Published 5/15/2023

To the Next Level: Hot Runners, Mold Components Solutions and Services

Moldmaking can be a complex business, but things can be simplified with the right hot runner and mold component technologies and services.

Katie Leesemann, Former Editorial Assistant, Gardner Business Media

Mold Components

Photo Credit: Punch Industries

Mold Component Supplier Offerings Enhance Moldmaking Capabilities

Punch Industry USA is a high-capacity one-stop shop that can outfit customer molds with off-the-shelf pins and custom mold components — including but not limited to — round pins, cores, cavities, full-stacks and threaded parts, ultimately freeing up a shop’s personnel for other tasks like building molds. Custom rounds from 1 pc to 10,000+ are available.

Photo Credit: CUMSA USA

New Slide Design With Floating Insert Supports Mold Simplification

CUMSA USA is introducing a new concept of slide to the market with improved quality, lower costs and shorter production times. Available in six standard sizes that can accommodate a range of different strokes, the new slide is ideal for designers because of its design simplicity, mold builders for its easy installation and molders for the slide’s optimized maintenance.

Photo Credit: Hasco

Positioning Wedges for Precision Fixing of Mold Inserts

Hasco says its new Z1855 positioning wedges are easy to install and remove thanks to extraction threads in the through-holes. By using two positioning wedges, Hasco says molders can achieve exact fixing in two axes for tool inserts.

Photo Credit: Regal Components

Custom-Manufactured Core Pins, Punches, Blades and Sleeves

Regal Components offers the manufactures, distributors and end users in the moldmaking industry custom core pins, sleeves ejectors, blades and punches. Suitable for a wide range of OEM requirements, the company can incorporate details including tapers, rings, vents, ribs and spiral shaped using wire EDM.

Photo Credit: Nonnenmann

Temperature Control Manifolds for Flexible Machine, Mold Tubing

As a component supplier for the injection molding, die-casting and moldmaking industries, Nonnenmann Inc. offers practical and economical solutions for the flexible and application-specific design of temperature control systems and hoses inherent to mold temperature control.

The company temperature control manifolds (series 117) provides a cost-effective and flexible option for machine and mold tubing. The manifolds are available in different variants and dimensions.

Gate Cutting Technology Advances Mold Material Selection

Gate cutting technology from Ermanno Balzi enables separation of the molded part from the cold runner during the mold cycle. This is performed via the axial movement of a cutter, driven by a mini cylinder fed with high-pressure oil. The cut is made with the mold closed at the end of the holding phase while the polymeric material is still hot.

Hot Runners

Photo Credit: Plastics Technology

New Temperature Controller, Hot Runner for Micro Molders

Günther Hot Runner Technology debuted the blueMaster pro hot runner temperature controller at K 2022, offering control of six to 24 control circuits and the ability to control them via web-enabled devices, including smart phones. In addition to the built-in display, the blueMaster pro enable users to access several devices on a tablet or quickly check the operating status remotely.

Photo Credit: Fast Heat by Spark Industries

Industrial HMI Remote Access for Hot Runner Controls

Until now, Fast Heat hot runner controls have been able to be remotely controlled with a VNC Viewer application since the advent of the company’s latest touchscreen HMIs. However, according to the company, this application requires the remote access computer or device to be on the same network, meaning a remote user would have to use a virtual private network (VPN) to access the network in order to connect to a hot runner controller.

The company is offering EasyAccess 2.0 to address this issue, which is an application that is said to provide a secure and easy way to connect to Fast Heat’s hot runner controls from a remote PC not on the same network.

Photo Credit: Oerlikon HRSflow

Extended Process Window for Non-Cooled Hydraulic Cylinder Supports Temperature-Critical Applications

Oerlikon HRSflow presents an additional development of its HRScool hydraulic cylinder system for hot runner injection molding, HRScool Evo, which, as a result of sophisticated temperature management, does not require active liquid cooling of the actuation unit. Further reduction in the heat flow between the hot runner and actuator now enables HRScool Evo to be used at higher mold temperatures than its predecessor system, HRScool.

