NPE 2000 Showcase - Hot Runners: Flexibility, precision lead way

Whetheryou were looking for new mold base systems, multizonecontrol systems, or a faster way to order your hot runner system,it was at NPE 2000. A variety of system components and controllerswere introduced, but all had one thing in common-helping moldmakersmeet the growing demands for quick mold builds.

SystemComponents

D-M-E introduced its new Meteor line of standard hot runnersystems at NPE. The two- and four-drop Meteor systems are suitablefor runnerless molding of commodity and engineered resins. Standardizationmakes Meteors economical, too, so customers can quickly justifyprototype projects or short-run jobs. They are available as astandard manifold, called the Meteor1; in a manifold/componentsystem, designated Meteor2; or a turnkey hot-half system, theMeteor3.

D-M-E also introduced a new, competitively priced hot runnerproduct line for precision micromolding applications, called Stellar.The externally heated system is designed for use in mold baseswith center-to-center distances as tight as 17 mm. Stellar nozzlesfeature a front-loaded design for the tips, low-conductivity frontseals, heaters, and thermocouples.

Four interchangeable nozzle tips are available for Stellar,including wear-resistant point gate, through-hole, sprue gate,and extended point gate. High reliability and longevity are ensuredwith mini-tubular nozzle heaters, thereby reducing maintenancecosts. A variety of multiple nozzle assemblies are available,and Stellar systems are suitable for MUD quick-change systems.D-M-E demonstrated its Stellar hot runner system on a MilacronVista V85 with a quick-change MUD mold setup, micromolding technicalparts.

D-M-E also announced that it is making available edge-, point-,and valve-gate technology from Heisskanal Technik Schulte, a hotrunner solutions manufacturer based in Lüdenscheid, Germany.The HTS edge gate system in particular is a flexible design andcould be a big contender in global markets requiring micromolding-toleranceprecision and performance. Features include sealed edge-gate tipsmounted directly into the manifolds, 10-mm center-to-center spacing,and leak-proof operation.

In high-cavitation molds where reliability and easy maintenancereally matter, a new solution is now available from Dynisco HotRunners.The open-flow-channel RCB hot runner nozzle incorporates a tip,insert, heater, and thermocouple that can be removed and replacedwhile the mold is still in the press. RCB nozzles are corrosionand wear resistant, heater leads are sealed in the secondary partingline, and a thermocouple is located in the tip area to enhancegate control. RCBs are available in 36-, 56-, and 76-mm lengths,with four gate configurations.

In addition to promoting its new Links customer service program,its four- to five-week Express Products hot runner delivery service,and displaying its recently introduced tip heater technology forits heat pipe systems, Dynisco HotRunners announced the formationof a new alliance with Seiki Corp. (Yonezawa-City, Yamagata, Japan).Dynisco now manages all North American sales and support for theadvanced Seiki Spear System hot runner control and system components.Seiki will do the same for Dynisco HotRunners in Southeast Asia.

Watlow introduced its new thick film manifold heating technology.The heater, which takes the shape of the manifold, is clampedto the outer surface of the manifold in a hot runner system. Dependingon design, the ability to provide heat across the entire surfaceof the manifold may obviate the need for tubular heaters. Alternatively,they may be used to provide heat at the edge of the manifold.

Biggerand Smaller Systems

On the larger side, systems targeted at automotive macromoldingwere the highlight of the Ewikon display. Ewikon's streamlined,self-contained, externally heated HPS III valve-gated systemsfeature an integrated needle drive. They can be pneumaticallyor hydraulically driven, and are easy to use in stack molds withsymmetrical cavity positioning.

Coaxial valve-gate systems, allowing the injection of two componentsvia a single injection point, also are available from Ewikon formultimacromolding. Systems come fully wired and piped for quickand easy connection. An HPS III system for molding a bumper wason show.

From Fast Heat comes the Elite Series valve gate, designedfor precise control, reliability, and high performance in manifoldor direct-feed applications involving even the most exotic materialsand the most demanding cycle times. Available with either hydraulicor pneumatic control, the Elite valve pin operates independentlyof the flow channel. Standard manifolds and standard Elite LVSeries bushings can be used for molding parts from 1 to 2000g.This system is also designed for in-press maintenance. Two gatingoptions are available.

