User-friendly hot runners

WELL SUITED FOR IN-MOLD decorating and applications with side actions, Husky’s Pronto 2T offsets the drops from the injection point. An offset sprue minimizes the potential of interference with mold features, providing increased flexibility for cavity placement. Drops can be positioned up to 200 mm from the sprue location. Although manifold systems can be oriented however the mold-maker chooses, the 2T Pronto configuration is currently available in 3 different layouts so that heater leads can be efficiently routed to mold top.

For applications with non-symmetrical geometries and family molds, the 4N Pronto allows independent drop positioning. This provides greater flexibility because each gate location can be positioned independently. The 4N is currently available as a complete hot runner compatible with DME/National mold frame sizes.

Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. 802-859-8114

PRE-WIRED HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS with thermal gate nozzles threaded into the manifold are available from Mold Hotrunner Solutions. The company employs a proprietary self-clamping style heater which stays in more intimate contact with the nozzle surface, explains Harald Schmidt, president. He says MHS’s non-bimetallic, self-clamping heater provides uniform temperature distribution, which can be critical with some resins. In addition, the heaters are easily replaceable.

Mold Hotrunner Solutions 905-873-1954

A MINIATURE HOT RUNNER NOZZLE is now available from J-Tech Hot Runner Inc. The new TYPE 01.11 nozzle has been developed for demanding engineering resins with critical temperature profiles and for applications with small shot weights (less than 1 gram/ 0.035 ounces). The nozzle offers fast color and material changes through reduced gate well requirements and multiple sealing methods to eliminate resin leakage. This nozzle has been successfully used with LCP, POM, PMMA, PC, nylon 66, and PES.

The 2-drop nozzle/manifold system shown has an overall stack height of 57 mm (2.24 in.). The height of the entire nozzle is 37 mm (1.456 in.) with a diameter of 13 mm (0.511 in) allowing for a minimum cavity spacing of 14.8 mm (0.582 in.).

J-Tech Hot Runner Inc. 866-267-5832.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE has been built in to Hasco’s new generation of hot runner nozzles. All nozzle tips, heaters and thermocouples are front loaded and replaceable while the mold is in the injection molding machine.

The new Z 3500 Series nozzles are capable of processing a wide variety of resins — from commodity grades to the more demanding engineering grades. Color changes can be made much easier with the addition of a gate insulator, which greatly reduces the volume of material in the gate area. Nozzle lengths range from 82 mm to 252 mm long.

Hasco Canada 416-293-5044

AFTER MANY YEARS of developing and producing skinny nozzles, Heitec has introduced an easy-maintenance version, model 01.03.07. This nozzle incorporates on-site replaceable heaters, thermocouples, tips and seal rings. With an installation bore of only 10-mm diameter and lengths of 40 to 220 mm, it can reach into small cavity areas and inside gate applications. The tips are available as pinpoint or open flow designs and can be made from a variety of materials. Tip extensions are offered also if required.

Technoject Machinery Corp. 905-951-7144

HIGH-OUTPUT PET CO-INJECTION SYSTEM

Kortec, Inc. has developed the industry’s first 72-cavity PET co-injection system. The new system was designed for a unique carbonated soft drink (CSD) application. This new system offers 50% higher output capabilities from the previous benchmark, the 48-cavity co-injection system, and more than 20% higher output-to-capital ratio.

Designated as Kortec Pro Series GL300/72, the system features Kortec’s patented co-injection hot runner systems and nozzle technology combined with a special multi-material Husky Injection Moldng Systems Ltd. GL300 injection molding machine and 72-cavity mold.

The co-injection nozzles for this project are designed to accommodate Husky’s new micro-pitch mold technology, which allows for tight 50mm spacing between preforms. The machine features a larger PET two-stage injection unit and a special, larger reciprocating screw barrier injection unit. Controlled from a central Human Machine Interface (HMI) with integrated closed-loop controls, the dual injection units feed two separate, balanced manifold systems resulting in optimum independent material temperature and process controls.

Kortec Inc. 978-921-4300

Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. 802-859-8114