Flexible and scalable: The new KraussMaffei steering wheel mold carrier

08.03.2017

An expanded swivel range of up to 90 degrees enables efficient bleeding of the mold

The new steering wheel mold carrier for KraussMaffei Reaction Process Machinery features high flexibility, excellent ergonomics and maximum machine availability. These features are a result of the new ergonomic design and expanded swivel range of up to 90 degrees. The new mold carrier is used in polyurethane encapsulation of steering wheels.

Continuously adjustable

The mold carrier provides high flexibility plus good operability since the clamp has a tilting option that is continuously and individually adjustable. The swivel range – expanded with the new mold carrier – is between zero and 90 degrees, both for foaming and for reaction process machinery. The 90-degree foam position enables the mold to vent air through the separating half. This means that no additional degassing openings are required. Less waste is produced and the material usage is reduced," explains Wolfgang Frehsdorf, Head of the Foam business unit at KraussMaffei. The machine operator also benefits from the option of tilting because the handling position is freely adjustable in a range from zero to 40 degrees.

The new mold carrier for steering wheel encapsulation is easy to scale according to capacity requirements. The modular design provides for this. Each station has its own hydraulic unit and its own proportional controller. Thus the user can arrange multiple units of this kind side-by-side at will and have them run in both individual as well as synchronous cycles, which are programmed using the touch panel. Thanks to this independent control of multiple mold carriers, the system achieves the greatest machine availability. In addition, the greatest flexibility in factory planning is provided by the option of simply shifting each mold carrier from one system to the next. The mold carriers can be quickly installed on site, and the expansion of existing systems is possible without any significant production interruptions.

The steering wheel mold carrier can handle both hydraulic and pneumatic mold functions. The clamping forces of the mold are freely adjustable, reach up to ten tonnes and are variable throughout the mold carrier cycle. The customer can personally and conveniently program this cycle using the control system's touch panel.

Powerful and user-friendly

Like all KraussMaffei FTR mold carriers, the new steering wheel mold carrier features fast clamping movements and high platen parallelism. This guarantees short process times and consistently high component quality. At least one mold fixing platen is swivel-mounted on the new steering wheel mold carrier and can be rotated. The clamping unit is secured to the joining plates in order to build up force. The strength-optimized frame structure of the mold carriers, in combination with a hydraulic locking device, ensures an optimal force flow when closing the mold halves. The minimal warpage of the mold fixing platens even allows non-inherently rigid molds to be used. The FTR mold carriers not only provide access to the mold from three sides, but also allow foam to be discharged into the open mold and molds to be changed quickly.