Many so-called “low carbon footprint technologies” are already available and could be utilized immediately in plastics processing. But what carbon reduction measures are not only environmentally effective? Using practical examples, gwk shows how the use of efficient temperature-control technology rapidly pays off economically, too.

Even in Difficult Economic Times, It Is Worthwhile Investing in Energy-Efficient Temperature Control

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Temperiergeräte

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Gießanlagen

Temperiertechnik

Energieeffizienz

Advantages through Sustainable Temperature-Control Technology

Starting with the systematic design of manufacturing processes and the precise simulation of part manufacture, through smart tooling technology and sophisticated melt guidance, to efficient mold temperature control, numerous exhibitors have many innovations in the field of tooling technology on offer at K 2019.The current debates concerning marine pollution as well as anthropogenic climate change and its consequences seem to be having an effect at this world-leading trade show for plastics processing in Düsseldorf, Germany. A number of companies are noting the growing customer interest in sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient modes of production, and offering products and services intended to satisfy this interest.

Resource-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Products Are the Trend in  Tooling Technology

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Normalien für die Kunststofffertigung

Normalien

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kaltkanalsysteme

Exhibitors See Green

New polymer composites for the production of multi-layer small tubes are being developed to give products specific functions. With suitable co-extrusion dies and a thermal barrier option, even complex layer composites with melt temperature differences of more than 50 °C can be processed reliably and in high quality.

Combining Polymers with Very Different Processing Temperatures

Extrusion

Baugewerbe (Hoch- und Tiefbau)

Medizintechnik (KU)

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Bautechnik, Sanitär

Rohr- und Profilextrusion

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Extruder-Folgeeinrichtungen

Extrusionsanlagen

Extrusions-Zubehör

Automotive

Fahrzeugbau

Co-Extrusion with Thermal Control

Hammann markets its own developed pulsed flushing process under the name Comprex. The flushing technology is a purely physical process, which does not use any chemicals – just air and water.

Cleaning of Mold Cooling Channels for PET Preforms

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Avoiding Shutdowns

Near-mold-contour distribution systems provide temperature control for large injection molds with a number of heating-cooling channels. This setup makes it possible to arrange circuits in parallel and at the same time reduce the number of cooling-heating units. 

Automated Temperature Control and Surveillance in a Distribution System 

The multiFlow System for Parallel Circulation  

Together with its international customers, Regloplas AG of St. Gallen, Switzerland, works out complete solutions that can be easily integrated into the processes of a future Smart Factory. That is why the Swiss manufacturer’s latest generation of temperature control units communicates via OPC UA with superior IT systems (PPS, MES, ERP) in industrial production – across locations, e.g., via Cloud, if required. Theses devices also can be networked with injection molding and other plastics machines via the IOD UA communication protocol. This fulfills all prerequisites for continuous data exchange in highly automated, digitalized plastics processing. 

Temperature Control Units Networked via Dashboard  

Temperieren

Betriebstechnik für Kunststoffverarbeitung (Peripherie)

Central Visualization of Process Data 

For the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany, 2020 is an anniversary year in three different ways. The RWTH Aachen University is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and is marking the occasion, by hosting the International Colloquium of Plastics Technology for the 30th time – with special feature on the previous day. A preview of the celebrations.

A Varied Menu

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Additive Fertigung

Reason to Celebrate 30th International Colloquium of Plastics Technology and  70 Years of the IKV

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH, Schwaig, Germany, considers the circular economy and efficiency as future themes of plastics processing. In addition, digitalization continues to be a focus. A networked cell with remote-diagnosis options, online support, document tracking and spare parts ordering are representative of the “smart services” offered by the machine manufacturer. Visitors can use networked terminals to see how the “myConnect” software improves customer service. 

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag at K 2019 

Spritzgießmaschinen

Medizintechnik

Smart, Fast and Sustainable 

With the Corona pandemic sweeping the world, considerable energies are being freed up and focused on developing and manufacturing urgently required medical equipment. Working under extreme time pressure, the OKE Group GmbH, based in Hörstel, Germany, has developed a concept for a full-face mask that can be quickly implemented and, according to the manufacturer, offers reliable basic protection. 

