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Günther Hot-Runner Technology promotes energy efficiency and flexibility in mould designing
2/22/2012 |
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As an important design element, hot-runner engineering influences the construction, efficiency and costs of heavyduty injection moulding tools. At the MEDTEC 2012 in Stuttgart, GÜNTHER Hot-Runner Technology will once again exhibit new products and features and further developments to provide new solutions for mould making.
This also applies to the area of Medical Technology, which this year for the first time will be presented as a key theme and a special show at the fair.
Traditionally GÜNTHER has supplied its solutions in a broad industry mix, such as automotive, electrical engineering, packaging, household goods, consumer goods. The business segment of Medical Technology has grown considerably over the past few years and has been the focus of a lot of attention.
The main points of emphasis at the trade-fair presentation will be:
Hot-runner nozzles for side gating - OktaFlow® and PektaFlow®
Fast multi-point valve gating with magnet technology and SM servo motors
NEST single valve-gate nozzle
Side and direct injection for Medical Technology and other areas
Used for direct side gating, the especially cost-efficient and space-saving multi-tip nozzles from the OktaFlow® and PektaFlow® series reliably eliminate the "cold slugs" which normally cause problems in production. Both series have some characteristics in common: they can be used in combination with a heated adapter or in combination with a manifold for multi-cavity injection moulding tools. When processing filled materials there is an option of using wear-resistant nozzle tips to assure a long service life in continuous operation. The tips can be replaced individually. The sealing ensures good colour change behaviour.
As the name OktaFlow® suggests, up to eight tips per nozzle are possible. It presents a practical possibility of working with a one-piece mould insert; there is no need for a complex split insert. The tip can be removed from the direction of the parting line and it is therefore not necessary to dismantle the nozzle side of the mould completely.
The position of the heating elements allows an optimum temperature control.
The PektaFlow® nozzle flow, which is also aimed at a costeffective and very compact mould construction, direct injection and easy maintenance, features similar advantages. This multitip nozzle allows the side injection of moulded parts in very confined spacing - down to 12-millimetre distancing between the tips. Up to 24 tips are possible per nozzle.
The usual form of injection employed is gating onto the side areas of the parts. The gating point quality corresponds to that of a tunnel gate. Hot-runner systems of this kind are excellent for parts from the medical technology and packaging industries but also solve problems for many electrical engineering parts.
For the perfect solo: single valve-gate nozzle
The pneumatically driven NEST valve-gate nozzle offers the utmost in process reliability in the processing of high-quality challenging materials. At the maximum processing temperature >320 ºC, it covers a wide range of materials; nozzl e diameters from 5 to 12 millimetres and a length of up to 250 millimetres allow a great diversity of moulded parts and mould designs.
Non-contact and wear-resistant operation is enabled by the innovative design of the contouring needle guide, which is made of powder metallurgical steel, and the optimised valve gate. When closing, the needle is first centred in a tapered guide and it then lowers precisely into the cylindrical guide. The needle guide and the material tube are separated. When necessary, the needle guide can be replaced with little trouble. Shims in the piston make it possible to position the needle precisely and adjustments can be made while it is still mounted.
Electrically actuated valve gate
A particularly powerful drive for valve-gate systems works with ME 10/UV 75 electromagnets and it is adapted to fit onto the clamping plate. Up to four needles simultaneously or eight in parallel operation can be controlled precisely by the external e-ValveControl-4 controller. Electric magnets generate a mechanical stroke of about 10 millimetres in less than 0.1 seconds. Permanent magnets hold the needles in their two end positions.
This development too addresses the theme of energy efficiency: the magnets are energised for only a very short time of 200 ms per stroke. Their use is possible up to a heat class of F= 155 ºC and so the drive can be used even with higher mould temperatures.
As this technology does not require any utility-supply bores in the clamping plate, it permits the production of very compact moulds even with complex moulded parts. Each needle can be adjusted and controlled separately.
This valve-gate technology also features clean-room compatibility and it is suitable in general for the use of fully electric injection moulding machines because there is no need for any additional units.
Another drive unit offered by GÜNTHER is the powerful servo motor (linear actuator), for example for activating a sliding plate mechanism. The motors are controlled by means of modular servo controllers, which can be integrated at will either into the injection moulding machine's switch cabinet or into a separate controller enclosure with a multi-functional control panel. The needles can be moved into any position and reference runs are not necessary on account of the absolute value encoder in the servo drives.
Utilising Cost Savings in Injection Moulding to the Full Specific or selective optimisations have only limited effect in developing efficiency in injection moulding. Hot-runner technology demands solutions which equally serve to cut energy costs, ensure sound process control and provide new ways of eliminating problems in mould making. As expertise increases due to experience gained from as many similar projects as possible with support in layout designing, genuinely innovative solutions emerge, which create a competitive edge. |
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Related Exhibition:
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Medtec Europe 2012
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Home of the European medical device manufacturing industry
3/13/2012 - 3/15/2012
Venue: Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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