I-mold at Fakuma 2018 will present a range of products

The focus of i-mold's presentation at Fakuma 2018 (stand A2-2304) will be on a varied range of space-saving tunnel gate inserts, fast high-precision servo motor drives for turntables and indexing plates as used in multicomponent injection molding, and particularly rugged hot runner nozzles. Moreover, the company offers further intelligent system solutions for the manufacture and automation of injection molds, including hot runner nozzles for tight cavity pitches, easy-to-install "Fast Half" systems, and low-height linear actuators for rack and plate movements, sliders and core-pulling operations.

Tunnel gate inserts: superior flexibility through extended range diversity

In its TG Series range of tunnel gate inserts that support exceptionally compact designs thanks to sharply curved feed channels, i-mold now offers an even greater diversity of types to provide moldmakers with matching solutions for every application task. Customers can choose between three sizes for shot weights up to 35 g (type I), 120 g (type 2) and 1000 g (type 3), as well as between three (low, medium, high) feed channel outlet levels. With these nine different configurations it is possible to optimize the sprue-to-molding volume ratio in applications involving large contour steps, moldings with a peripheral rim, or interior contours located above the mold parting line. While the low-level (LL) models are particularly suitable for gating below the parting surface, the high-level (HL) variety provides benefits in gating from the inside or above the parting line. Moldings with a small peripheral rim are the preferred application domain of medium-level (ML) types.

Multicomponent injection molding: smart rotary motion solutions

From i-mold's Servomold product range, the key exhibits at this year's Fakuma will be servo-driven solutions for a precise motorized rotation of molds or parts thereof. The line-up comprises servo drive units for turntables measuring up to 1.6 m in diameter which rotate together with the entire mold mounted on them. Acting in close cooperation with the customer, i-mold will provide the power train rating and design - complete with servo motor, planetary gear unit, gear wheel or belt transmission and autonomous controller - that ensures fast rotation (e.g., through 180° in just 0.5 s) while being optimally adapted to the large masses involved. One example of this application is shown by Polar-Form, a market leader in this field, in Hall B3 at booth B3-3012. Much lower forces are at work in another novelty to the i-mold portfolio – the servomotor rotary drives for stationary multicomponent injection molds equipped with an integrated rotatable indexing plate. From the Servomold range these indexing drives are available in four standard system sizes, suitable for all common applications involving indexing plate weights of approx. 10 – 150 kg and approx. 0.3 – 1 s turning times.

Hot runner nozzles: rugged and thermally optimized

New in i-mold's product line-up is a series of single nozzles made by Heatlock. In the development of these devices, particular importance was attached to the rugged design of the nozzle tip and perfect temperature control achieved via an innovative solution in thermal insulation technology. The new single-shot nozzles are suitable for shot weights up to 800 g (with low-viscosity plastics) and, thanks to a very uniform temperature distribution over their full length, generally for processing all types of engineering thermoplastics.

Source: i-mold