Implementing a Face Mask Concept in Record Time 

Heißkanaltechnik

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Small Injection Moldings for Protection against Corona 

In the production of plastic parts for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for cleanroom environments are becoming increasingly stringent. In this area, not only the demand for all-electric injection molding machines is increasing. There is also an increasing use of electric drives for the implementation of mold movements, which meet the high requirements for cleanliness and reliability.

Electrical Drives in Injection Molds

Elektrische Antriebe

Antriebe

Mess- / Regel- und Prozessleittechnik

Prozessautomation

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Medizinprodukte

Mold Technology

A Polish pharmaceutical company is developing inhalation therapy for the treatment of lung disease and the appropriate drug delivery drug. The inhaler has a complex interior and consists of 14 components. In order to be able to produce these with the required precision, Celon Pharma has formed a partnership with the mold making company Glittenberg and its hot runner sister Witosa.

Glittenberg Supplies Tools for Vital Medical Devices to Celon Pharma

Plastic in the Service of Medicine

If the cooling time in injection molding is overly long, it is often because difficult to reach hot zones, so called hot spots, cannot be efficiently cooled with a conventional mold cooling system. A new system from Stemke Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Döbeln, Germany, that is based on the same function principle as a fridge addresses exactly this area. A coolant circulates in a closed circuit between the injection mold and the refrigerating unit. The circulation of the coolant and therefore the mold cooling is controlled via a thermocouple. 

Closed Circuit Hot Spot Cooling 

Miniaturized high performance cooling 

Mold temperature is one of the most important injection molding parameters since it decisively influences the cycle time as well as the dimensional tolerance. The new cooling elements with their novel connecting mechanism from Wema GmbH, Lüdenscheid, Germany, are a cost effective solution for constructing a high performance cooling system. These make conventional thread cutting a thing of the past. The holes for the temperature control connections are simple and quick to prepare using standardized tooling. Regardless of whether it is a quick coupling, elements for core cooling, diverter and closure plugs, all the connections are made using the same technique. Unlike all the previous systems on the market the new one does not require connecting nipples. Particularly advantageous for the plastics processor is the fact that the protruding nipples cannot be damaged or broken off during transport and storage. Cost benefits result from the elimination of these components and the operations required to install them. 

Easy Connection 

Temperature Control Technology 

Single Temperiertechnik GmbH, Hochdorf, Germany, and Sauer Product, Dieburg, Germany, are now marketing a variotherm mold temperature control system under the brand name Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT). ATT which was presented for the first time at K2007 is a complete system for the variotherm fluid temperature control of injection and compression molds using cooling channels arranged near the mold surface. It contains an alternating temperature control unit as well as a specific arrangement of mold inserts and elements. 

System Solution for High Mold Quality 

Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT) 

By using variotherm mold temperature control, processors are able to meet today’s demanding requirements for surface quality and injection molded part accuracy. Temperature control circuits operating in parallel, increase not only product quality, but also process efficiency. Implementation of such a concept requires accurate control technology and short response times. 

Steuern, Regeln

Control Technology: Retrofitting Molded Part Quality 

Temperature Control with Water up to 230 °C as a Substitute for Oil

Processing of High-Performance Plastics without Purity Problems

In order to minimize the risk of contamination in the production of medical products, Scholz HTIK (High Tech in Kunststoff) decided to change its temperature control processes from oil to water as a heat transfer medium. As practical experience has shown, the P230S pressurized-water temperature control unit developed by Regloplas meets all the requirements for utilizing the better physical temperature control properties of water in the temperature range up to 230 °C.

In order to minimize the risk of contamination in the production of medical products, Scholz HTIK (High Tech in Kunststoff) decided to change its temperature control processes from oil to water as a heat transfer medium.

