Engel Introduces iQ hold Control
New smart assistant and part of the iQ suite of technologies automatically determines the optimum holding-pressure time in injection molding.
At K 2022, Engel is introducing the latest member of the iQ suite of smart assistants: iQ hold control. The company says this assistant will automatically determine the optimum holding-pressure time for a given mold, helping process technicians save time in setup and create a stable process.
Typically, and because it’s one of the main parameters to impact quality, holding-pressure time is individually configured after mold set-up and determined empirically through a series of experiments. Determining gate seal not only takes a lot of time, it consumes raw material, since multiple parts that are ultimately scrapped need to be molded and analyzed.
Engel says the keys to automatically calculating holding-pressure time are mold breathing and screw position. iQ hold control analyzes both process values and suggests the optimum holding-pressure time via the press’s CC300 machine control after just a few cycles. Once the set-up technician has confirmed the value, production can begin.
Engel says the holding-pressure time is determined based on actual machine outputs so that even a less experienced process technician can be trusted to adjust process parameters using the assistant in case of a batch change, for example. Using machine inputs to determine this parameter can also lead to efficiency gains if optimum holding pressure time is determined to be lower than the initial holding pressure time, reducing cycle time and energy use.
On Display at K; Available for Trial Back Home
At K, Engel will showcase the technology via the molding of automotive electronics connectors on an all-electric e-mac molding machine. The e-mac at the show will actually feature all of the smart assistance modules available as part of Engel Inject 4.0. The smart assistance systems can be activated and deactivated individually to allow visitors to see their impact on the process.
To give customers the ability to test the smart assistance systems in their own operations, Engel is offering all iQ systems, including the new iQ hold control, as trial versions with immediate effect. In this scenario, a fully-featured version of the desired smart assistance system is activated on the machine control unit for a limited period of time.
Engel notes that the optimum holding-pressure time is often lower than the holding-pressure time set initially.
Photo Credit: Engel
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