Hot-runner system maker Incoe Corp. (Booth N5526) has extended its development agreement with Beaumont Technologies Inc. (Booth E11224) to further the use and understanding of ways to use Beaumont's MeltFlipper technology in hot-runner systems.
The companies first signed a development agreement as part of NPE 2003. During NPE 2006 in Chicago, the companies agreed there were more ways to use the technology.
The MeltFlipper manipulates the flow of the melt along hot runners to improve flow in multicavity molds.
Incoe of Troy, Mich., already is the exclusive global supplier of BTI's system in hot runners.
``We see this as an opportunity to add diverse dimensional engineering compared to what is typically current in the field of hot-runner design,'' said Eric J. Seres, president and chief executive officer of Incoe.
Beaumont also is looking to further develop its concept beyond the hot runner, with a system it calls in-mold adjustable rheological control - or iMARC.
The iMARC system, like the MeltFlipper, adjusts and shifts the flow of resin to improve fill time in the mold, said President John Beaumont in a June 20 interview. The new development looks at large one-cavity molds, rather than multicavity programs more typical of the hot-runner-based program.
Large single-cavity molds, frequently used in automotive and home appliance parts, can suffer because the resin does not spread evenly throughout the cavity, leading to problems such as sink marks or warpage in large parts.
By altering the flow of the resin near the gate, the iMARC system provides better control over what is happening during the molding cycle.
``We're managing the rheology, rather than just pushing it into the mold,'' he said. ``This is three-dimensional control. The molder has a level of control he never anticipated.''
The standard troubleshooting method for problems with mold flow would add more gates to the existing mold, which would slow product development and add costs, he said.
Beaumont is still in the early stages of developing the iMARC program and is seeking development partners to take the studies and testing further.
``We want to refine this, and we're looking at the best ways to expand it,'' Beaumont said.