CHICAGO (July 11, 3:45 p.m. EDT) — Hot-runner maker Incoe Corp. has extended its development agreement with Beaumont Technologies Inc. to promote ways to use Beaumont's MeltFlipper technology in hot runners.
The MeltFlipper improves melt flow along hot runners in multicavity molds, the companies said.
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, Incoe president and chief executive officer.
Beaumont also is looking to 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 at NPE 2006 in Chicago. 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 for automotive and appliance parts, can suffer when resin does not spread evenly throughout the cavity, leading to problems such as sink marks or warping. By altering the flow of the resin near the gate, iMARC 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 adds more gates to the existing mold, which slows product development and adds costs, he said.
Beaumont is still in the early stages of developing iMARC 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.