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Everyday information the injection moulder requires from Invotec Solutions.
The below article can be used for machine setters and machine operators of injection moulding machines.
View our other articles form our setter and operators guide for injection moulders. Taken from our moulders catalogue (Toolbox Edition)
Discover our full range of Smartflow Mould Ancillaries for the injection moulder.
Injection moulding is fundamentally a process that involves moving heat energy from place to place. After hot plastic is injected into the mould a certain percentage of that energy (heat) must be removed before the parts can be ejected.
Knowledge of polymer thermal properties and rules of thumb allow us to predict the amount of heat that must be removed from the parts before ejection with reasonable accuracy.
We can think of the energy needed to cool the mould and parts as:
“Cooling Power” (CP).
Mathematically speaking, it is simply CP = ΔT x Q x C where ΔT is the change in coolant temperature flowing through a cooling circuit, Q is the flow rate, and C is the heat capacity of the coolant.
More detail for Calculating Mould Cooling can be found here
Without worrying about the details of the math, we can readily see that Cooling Power costs money.
There is the cost to control the cooling-water temperature, the cost of pumping it, the cost of a water-treatment plan, maintenance costs, and of course the capital cost of all the equipment and plumbing.
Sometimes, Cooling Power is a scarce resource.
The classic example is adding more molding presses and plumbing, but no additional pumping or cooling capacity.
With these facts in mind it is reasonable to suggest that Cooling Power is a resource worthy of conservation, just the same as resin, colorant, packaging, and the like.