Günther drew showgoers' attention to its cold-slug-freeside-gating hot runner systems, designed for the tight spacesinvolved in the internal gating of small parts run in extremelyhigh-cavitation tooling, like 96-cavity molds for screw caps.Special nozzles are available with four vertical tips for directgating of a single part, or simultaneously shooting of four differentparts. Uniform temperature profiles allow the molding of partsweighing less than .5g. Nozzle diameters start at 12 mm; tipscan be extended to 15 mm.

Fast color changes and the elimination of flow lines in PIMfeedstocks and other filled resins are among the features reportedby Husky for its patented 750 Series UltraFlow nozzle tip. Thecompany also introduced its 500 Series runnerless nozzles forparts weighing up to 50g that require perfect gate quality andfast color changes. The nozzles have small diameters and can bespaced only an inch apart for direct-valve- and hot-tip-gatingsmall parts in multicavity molds.

Husky also expanded its Pronto quick-delivery hot runner programto include variable nozzle lengths for complete, configurablehot halves. Developed in conjunction with Omni Mold Systems, thePronto program covers a full range of two- and four-drop systemsto machine standard North American imperial plate sizes for D-M-E,Omni, and National mold bases; European sizes for Hasco bases;and Asian metrics for Futaba bases. Low-cost systems are deliveredwithin four weeks.

Heatlock's latest ceramic-insulated products are its ModelsNPT3 and NPT4 bushings. They feature sharp points, which are usefulwhen gate area space is at a premium. Designed to withstand highinjection pressures, Heatlock's bushing also is designed to beeasy to cool, install, and maintain.

Incoe brought five of its latest developments in hot runnerhardware to Chicago:

JPI Technologies promoted its latest 230V miniature nozzlesto mold high heat resins, like nylon 6/6 cable ties. The unusualflat design of its miniatures facilitates close packing in space-sensitive,high-cavitation molds. Company sources believe them to be thesmallest hot runners on the market, with a minimum drop spacingand .984-inch length.

JPI sources also told IMM that they expect to commercializevalve-gated versions of their flat-profile miniatures in a fewmonths-they are already running in trials overseas. One actuatorcan drive four or eight valve pins at a time.

Mastip's latest is the H-13 MT Series nozzle designed for uniformlybalanced heat profiles throughout the melt flow, quick color changes,reduced injection pressures, and use of ETPs. A wide variety ofgate configurations are available with standard or Mastip's HardwearingUnique one-piece core tip.

Direct cold-sprue bushing replacements were featured in Osco'sbooth. Its DSR 30 hot sprue bushings are available in lengthsto suit standard mold plate thicknesses. Retrofits fit directlyinto standard mold bases without requiring any remachining. Featuresinclude interchangeable tips, T/Cs, and heaters. They're designedto fit into 1-inch nozzle bores.

Osco also featured its Hi-Pro line of wear-resistant, low-profilerunnerless nozzles for filled ETPs. Their gate needles, tips,and bodies are hardened and flow channels are nitrided for highendurance. Heaters are sealed and flexible leads are used. Hi-Prosare designed to resist moisture burnout, and come equipped withexternal T/Cs.

Plastic Engineering & Technical Services introduced itsnew cast round hot runner system, featuring bolt-on drops foreasy installation and removal. The drops are floating, accommodatingthermal expansion.

Polyshot's latest is a sprue bushing and a .050-mm nozzle withtapered heaters. The wires run through the mold plate. One taperedheater can replace four cartridge heaters, and these sprue bushingsare easily replaceable. Polyshot also has a new wear-resistantcarbide probe for hot runner molding of glass-filled resins. Thecarbide flow is wrapped in beryllium for providing better heatconductivity than tool steel.

R&D Tool & Engineering introduced a new hot runnertip for its line of molds for preform molding. Called short gatetechnology, this new tip produces preforms with significantlyshorter, cleaner gate vestiges, which results in higher-qualityPET bottles, no secondary gate clipping operations, and fewerrejects.

Controls

In addition to Thermoplay's latest sequence controller forvalve-gated hot runner molds, Alba Enterprises introduced showgoersto the Q-Star series of multizone hot runner controls from MoldControl Systems. Featuring a 15-inch touch-screen control interfaceand high-speed communications porting, these compact systems areavailable in 24-, 48-, and 96-zone versions. Intelligent diagnostics,fuzzy logic power control algorithms, and SPC data logging andanalysis are other standard features.

Athena Controls' latest is its compact Model HRC-X 12-zonesystem that allows users to slave to other zones if there's aproblem. Different tool setups can be stored onboard.