Photo Credit: Westfall Technik

Next-Generation Advanced Hot Runner Technology for Precision Molds

Westfall Technik’s MHS Hot Runner systems are designed for reliability and longevity in order to mass produce billions of precision-molded parts. Westfall says its hot runner solutions are designed to withstand a wide range of pressure and temperatures, and are capable of running materials from polypropylene (PP) to polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to bio-absorbable resins, with shot sizes that range from 1 mg to 400 Ibs.

Photo Credit: Airtect, Plastixs

Cost-Effective Hot Runner Leak Detection

Airtect plastic leak detection systems, distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Plastixs, is said to offer cost-effective solutions for detecting plastic leaks in hot runner molds early and preventing them from damaging the entire hot runner system. Often, the mold can be repaired and back into production in one day, the company notes, versus replacements and cleaning in the event of catastrophic damage which requires special ovens to burn off the plastic residue, a process that can take three to five weeks.

Photo Credit: Orycon Hot Runner Systems

Sequential Valve Gate Controller Made More Intuitive for Moldmakers

Orycon Hot Runner Systems announces enhancements to its Model T-700 hydraulic sequential valve gate controller which reportedly make it more intuitive and user friendly for moldmakers. The T-700 features a 10" touchscreen with high-resolution graphics and is available in models from eight to 24 zones.

Photo Credit: Hotset America

Thin Heating Cartridges Offered in Miniature Formats

Thermodynamics specialist Hotset America Corp. presents its high-performance heating cartridges in miniature format for hot runner systems. With a diameter of only 1/8" (3.1 mm), the hotrod type HHP is said to take up no more space than a matchstick. Just as important is its heating performance, which, depending on the application, can reach up to 750°C, according to the company.

Photo Credit: PCS Company

Nozzle Leak Detector Helps Avoid Costly Repairs, Downtime

PCS Company has introduced the Nozzle Leak Detector (NLD) to help molders detect plastic leakage between the mold and the machine nozzle, preventing costly downtime and repairs. Caused by cracked nozzle tips, misaligned nozzles, plugged gates and other issues, nozzle leaks are a common problem that can cause time-consuming maintenance and repairs, resulting in lost productivity.

Photo Credit: Meusburger

Hot Runner Device Professionally Diagnoses Heater, Sensors and Wiring

The profiTEMP TM hot runner diagnosis device by Meusburger US Inc. is designed for electrical testing of heaters and sensors as well as preheating and heating up the hot runner. The main function of the profiTEMP TM is the MoldCheck, said to be a complete, professional diagnosis of the condition of the heaters and sensors as well as the wiring of a hot runner. No specialist electrical knowledge is required for use.

Photo Credit: INCOE

MultiPin Actuator Supports Multiple Valve Gate Nozzle Interconnections

For valve gate applications in which multiple nozzles have to be positioned in the most confined space, and need to be opened and closed simultaneously, hot runner manufacturer INCOE has developed the new pneumatic MultiPin valve gate actuator in two sizes. Based on its proven pneumatic (PE) units and designed for the (Slim) DF 5 and (Slim) DF 8 nozzle series, the MultiPin actuators are said to support the interconnection of up to four valve gate nozzles with cylindrical valve pin tip (ZTT).

Uniform Temperature Profile Key to LSR Molding Technology

A liquid silicone rubber (LSR) molding solution from Mastip caters to the needs of its large moldmaking and molding customer base who are facing challenges in achieving a uniform cooling profile from the molding machine to the mold in a repeatable process. Mastip’s LSR solution features a “cold deck” design that includes cooling channels in the mold plates, manifolds and nozzles. This design is said to promote that the mixed material remains in its uncured condition before entering the heated cavity plates.

Photo Credit: DME

Compact, Robust, and Customizable Hydraulic Cylinders

DME is the exclusive North American distributor for AHP Merkle hydraulic cylinders. AHP Merkle is a family-owned business with 50 years of innovation and global industry experience. The company’s hydraulic cylinders, especially the block cylinders (BZ series), were designed and developed to meet the needs of moldmakers for the plastic injection and die-casting industries.