| The
key to thermoplastic injection molding and manufacturing
is efficiency. Known for their ability to outrace the productivity
of single-face molds, stack mold designs from Aline Components,
Inc. are providing customers from a wide range of industries
with high quality custom plastic parts and components at
a rapid turnaround. The efficiency derived from stack mold
technology comes from using smaller foot-print molds that
produce multiple parts in smaller molding machines, therefore
resulting in lower labor and part costs.
In single-face molding, one thermoplastic
material is injected into the cavities of one half of
the mold face and a second material into the other half.
Between cycles, the rotary platen rotates the mold on a
horizontal axis. In stack molding, the number of usable
mold faces is multiplied and the entire mold face can be
molded with each material. Aline’s revolutionary stack
mold designs have a center platen that features two-four
faces and rotates 90° or 180° vertically or horizontally
each time the mold opens.
Advantages of Aline’s
Stack Molds
- Short cycle times
- High volume productivity
- Multi-shot capability
- Increased output efficiency
- Decreased use of different machinery
Stack molds are two single-face molds that
are mounted back to back. One half of the core is mounted
to the injection-side machine platen while the other half
is mounted to the clamp-side machine platen. Cavity plates
are fastened to the hot
runner system that is located at the center section
of the mold. To prevent mold collision, the center section
must be equidistant between both core halves at all times.
Aline’s stack molds boost productivity, often doubling
or quadrupling output. This means less utility and maintenance
costs.
Applications of Aline’s
Stack Molds
Until recently, stack molds were used for fairly small,
shallow-draw packaging and other disposable items. Today,
innovation has taken hold and a variety of new concepts
are broadening the capabilities of stack molds to include
larger, multi-material products. Soft-touch applications
such as toothbrush handles, barrier packaging, caps and
closures with molded-in liners, multi-color cell phone
housings, and combination-material medical parts are in
high demand. As knowledge of the benefits of stack molds
increases, mold makers and customers alike look to them
when applications justify their use.
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