated into the machine control system, synergies arise that allow easy determination of the flow rates that are actually required, automatic setting of the pump speed, and consequently a significant reduction in the energy consumption,” he says. Controlled water manifold systems such as Engel’s
July/August 2017 | INJECTION WORLD 17
Main image: Injection moulding technology
providers are
taking a closer look at the mould tem- perature
control function
PHOTO: SILVERGATE
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