Advertising in MoldMaking Technology offers
Issue link: https://mmt.epubxp.com/i/706095
Advanced Manufacturing 30 MoldMaking Technology —— AUGUST 2016 This cross section of a part made through physical foaming technology shows a fine, uniform cell structure. By Brent Strawbridge A Powerful Technology Combination A dvances in technology for the production of lightweight parts with impeccable surface qual- ity continue to progress. One example of this is the combining a rapid mold heating and cooling process with foam- ing technology, which allows manu- facturers to meet customers' most stringent demands for lightweight, high-tolerance, high-surface-quality, injection-molded parts. Foaming processes are one of the key solutions for light-weighting, so they are generally a molder's first thought when a customer asks for a lighter weight part. By definition, foam injec- tion molding is the creation of a cell structure internally to the molded part. Crosscut views of these parts show solid skins around a foamed core that looks like it has been infused with bubbles. To achieve this effect, either chemical or physical foaming methods can be used. These create a nucleation (the first step in crystal formation from a solution) during cavity filling. The Producing lightweight plastic parts with high surface quality takes the right blend of mold technology and molding process. Images courtesy of Wittmann Battenfeld. A ball-filled mold system (right) alternately flows hot and cold water through a chamber filled with steel balls. This allows cooling over the entire cavity and at a much closer distance to the cavity than standard cooling channels (left). BALL-FILLED-MOLD DESIGN CONVENTIONAL MOLD DESIGN