D-M-E introduced three newly improved Smart Series temperaturecontrol modules to provide simple, economical solutions for single-and multizone mainframes:

For full control of plastic flow to individual cavities ina family or multicavity mold-essential for accurately producingparts that have different wall thicknesses-molders can now turnto Dynisco HotRunner's Dynamic Feed system. Each hot runner nozzlehas a dynamic and independent flow control valve operated by avalve pin. Pressure is measured in the cylinder downstream ofthis valve prior to the melt entering the cavity. A PID controllerpositions each flow control pin to produce the desired effecton the flow rate based on injection and pack profile readings,controlling flow through each gate.

Dynisco demonstrated the system in its own booth on FerromatikMilacron North America's open-frame Prowler 190 HydraColumn injectionmolding machine. Four-cavity insertable tooling for a family ofparts was run. Each cavity required different pack/fill profiles,which were controlled by Dynamic Feed. Available in 100-, 135-,and 190-ton models, the Prowler machines, which Milacron marketerscall the "ultimate machine for problem molds," has thesquareness and parallelism that make it ideal for flash-proneprocesses: LIM/LSR, BMC, and PIM.

Ferromatik Milacron Europe dramatically demonstrated the DynamicFeed hot runner system in its booth by molding mobile phone caseswith varying wall thicknesses in a two-cavity Modutech familymold from Plastic Molding Co. The mold was run in a Model K-TEC155, one of Ferromatik Milacron's more advanced, accumulator-basedhydraulic presses. Plastic Molding's patent-pending Modutech moldingsystem provides off-the-shelf mold bases, hot runner systems,and core/cavity inserts to shorten lead time and increase flexibility.

Plastics Engineering & Technical Services introduced acomputer-based hot runner temperature controller that can be operatedby a PC running WindowsNT. Designated SSMC727, PETS's controllersaves system configuration data at shutdown and loads it on restart.An SPI communications protocol is built in.

Smarter,Friendlier Interfaces

Fast Heat introduced its new Pulse hot runner controller, avalue-packed, versatile, and friendly system. Hot-swappable modulescan be interchanged to maximize uptime and output. Its graphicalinterface displays all controls at once, using universally recognizedicons that can be quickly learned.

Its interface also can be remote-mounted-allowing users toput it near the molding machine's control panel, for instance.Fast Heat's exclusive autotuning technology ensures precise temperaturecontrol. Up to 10 setups can be stored, it can be configured forup to 24 zones, and Fast Heat can customize its Pulse to bestsuit each user's needs.

To help speed setup, Gammaflux developed additional softwarefor its already feature-rich 9500 Series hot runner temperaturecontrollers called Mercury. Mercury was designed to be as configurableas it is fast, enabling users to add or remove control features.Also, historical graphing eases troubleshooting of problem heaterzones.

Gammaflux also added something new to its economical ModelGLC 2k, a 12- to 36-zone hot runner controller designed for globalmarkets-an optional display for amp measurements. The displaygives better insight into the user's mold heaters, again providingbetter troubleshooting.

A valve gate sequencing controller was introduced by Huskyat NPE for its line of pneumatic valve-gated hot runner systems.Its machine interface features a WindowsNT GUI and a convenienttouch screen for easy setups. It supports all standard sensorsand provides a lightning-like response time of .001 second thanksto its dedicated real-time operating system.

Incoe's latest is its compact Multiple Temperature Controller.Available in 15-zone increments up to 105 zones, it features atouch screen. The system enables quick startups and onboard setupstorage. Diagnostics software is standard.

One key feature of Orycon's new Windows-based 980 Series enhancedmultizone temperature controller is its optional communicationport for integration with a remote PC. Users can see all the colorful,real-time graphic displays of the 980's production and processmonitoring and control functions in an office off the floor, justas they can on the 980's local screen out in the shop. Fully adaptableto any hot runner system and capable of field calibration, Orycon'scontroller features full diagnostics, fuzzy logic, parametrics,and intuitive operation, all while offering dead-on accuracy.Meanwhile, office personnel can post messages to folks out onthe floor, screen to screen.

Newcomers

New to North America is the M-2 fuzzy-logic-based hot runnercontrol system from Hot Sys of Inchon, Korea. It was one of theproducts on display in the expansive NPE 2000 Korea Die &Mold Pavilion. The self-tuning M-2 controls eight to 128 zonesand features bus interfacing. Hot Sys also specializes in valve-gatedsystems for small-gate-pitch, high-cavitation molds. More thana dozen Korean mold manufacturers joined Hot Sys in Chicago, exhibitingtheir abilities in servicing most of the major, global end-usemarkets.