Transforming plastics manufacturing Innovative hot runner technology for sustainable and efficient injection moulding

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Oerlikon HRSflow

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Meusburger Georg GmbH & Co. KG

At Fakuma 2023, Oerlikon HRS Flow presented hot runner technology for more sustainability and efficiency in injection moulding. The focus was on applications such as thin-walled packaging, caps and closures as well as medical technology products and also included the processing of biopolymers and compostable compounds.

Especially developed for time, material and energy saving injection moulding of thin-walled packaging, the Oerlikon HRS Flow new stack mould system is dedicated to meet the latest requirements of the circular economy. Thanks to its patent-pending design, thought to make the system easy to assemble and maintain, it can be included in plug-and-play solutions that allow to avoid long and costly downtime. The stack principle also allows it to be installed in smaller injection moulding machines and enables flexible use for different applications.

The system, ideal for high filling pressures, is equipped with nozzles of the new Xd series, engineered for thin wall packaging applications and mounted on a 220 mm hot half plate. It is a prime solution for cost-efficient production, ensuring long term quality standards.

To strengthen its expertise in thin-wall packaging, the company has also expanded its injection moulding machine park in its test lab with a new hybrid Engel e-Speed 280. With its high injection pressure (up to 2,600 bar) and high-speed injection screw (up to 1,400 mm/s), it is particularly suitable for processing R-PET, bio-based and compostable polymers, in compliance with the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

There it is also possible to define the optimal system configuration and to predict the part quality for special applications, using advanced hot runner systems mounted on dedicated prototype tools. Among the customer support services, plastic samples according to the weight, thickness and geometry of customer’s applications can be supplied for a preliminary analysis.

Multi-cavity systems for caps & closures

The multi-cavity line for low shot weights, recently named MultiIflow HRS, is suitable for packaging, caps and closure as well as medical applications, manufactured with engineering polymers for technical components. Some of the main benefits include fast cycle time, high production volume, processing of PCR compounds and biopolymers, quick colour change and an excellent finish of the moulded parts.

At Fakuma, the know-how of Oerlikon HRS Flow was highlighted through the display of the multi-cavity system designed for the production of 72 caps. Thanks to the new Vf nozzle series, it enables very short cycle times from 2.2 to 3.5 seconds while at the same time ensuring maximum process reliability thanks to excellent control and optimum balancing of the filling process. This technical solution, which is equally suitable for carbonated and non-carbonated beverages as well as for liquid and powdered concentrates, meets all the requirements of the new European single-use plastic directive, which makes tethered closures mandatory for all beverage containers up to three litres in capacity.

Specially developed for HDPE caps and closures, the Vf nozzles of the new multicavity line from Oerlikon HRS Flow are suitable for part weights from 0.5 g to 8 g, and they stand for reliably consistent product quality, fast colour changes and system restarts. The special nozzle tip enables optimum control in the gate area and improves cycle time. Also, its separate replaceability makes maintenance particularly fast and cost-effective.

Rheologically optimised, hot runner geometries ensure significantly increased reactivity and thus effectiveness of the system. Special inserts minimise the time required for colour changes while keeping reject rates low, which contributes to the sustainability of production even with particularly critical colours.

A sustainable approach throughout the supply chain

Oerlikon HRS Flow develops hot runner systems that are specifically designed for sustainable applications and that contribute to greater efficiency in injection moulding. Here, the high temperature and shear sensitivity of bio-based and biodegradable polymers are the challenges when it comes to prevent material degradation while achieving short cycle times and good gate quality. In addition, hot runner systems for recycled compounds have to be designed to avoid any damage caused by possible impurities in the melt and to avoid any streaking or flow marks that could jeopardize the cosmetic and functional result of moulding.

This is demonstrated by selected applications that Oerlikon HRS Flow has realised in cooperation with customers.

For demanding automotive injection moulding tasks

The company’s Flexflow technology combines a servo-driven valve gate system with a flexibly programmable control system. This configuration enables precise and independent adjustment of stroke and force in the positioning of each individual nozzle during the opening and closing phases of cascading injection processes. Potential applications include future trends such as back injection of films, smart automotive surfaces and lighting.

An example of this, presented at Fakuma, is a smart 2K rear panel consisting of a PC+ABS frame that is overmoulded with PMMA or alternatively PC. A hydraulic 2-drop system from Oerlikon HRS Flow was used in the first injection phase, and a single nozzle from the Ga series in the second phase. Finally, the part was decorated with a capacitive and aesthetic film directly in the mould. The realisation of these complex requirements demanded exact rheological calculations.

Flexflow is also suitable for family moulds, which can offer significant cost savings compared to conventional sequential injection. An example is the use of an 8-drop system for a car door panel. Equipped with a Ma series conical valve gate, three different cavities are filled simultaneously. Thanks to extensive flow simulations carried out at Oerlikon HRS Flow, the system is perfectly balanced and enables high surface quality.

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