Milacron Holdings Corp. (NYSE: MCRN), a leading industrial technology company serving the plastics processing industry is empowering customers through a powerful proprietary partnership with iMFLUX. Milacron is gaining momentum on this modern technology that changes the way any part is molded by modifying the cavity filling process.
Clarios is using iMFLUX in one of their key U.S. manufacturing facilities. By the end of this calendar year, the company aims to nearly double the number of machines to achieve breakthrough value and achieve substantial improvements.
How does iMFLUX improve overall plastics processing?
The iMFLUX closed loop process provides absolute shot-to-shot repeatability through two techniques: process and control. The low constant pressure process removes many inherent issues provoked by conventional molding processes. iMFLUX control process behaves in real-time to changes appearing in the mold and material.
iMFLUX monitors true plastic pressure and adjusts screw velocity throughout the cycle to maintain constant pressure. The part design and mold will guide what velocity is needed to protect the fill pressure. Constant driving pressure is conducted across all cavities of a multi-cavity of tools, and even family of tools. Every cavity from the First-to-Fill or Last-to-Fill will experience the same driving pressure, offering the same cavity-to-cavity part quality.
BENEFITS:
• Reduced Injection Pressure
• Reduced Tonnage Requirements
• Faster Cycle Times
• Improved product quality
• Improved CPK’s
• Increased OEE
• Fewer Operator Touches (adjustments)
• Automatically adjusts for viscosity variations and molding conditions
• Reduced Scrap
• Adapts for viscosity shifts
• Adapts for down cavities
• Reduced maintenance needs
iMFLUX can be connected to any of Milacron’s Mosaic+ control systems, across any entire manufacturing line on a global scale. ServTek can retrofit Mosaic+ control systems onto to older machines to complete the addition of iMFLUX.
SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGES
iMFLUX can compensate for fluctuations in the process between the mold and the machinery, but also the material being fed into the hopper. This assists the use of Bio-Resins, post-consumer, and post-industrial recycled materials. It produces parts at the same volume in less time with the addition of this technology, with lower energy demands per part.
Light-weighting is a technique to cut part weights while protecting or improving part properties. iMFLUX allows plastics to flow further and through thinner wall sections without the fear of freezing off. The process also molds at considerably lower pressures, generally in the 20-50% range.
Clarios Advantages
Using this technology, Clarios has seen an uptick in their production output, improve cycle times, lower the amount of resources used due to lower scrap and significant advances to their part quality.
“The Green Curve has proved invaluable in our effort to establish more processes using sustainable resins,” stated Brandon Meadors, Engineering Manager, Clarios. “Not only have we been able to increase our percent of regrind used, but we are seeing more consistency than ever before.”
Milacron continues to push the boundaries of possibilities in plastics with breakthrough products from leading brands including Milacron, Mold-Masters, DME, Ferromatik, TIRAD, and CIMCOOL.
