TECHNOLOGY | FOAM MOULDING
Right: Stefan Hofmann, Managing Director of Hofmann, holding a spherical part made from particle foam with a rigid plastic clasp insert moulded onto the part
new ceramic coating technology for the tooling cavity surface in the demonstration application, which supported the advancement of the project. Ceramic coatings in the cavities helped prevent the formation of foam streaks, weld lines, tiger stripes or gloss differences appearing on the surface of the foam moulded part. Additionally, different surface structures can be created directly in the injection mould via the cavity coating, Engel says. The combination of the new system technology by Engel and MicroJect Advanced process from Faurecia leverages previously undreamed-of efficiency and sustainability potentials in structural foam moulding, claims Engel. The structural foam moulded sophisticated automotive door panel sample parts made at the show did not need to be painted, and there is no need for additional energy-intensive process technology, such as intermittent mould heating, for parts made for customer-facing applications. Parts with a premium surface were produced out of the mould without additional energy input, Engel says. New materials developed by Faurecia Interiors for structural foam moulding contributed to the high surface quality. A talc-filled PP with a recycled material content of 30% of the IniCycle type was processed during the K show, for example. IniCycle is suitable for all physical and chemical foam moulding processes. Wilmington Machinery, the US producer of
large part injection moulding machines, added a medium pressure model ideal for moulding large gas assist or foam products requiring superior cosmetics and high-capacity production. Its new Lumina MP1200 unit produces foamed products using direct gas injection into the extruder barrel using nitrogen or CO2
gases.
Wilmington designed the machine to accept both hot runner and cold runner moulds, including stack moulds. Like its other medium and low-pres-
sure machine models, the new Lumina MP1200 unit is available with integrated robotics, gas assist control, resin blending, gas generation, hot runner control and other accessories. The machine is designed with dual 130 mm reciprocating/ compounding injection units and operates with Wilmington’s in-line first-in, first-out 50 lb accumu- lators, the company says. Wilmington says the cost-effective injection moulding machinery is capable of processing 100% recycled materials.
Particle foam Hofmann, a manufacturer of particle foam process- ing machinery, has advanced its
Bead.Machine technology to combine conventional injection moulding with particle foam processing to pro- duce high quality parts for the consumer, automo- tive and safety markets, says Stefan Hofmann, Managing Director. The company brings expertise in toolmaking, mechanical engineering and additive manufacturing to design its compact, energy-saving machine. Its
Bead.Machine unit can process particle foam
IMAGE: WILMINGTON
materials made from EPE-EPP blends, PP, ETPU and foamed PA, for example, to produce parts that are light, not too stiff, yet functional and with a smooth surface, says Hofmann. Steam is used to heat the mould and
process the material, which is cooled by specially designed, water-filled mould cooling channels. Thin-walled stainless steel moulds are generally used to produce the parts, but Hofmann has developed 3D printed inserts, made by SLM, for a more accurate part making with
Wilmington’s new Lumina MP1200 machine for moulding large gas assist or foam products
34 INJECTION WORLD | November/December 2023
excellent surface quality. Hofmann currently offers its
Bead.Machine in one size, which can accommodate a mould plate of
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: M KNIGHTS
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