Semi-crystalline high-performance plastics, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and (polyphenylene sulfide) PPS, which are high temperature-resistant thermoplastics, are nowadays used in high-precision applications in the fields of industrial components, medical technology, diagnostics and the automotive industry. Thanks to the high strength and durability of the plastic, these plastics are increasingly used as metal substitutes in the manufacture of medical implants.

In injection molding the temperature control process for plastics with melting points above 300 °C and mold temperatures greater than 200 °C was, until now, determined by temperature control units with oil as the heat transfer medium. With the development of the high-precision P230S temperature control unit with a patented, integrated pressurizer (manufacturer: Regloplas AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland), it is now possible to carry out the temperature control of injection molding machines, on which high-quality plastics are injected, with water as the heat transfer medium.

Compared with oil, water has double the specific heat capacity (describes the property of how much heat energy a heat transfer medium can transport) (Table 1). Another advantage is the low viscosity over the entire range of application compared with oil. With a system pressure of approx. 30 bar, water has the feature of becoming less viscous.

As a heat transfer medium, water also offers many advantages in its application: alongside at least double the heat transfer coefficient, it also offers a reduction of oil-dependent contamination. There is no evaporation of oil, which means higher purity in the machine as well as a significantly minimized risk of injury to the machine personnel in the event of leaking heat transfer medium.

Lower Flow Temperature,  Shorter Heat-up Time

Weighing these arguments, Horst Scholz GmbH & Co. KG, Kronach, Germany, decided to change its temperature control processes in the manufacture of medical products from oil to water. The mold sizes in production at owner-managed family business, which has maintained a business relationship with temperature control unit manufacturer Regloplas for more than 20 years, move in a range of 50 to 250 kg. An oil temperature of 236 °C must be configured in the temperature control unit in the case of a mold temperature of 220 °C with an oil temperature control unit, whereas a flow temperature of just 224 °C is needed in the device with water as the heat medium. The temperature control process is thereby shortened, which is especially evident in the heat-up time that is almost halved.

High-performance plastics such as PEEK are attractive alternatives to metal. Scholz uses the material for a wide range of applications. In the field of medical technology, Scholz produces rotors made of PEEK material for use in heart pumps. Due to the purity in the production process, the P230S temperature control unit is used in this application, which works with the temperature control medium water in the temperature range up to 230 °C.

Rotor and Bearing Cage for a Cardiac Support System

Miniaturized components, which are directly used in the bloodstream, belong to the highest risk class. This includes the various types of ventricular assist devices (VAD). This is a mechanical pump that supports the heart when it is too weak due to illness. Extremely high demands are placed on the durability of the rotor (Fig. 1), whose blade profile with a wall thickness of 200 µm must be able to withstand rotations of 30,000 to 50,000 rpm in use [2]. PEEK has various advantages in this case, such as its very low weight, high chemical resistance, simple sterilization, biocompatibility and high specific strength.

The rotor made of PEEK is used in a heart pump (Fig. 2) manufactured by Abiomed. With an outside diameter of just 4 mm, this is one of the smallest support systems in the world according to the manufacturer. A ball bearing cage (Fig. 3) is also used in the Abiomed heart pump. This component is also made of PEEK – in a single tool with seven radially aligned sliders. With an outside diameter of 2.3 mm and a molded part weight of 0.8 mg, it is the lightest injection-molded part that Scholz HTIK currently produces. A small component in a high-performance application – the processor also uses the P230S pressurized-water temperature control unit for this manufacturing process.

Water Treatment is Mandatory at  High Water Temperatures

With this temperature control unit, Scholz HTIK can now process the material PEEK in tools that are tempered with the heat medium water. This makes it much easier to maintain the necessary purity in the processing procedure. In the worst case, temperature control with oil can repeatedly lead to oil deposits in the entire machine area and make additional cleaning steps necessary. The maintenance cycles on the machine are also reduced due to less contamination. Water as a tempering medium offers a further advantage. Thanks to the heat transfer, which is more than twice as high as that of oil temperature control, extremely precise temperature control is achieved, which contributes to a stable production process.

