Innovative technological solutions
The constant interaction with companies allows us to adopt cutting-edge technologies
MuCell® - Microcellular foaming injection moulding
A technology concerning physical foaming of the polymer by mixing it with nitrogen at its supercritical condition.The MuCell® process dedicated to technical products decreases the viscosity of thermoplastic resins by injecting into the melt small amounts of gas which, expanding in cavity, creates a microcellular structure of the moulded part.
The use of Mucell microcellular foaming gives several benefits such as:
- lightweight of moulded parts
- elimination of sink marks in all component surface
- maximum reduction or total elimination of moulding residual stresses
- reduction of moulding cycle time
- reduction of polymer viscosity
- reduction of the clamping force required by injection machine
Benefits
Moulds cavity
- expansion replaces the packing pressure
- lower clamping force
- less design limits
- reduction of cycle time
Injection unit and energy saving
- lower viscosity
- better filling
- dedicated design and gate positioning
- process temperature reduction and energy saving
Components
- reduced part weight
- high reduction of warpage
- less shrinkage
- strong reduction of sink marks
Heat & Cool - Dynamic moulds conditioning
A technology to enhance the aesthetic quality of plastic products obtained by means of dynamic conditioning of the mould.
The Heat & Cool process consists in dynamically varying the cavity surface temperature in order to obtain an injected component with high surface quality. The polymer will be able to perfectly reproduce the surface finishing of the mould, whatever it is: glossy, matte, with different textures, logos, holograms etc.
The use of this technology also allows to remove visible welding lines that occur whenever two polymer flows meet during the filling phase.
Achievable benefits are:
The mould dynamic conditioning (H&C) can be achieved by flowing pressurised hot and cold water into dedicated cooling lines thanks to the HB -Therm® control unit or by induction heating and water cooling thanks to the RocTool technology.
- high aesthetics
- accurate textures replication
- elimination of visible welding lines on the part’s surface
- possible decrease of injection pressures since the progressive cooling of melt during filling is less quick
Benefits
- excellent surface quality: glossy or matte, invisible welding lines
- improved brilliance of blacks and colors
- avoiding halos
- possible thickness reduction
- better propagation of packing pressure
- sink mark reduction
- reduction of aesthetic defects (gate marks, sink marks reduction
- reduction of aesthetic defects (gate marks, streaks …)
RocTool® - Moulds induction conditioning
A technology that allows rapid heating of moulds by means of electromagnetic induction so that plastic material is injected into the cavity at a high mould temperature.
RocTool® technology allows to design an optimal cooling curve, ensuring the best material properties and the best moulding cycle.
Benefits
Viscosity reduction during filling
- increase of flow length
- possibility to fill thin thicknesses
- reduction of injection pressure
- increased strength of welding lines
Better propagation of holding pressure
- better material packing
- reduction of sink marks
- improved dimensional stability
- reduction of warpage
Injecting the material in a very hot cavity
- excellent glossy surfaces (gloss, Piano Black effect…)
- chance to avoid painting
- improved quality of texturised and grained surfaces (matte, gloss reduction …)
- not visible welding lines
- elimination of flow marks, streaks … increase in crystallinity and mechanical properties
CO2 Spot Cooling - Ultra rapid cooling of the moulds for thin thicknesses
Technology that allows very rapid cooling of localized mould points which are difficult or impossible to reach with traditional conditioning. By exploiting CO2 expansion in specific mould areas of interest it can, quickly, remove a large amount of heat. Rapid cooling of difficult mould area contributes to reduce cycle time.
CO2 Cooling Spot Cooling allows, as well, the elimination of hot spots and the conditioning of very thin and deep cores obtaining a more efficient, uniform and faster mould cooling compared to conventional systems.
Benefit
- significant reduction of cooling time and, consequently, of cycle time
- elimination of hot spots
- uniform mould temperature
- conditioning of very thin cores
- no liquid refrigerants and hydraulic sealings are required
Kistler - Monitoring of pressures in cavity
A technology that allows, by the means of in-cavity sensors, the continuous monitoring of pressures applied to the melt inside the mould.
The measure of in-cavity pressures allows to keep the monitored parts under control in selected points of interest and to check in real time all shots for quality as well as production trends in order to obtain moulding cycles without scraps.
The analysis of the cycle, moreover, allow to monitor the evolution of pressures at which many unknown variables can be related, such as geometrical differences in multi-cavities, variations and fluctuations of process temperature, material viscosity or, indirectly, of the auxiliary systems.
Benefits
- control of production processes
- part quality control
- possibility to set, during mould piloting, the ideal process conditions for both machine and mould
Composite Hybrid molding - Retro-injection of composite materials
A technology to manufacture components in thermoplastic composite materials with high mechanical performances by combining a structural reinforcement in form of continuous-fiber fabrics or tapes laminates with a high geometric complexity of the part achieved by injection moulding.
Hybrid molding for composites has the excellent advantage to yield components in a single-step production process. The composite laminate - once heated up by infrared lamps - is placed into an injection mould and formed by the mould clamping movement. As the clamping force is generated a thermoplastic material is injected to complete the part adding features and details (ribs, snap-fits, bosses ecc.)
Benefits
- high mechanical performance of the component
- technology suitable for metal replacement
- easy industrial scalability
- reduced cycle-times, comparable to standard injection moulding
- no need to use chemicals and curing as for thermosetting
- better environmental sustainability
- no shelf life limitations as for thermosettings
Promix Solutions - Physical microcellular foaming for extrusion
Promix Solutions technology is one of the most important innovation in compounding and foaming field.
The process consists in the creation of lightened products characterized by a cellular structure. A fluid in supercritical conditions, carbon dioxide or nitrogen, is injected into polymer melt in a collector (foam system) placed between the plastification screw and the extruder head.
A good gas-polymer mixing is guaranteed by the combined action of a series of static mixers that completely dissolve the supercritical fluid inside the melted polymer giving a single phase. The principle of foaming in the extruded profile is driven by the pressure drop in extruder head. The pressure decrease generates a sudden phase separation: the fluid, previously dispersed in the melt, loses the supercritical conditions coming to a gaseous state as the polymer melt is cooling down. This causes the generation of gas cells (nucleation phase) and their progressive growth ( growth phase) up to the complete freezing of the polymer.
Promix Solutions technology is flexible and adaptable to different polymers and fields of application such as extrusion of tubes and profiles, films, plates and sheets for thermoforming.
Benefits
- homogeneity of melt temperature
- better control of cell distribution
- not inflammable
- applicable to all polymers
- eco-friendly: physical expansion without the use of foaming agents
Flex Flow - Servo-Driven valve gate system
FLEXflow technology is the most innovative solution for flexible control of pressure and flow rate during the injection moulding process.
The servo-driven valve gate system monitors, independently, all the valve pin movements allowing the operator to adjust the flow rate from each gate, in order to make the filling pressure more uniform and to reduce the pressure drop avoiding flow defects such as flow marks on the part’s surface.
Benefits
- surface quality improvements: Class “A” large surfaces, grained surfaces, aesthetical parts
- high process repeatability
- safe, clean and dry (no oil, no liquids)
- easy to use
- optimal flow balancing
- warpage reduction
- clamping force reduction up to 20%
3D Printing - Materials and components development for Additive Manufacturing
3D printing is the most advanced production technology to realise components by deposition of consecutive material layers.
Proplast provides expertise and equipment for the development of specific materials addressed to FDM technology by means of specific formulations, filaments manufacturing and their validation on a 3D printer.
Benefits
- high components customization
- low tooling cost
- possibility to use a wide materials range