Anaheim, Calif. — Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc. of Bartlett Ill., has created a nylon sleeve that conveys compressed air to keep sonotrode temperatures low.
Internal testing found that the forced cooling method can decrease sonotrode relative temperatures by as much as 79 percent and stake cooling times by as much as 23 percent.
The technical team in Bartlett began developing the cooling sleeve in January 2018 with an objective to produce a product that would allow shorter cycle times. Testing in markets such as automotive began in May, and Herrmann began manufacturing the product in mid-2018.
Herrmann says the sleeve is four to five times more effective at cooling the sonotrode and maintaining cooler surface temperatures than competing methods.
Unlike metal products, the nylon cooling sleeve will not damage the sonotrode if the devices come in contact. Natural convection can result in longer cycle times, frequency errors and an inability to scan due to high sonotrode temperatures.
Internal cooling and other methods may utilize holes in the sonotrode, but that can lead to cumbersome design and manufacturing of the tools. Internal and improper cooling may lead to higher air costs, increased risk of breaking the sonotrode and utilization of less surface area for cooling.
Herrmann's cooling sleeve is fully integrated into the ultrasonic stack. A user must mount some similar cooling methods externally from the ultrasonic stack.
There is no patent on the cooling sleeve at this time.
Herrmann displayed the technology at the UBM Advanced Manufacturing show in Anaheim.
The Bartlett operation employs 50 and occupies 20,000 square feet.
Parent company Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. of Karlsbad, Germany, was founded in 1961 and started U.S. operations in 1990.