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Zahoransky has delivered a seven-component injection mould to Schiffer, a German moulder of toothbrushes and dental care products. The mould-maker claims that this is “the first 7-component mould ever built worldwide”.
The 16-fold injection mould has two injection stations and one loading and removal station located on the outside. Two different materials in the same colour are processed in the first station, while two different TPEs are used in the second station. One of these is injected in four different colours. This design feature has been implemented due to the fact that toothbrushes are retailed in four different colours. The use of the 7-component mould means that Schiffer does not need to perform colour changes. Zahoransky even claims that toothbrushes produced during the day could be in supermarket storerooms by the evening.
The system links the mould in-line with the downstream production process and through to Seven injection units had to be connected to the mould in an extremely tight space. The availability of several material feeds, the different processing temperatures of the various materials and the close spacing between the different nozzles at the same cavity needed to be taken into account. The moulding was performed by a six-component machine from Engel, while a seventh injection unit from Boy was integrated into the production process.
Mold-Masters supplied the hot runner technology for the application. The system features a two-part soldered runner. Instead of having just straight channels, these runners have as many as three melt levels with curves and turns incorporated. This design uses the principle of natural balancing, as well as a uniform thermal profile and a relatively low construction height.
Zahoransky says that this technology allows two or more melt flow channels to be integrated into a single runner. The design also allows six or more materials and colours in a single runner.
The group states that though complex, multi-component moulds are the most cost-effective solution for applications where identical products are to be moulded in different colours.