Orlando, Fla. — The Molding Solutions units of Barnes Group Inc., exhibited together for first time at NPE2018, showing new hot runner products and demonstrating how its technologies work together to do precise injection molding.
NPE 2018 marked the NPE introduction of Synventive's Synflow3, the third generation of the hot runner unit's Synflow technology that controls sequential valve gate filling into the mold. Synflow3 gives much more control, since instead of just opening and closing the pin, molders can now slow the opening of the pin for a set distance, and hold the desired position or make multiple pin movements within a cycle, said Dan Ward, technical sales manager.
"It's a whole new level of control," Ward said at Barnes' booth during NPE2018.
Benefits of Synflow sequential valve gating include no weld lines or warping, balance control, faster mold startups and a constant flow front across the part, according to the company
Synventive valve-gated hot runners come with standard SVG+, which includes position sensors that allow for a simple upgrade to Synflow.
Also at NPE, Synventive showed the electronic valve gate, the eGate for closed-loop control. The eGate has larger bore size now up to 22 millimeters inches. The prior top size was 12 mm.
Ward said Synventive's controller is much easier to use now, showing a graphic image of the part.
In other NPE news, Manner showed new Slimline hot runner nozzles for caps and closures, designed for polyolefin closures with limited space. The diameter is just 6.5 mm.
Thermoplay showed new mini valve gate nozzles for special applications of cosmetic, medical and packaging markets. The nozzle features a small pitch.
During NPE2018, Barnes Group used the former Gammaflux space across the trade show aisle to demonstrate its Gammaflux hot runner temperature controls, Manner hot runners and Priamus in-mold sensing systems, all work together, on a Sumitomo Demag injection molding machine.