May 22 at 7:45am until May 23 at 1:45pm
Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center, Penn State Behrend
4701 College Drive, Erie, PA 16563
Paul Boettger, Technoject Machinery, NEW ADVANCEMENTS IN APPLYING HOT RUNNER TECHNOLOGIES EFFECTIVELY TO CHALLENGING MEDICAL MOLDING APPLICATIONS
The production of small size engineered plastic parts for the medical industry requires quality and process reliability as well as high output rates. This calls for hot runner technologies with individually controlled nozzles for close cavity spacing, systems with direct edge gating and clean room suitable actuations for valve gate systems. Miniaturization of hot runner nozzles is opening up new ways to cost effectively ramp up to higher cavitation without increasing mold sizes and cavity spacing, which is a critical factor for thermally sensitive resins. This talk discusses how the challenges of molding small size medical parts with hot runner systems are overcome with new nozzle designs as well as thermal management and new activation methods. These developments are very valuable for any medical molder looking to utilize hot runner technologies in new and more productive ways.