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Product Watch: Injection molding tools of the tradeProduct Watch: Injection molding tools of the trade

In this iteration of Product Watch we look at a new range of bushings from Hasco, Sulzer's new mixing nozzle for residence time-critical plastics, and a new tool to help processors measure color on their parts.

PlasticsToday Staff

June 21, 2011

3 Min Read
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Hasco's new linear ball-bearing bushing range, dubbed Z13/, are designed primarily for the guiding of ejector plates in injection molds but also work in compression molds and diecasting molds, and for the guiding of mold plate assemblies. They are said to offer solid load-bearing capacity and unlimited stroke lengths without any movement of the cage. The guide ball bearings roll continuously in the rotating ball tracks, helping to eliminate the possibility of denting the guide pillar.

The bushings are easily installed in H7 drill holes. There is no stroke restriction due to the construction of the ball cages. The linear ball-bearing bushes can withstand operating temperatures of 180°C.

Sulzer Chemtech Ltd. has extended its product range with the addition of a new mixing nozzle called Mix Body. The company says this product is especially suitable for the processing of residence time-critical plastics containing flame retardants or other sensitive additives. It also can find use for the processing of very low viscous polymers and for parts with long flow paths. The delivery time for a complete system is 2 weeks.

The fully hardened 3-part nozzle including heater and thermocouple is installed in place of the standard machine nozzle. The Mix Body is a standard solution whereas nozzle tip and adapter are custom-made in order to fit individual machine connections. The mixing elements homogenize the melt during the injection phase and allow a fast change of additives and polymers. The mixer consists of 4 to 6 non-removable mixing elements. For very demanding mixing tasks the company recommends the version with 6 mixing elements.

For a color or polymer change, the installed Mix Body can be cleaned by purging with the next polymer. When dismantled, cleaning can be carried out using established methods such as vacuum pyrolysis and fluidized bed.

Leaving the molding machine and moving to the finished parts, MAZeT (Jena, Germany) has developed a new tool for color measurement. The new Truecolormeter "colorStriker" device was introduced to the marketing early June.

MAZeT developed all the hardware in the colorStriker. The Truecolormeter allows for authentic rendering of the measured colors. It transmits captured color values wirelessly via Bluetooth to a PC for visualization and evaluation. The small color measuring device can measure color values not only from plastics but also from almost any other material or surface, including textiles and leather; wall colors and paint; wood, veneer, and paneling or tiles.

MAZeT developed the Truecolormeter together with color charts developer Mathai. The device is equipped with a mechanism for exact specification of the measuring point. The measuring point is lit with LEDs and continuously measured by a True Color three-area sensor. A second sensor determines the point of the most exact measurement and specifies the measured value. The device signals the validity of the measured value with a signal tone and optical display in the user interface.

At the same time, the measured value is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a PC. The software assists with color measurement, storing various comparisons and makes possible a range of colorimetric evaluations of the measured values.

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