Tool temperature regulation up to 225°C, and more from Single at K

A hot-water temperature control system for mold temperature regulation of up to 225°C will debut from Single Temperiertechnik ( Hochdorf, Germany) at K 2010 in Düsseldorf this coming October. The system targets processing of high-temperature polymers, for example PEEK, in applications such as medical engineering parts. The compact unit with a heating capacity of 6 kW and a flow rate of up to 30 l/min

Also at K, Single will debut the Micro water-operated temperature control system specially designed for temperature control of injection molds using micro-runners with diameters of between 1 and 3 mm. A compact frequency-controlled high-speed pump with solenoid coupling and low power consumption provides water with a pressure of up to 8 bar and a flow rate of between 1 and 2 l/min. This system guarantees a consistent mold temperature even for low heat quantities to be dissipated and a significantly reduced flow rate compared with standard systems.

Another highlight at the Single K stand will be demonstration of active and passive alternating temperature control systems. The active Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT) system will prove its worth in a live demonstration of injection molding of a thick-wall polycarbonate magnifier. The STWS 200 alternating temperature control system with a heating capacity of 36 kW and the SKL 23-L cooling system will alternate the flow of hot and cold transfer media through contour-aligned, mold heating/cooling channels in tailor-made cavity inserts on an Arburg Golden Edition 320 injection molding machine.

Single's passive system, meanwhile, is a highly economic solution for variotherm temperature control tasks. The system generates an intermitting flow through the mold by means of an electric and hydraulic connection of random temperature control systems: EcoTemp interrupts mold cooling during the injection phase to allow the mold cavity wall to heat up. This process is followed by an intense cooling phase.

Alternating temperature control is beneficial for the process itself and ensures accurate reproduction of surface detail on the molded component as well as delivering better strength and improving the cost-efficiency of the entire production process due to reduced cycle times, improving dimensional stability and consistency of injection molds, and realizing superior optical and surface quality. Furthermore, distinct surface properties such as self-cleaning or antireflection effects, accurate reproduction of microstructures and nanostructures, molded channels and fillets for microfluidic applications or particularly smooth surfaces and high-quality glossy surfaces with piano finish can be achieved. ATT also avoids flow marks and silver streaks that may occur during foam molding. .-immeditorial@cancom.com