Smart Molding International 1-2022

5 www.smart-molding.com contents 44 For many years, liquid silicone (LSR) had a reputation as being a difficult material that was only for specialists and incompatible with conventional thermoplastic processing. Despite this, more and more companies are discovering this interesting material. SKZ (The Plastics Center, Würzburg, Germany) and Toolcraft (Georgensgmünd, near Nuremberg), an innovative expert in the field of precision components, are collaborating to explore the possibilities and limits. KraussMaffei is playing a large part in this endeavor as a machine partner. Under its vision to unlock manufacturing autonomy, where companies should have the tools to design and manufacture their own products and full control over the Additive Manufacturing (AM) fabrication life-cycle, comes BCN3D’s new VLM technology. It is the first 3D printing technology to simultaneously encompass superb part performance, high production capacity, and accessible and frictionless operation. Speciality chemicals company LANXESS and Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG have been collaborating for several years to research whether battery housings for electric vehicles can be designed and manufactured from technical thermoplastics. Together, they have developed a near-series technology demonstrator in a feasibility study. The goal of the project was to demonstrate the advantages of thermoplastics over metals in terms of weight and cost reduction, functional integration and electrical insulation behavior. 26 48 24 The idea of assembling "Heat-Inject" on hot runner systems has its origins in the concept of pre-assembled modules. The idea here is to offer customers components for their injection molds that are already assembled into ready-to-use and ready- to-plug-in modules, thus saving effort and time during tuning and installation. Of course, the tempering stamp needs to be spotted in order to create a suitable contact surface for optimum heat transfer.