Extreme conditions of over 200 °C and more than 30 bar of system pressure prevail in the pressurized-water temperature control unit during operation. Under these conditions, salty water causes accelerated corrosion. Reactions in the water are accelerated by the high temperature. Chloride in the temperature control medium attacks the passive layer of the metal surface, which in turn leads to increased corrosion.

Water treatment is essential for applications at higher water temperatures. This is generally the case at water temperatures above 180 °C. At temperatures above 200 °C, the use of treated water is vital. Contamination and calcification of the mold and device result in poorer performance through the reduction of heat transfer between the mold/heater and the temperature control medium.

Regloplas offers for that purpose a mobile water treatment system (type: waterCare) that provides water suitable for systems. The water is automatically fully desalinated and then manually treated with the appropriate anti-corrosive agent. Through additional filters, dirt particles – such as those from the mold – are also efficiently filtered out of the system circuit. Thanks to the mobile water treatment system, the overall cost of maintenance and cleaning of the temperature control units is greatly reduced.

Temperature control with water opens up new possibilities in the processing of high-temperature and special plastics. Regloplas is continuously developing its range of pressurized-water temperature control units. As the newest member of the family, the Swiss company recently introduced the P250M model, which reaches its initial temperature (250 °C) at a pressure of 40 bar.

1 Regloplas AG company brochure: Temperature Control by Means of Fluid Media

2 Horst Scholz GmbH & Co. company brochure: Medical technology brochure

Regloplas AG  

www.regloplas.com

Horst Scholz GmbH + Co.KG  

www.scholz-htik.de

Ausgabenartikel

P230S temperature control unit with mobile water treatment system waterCare in operation

Table 1. The heat transfer media water and oil compared

Fig. 1. Rotor for a cardiac support system

Fig. 3. Ball bearing cage for a heart pump

Name - Hauptartikel

<b>Siegfried Hohlbaum</b> is Product Manager at Regloplas AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland; <a href="mailto:s.hohlbaum@regloplas.com">s.hohlbaum@regloplas.com</a>

The author would like to thank Horst Scholz GmbH & Co. KG for the excellent collaboration. Specifically, he wishes to thank the technical management assistant Christian Schneider.

<b>Horst Scholz GmbH & Co. KG</b> has made a name for itself with highly specialized and precise injection molded products for the fields of technical precision parts, gearing technology, microtechnology and medical technology. The owner-managed family business distinguishes itself with outstanding product quality, which is primarily achieved through the use of high-performance injection molding machines, as well as in-house mold-making and the availability of highly qualified employees.

<a href="http://www.scholz-htik.de">www.scholz-htik.de</a>

The advantages of the P230S pressurized-water temperature control unit with water as the heat transfer medium are [1]:

<ul><li> Higher cleanliness in production, such as in cleanrooms or for injection-molded parts for medical technology, less contamination and consequently less cleaning and maintenance, as well as a better utilization capacity of the machine</li><li>No leaking oil or oil vapors in the production process</li><li> The specific heat capacity (denotes the property of how much heat energy a heat transfer medium can transport) of water is greater by a factor of 2 compared with heat transfer oils</li><li> The heating time with water is almost half that of oil-based temperature control</li><li> The heat transfer coefficient (measure for the transfer of heat energy from the wall to the heat transfer medium) with oil reaches just under half the value of water</li><li>Water has a lower viscosity, and thus easy to pump</li><li>Water cannot carbonize, which allows temperature control units with relatively high specific heating capacities to be built</li><li> Water is not flammable, which offers greater safety compared with oil, because the possibility of inflammation does not exist</li><li>Cost advantage with water compared with oil, as well as easy disposal and easy cleaning of the machines</li><li> Lower risk of injury than with oil; the leakage of 200 °C hot oil can result in severe burns, whereas water relaxes promptly and thus cools down considerably</li><li> The service life of oil as a temperature control medium is much shorter than water</li><li> Replacing the injection molds is easier with water as the heat transfer medium</li></ul>