THE BENEFITS OF WATER WITHOUT THE UNCERTAINTY OF CHANGE
Molders who are confident in using gas assisted processes to make plastic parts lighter and more durable, will soon see the additional benefits of using water to reduce cooling times.
Liquid Cool technology – developed by Cinpres – will be introduced to visitors of this year’s PDM exhibition on stand C8 where experts will be available to offer advice on its application areas.
The technology uses the heat transfer properties of water to speed up the cooling process of molten plastic, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing.
“Feedback tells us that customers using gas assist technology can be reluctant to try emerging processes as they are already experienced and confident in the use of gas,” said Cinpres Managing Director, Jon Butler. “They have however, been calling for ways to reduce cooling times to increase productivity.
“We have responded to this by developing a new approach to the use of water that will cause little disruption to established processes but meet the demands of customers worldwide.”
Liquid Cool essentially flushes water through the mold during the cooling process. As the heat capacity of water is significantly higher than that of gas, the process allows for the overall cycle time of a product to be reduced.
“Liquid Cool is ideal for a range of parts developed using gas assist methods, such as car door handles and interior door trims,” said Butler. “It means that our customers can continue using the process they are comfortable with but still benefit from technology that can create further cost and time savings.”
The company says that the payback period of Liquid Cool could be less than a year. It also offers a full range of equipment accessories and provides consultancy services for implementing the technology.
Cinpres will use its presence at PDM to discuss the cost-saving capabilities of its licensed Plastic Expulsion Process (PEP), External Gas Molding (EGM) and Optifoam – a retrofit system option for extrusion. Also being introduced is Hicom 30, a gas preparation system offering lower running costs, improved service intervals and greater reliability.
Cinpres is the world technology leader in gas assisted molding with exclusive globally-protected technologies helping plastics manufacturers offer cost-effective, high-quality applications.
