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Hot Runners 24 MoldMaking Technology —— FEBRUARY 2018 Servo-controlled valve gate hot runner systems will become more and more popular, allowing more precise control over the valve stem's speed and position during actuation. They also provide a larger processing window and, among other benefits, are more energy efficient than their traditional pneumatic or hydraulic counterparts. By Cynthia Kustush Hot runner suppliers are developing solutions that remove complexities from the way that moldmakers and molders design, control and maintain their processes. Hot Runner Technologies Aim to Simplify Moldmakers' Approaches H istorically, hot runner systems can be complicated to understand, design and use. They are also among the most expensive components in moldmaking. For both of these reasons and more, MoldMaking Technology invited several suppliers of hot runner systems and components to participate in a special roundtable discussion. MoldMaking Technology asked each company to identify trends and chal- lenges that their customers are facing, share some solutions or tips that can address them and provide some insight into the coming advancements in hot runner technology. Advancing the Ways to Control Processes Bill Rousseau, director of Applications and Technical Services at Synventive Molding Solutions (Peabody, Massachusetts) says that there have been major advances in pin-control technologies that are making it possible to mold parts that were previously un-moldable. "Technologies that range in abilities from simple valve-pin speed reduction to complete con- trol of the movement of the pin are now available," he says. "The challenge is to know when these pin- control technologies are actually needed." Rousseau points out that some com- panies go to great expense to outfit a mold with one of these technologies only to find that the mold could produce acceptable parts without it. "At that point in time, the money has already been spent and any complexities involved with running the technology remain for the life of the mold," he says. "Our solution to this dilemma is to offer a range of scalable technologies. This approach enables hot runners to be supplied with simple pin-position sensing capabilities that can later be upgraded to other levels of pin control. There is no need to commit to any level of technology until after the parts are produced." Sudheer Thrissileri, director of Global Hot Runner Systems, for Mold-Masters/Milacron (Georgetown, Ontario) agrees that processors need more precise hot runner control for optimum processing, part quality and gate longevity. This article is part of a series of roundtable discussions with industry suppliers addressing recent trends in moldmaking, the challenges moldmakers are experiencing and the latest solutions that are or will be available to resolve them. Image courtesy of HRS Flow.