Koplas 2015: Steam-powered tool temperature regulation unit enhances surface finish

Systems that employ steam and cooling water to rapidly heat and cool tooling deliver benefits such as enhanced surface finish and faster mold cycles. Korean company Yudo-Suns (Incheon) introduced its latest equipment at the recent Koplas show in Goyang, the RICH (Rapid Isolation Cooling & Heating) SR system featuring an internal water purification unit.

Yudo-Suns Overseas Sales Department Section Chief Sung Kim says his company has delivered several hundred units over the years primarily to processors serving the likes of Samsung Electronics and LG. "Tests molding long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene indicate that surface roughness can be improved by more than 90% in some cases," says Kim. "We also see significant improvements for non-reinforced ABS resin," he adds.

Cycle time improvements are also evident. "A 15% glass fiber-reinforced PC/ABS grade was molded into a TV housing in a cycle time that was 32% faster, and generated a weldless finish to boot," says Kim. "We also improved the cycle time for an acrylic side mirror housing from 49 seconds to 43 seconds."

A large RICH SR unit for an injection molding machine with a clamping force of up to 2000 tonnes sells for around $100,000.