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Pulse technology beatingPulse technology beating

August 23, 2008

2 Min Read
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Figure 5. Even hollowed out by gas, this handle had 6- to 8-mm sections. Wieder?s pulse cooling technology permitted rapid cooling time. Figure 6. Fast Husky machine, fast Hekuma robotics, fast inmold labeling of tapered cups, and pulse cooling cut the cycle by 12% without condensation.Figure 7. A Demag-Gosewehr production cell makes Siemens mobile phone housings in 6.9 seconds with pulsed cooling vs. 18.5 seconds previously.

Pulsed mold cooling technology has been gaining support, but rather quietly. At Fakuma, one of the leading developer/suppliers, Wieder GmbH, showed a number of applications in exhibits all around the fair?and explained why pulsed cooling technology is being used. Here are three brief examples:

  • In the Ferromatik Milacron exhibit, one of that company?s K-Tec machines produced an interior handle for a Volkswagen model (see Figure 5). Even though it is hollowed out using Ferromatik?s Airless III nitrogen-assist technology, the part still has a dominant wall thickness of 6 mm and some sections as thick as 8 mm. Wieder?s ToolMaster K Mobil Compact control unit, plus two regulation and two control sensors, allow the cycle time to be reduced to 60 seconds. Each zone is fed by two circuits using a single valve.

  • In Husky?s stand, a 160-ton Hylectric injection system produced plastic cups in a four-cavity mold using Hekuma robotics that include a patented device for applying inmold labels onto the tapered surface of the cups (see Figure 6). Using traditional continuous-flow cooling, the inlet temperature could not be lower than 12C (53.6F) without condensation problems. With Wieder?s pulse cooling technology, the dewpoint is not reached even when inlet temperature is as low as 7C (44.6F). This is primarily because the cooling water is pumped in only when heat needs to be dissipated. The primary benefit of pulsed cooling?shorter cycle time?was also achieved with these cups. Wieder?s C-Hetco software was used to calculate cycle time in advance, and the result is that the cycle time of 3.4 seconds is 12% less than without pulsed cooling.

  • A production cell in Gosewehr Maschinenbau?s stand featured that company?s new CNC ME 1000 Transrapid high-speed linear robot on a Demag El-Exis S high-speed hybrid molding machine. The product is a front cover for a Siemens mobile phone (see Figure 7). The Demag-Goseweher cell is also equipped with Wieder pulse cooling technology. Prior to production, Wieder?s C-Hetco software predicted a cycle time reduction of more than 60%. The production reality proved to be just slightly better than that: Cycle time with the new cell is 6.9 seconds vs. 18.5 seconds with the older cell.

    Wieder GmbH InternationalSchweinfurt, Germany+49 (9721) 42733www.wieder-international.de

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