iPact^TMwith Intellimold is a patented, cutting-edge process that brings real-time, automated closed-loop control to the molding process, eliminating the usual guesswork with set-up procedures. This proven technology has developed a leadership position in process control that controls the behavior of molten or plasticized materials during mold cavity fill and solidification. And if you are wondering how it works, simply click this link to find out.

click here.Our MACO Compact controllers support the IMPACT® II Closed Loop Process Control. When you run your machine for a few cycles, the IMPACT II creates a theoretical model of the process. It uses this model along with hundreds of rules to automatically optimize the process to compensate for short and long term deviations in the injection molding process.

Simply, here are a few user-benefits you get with IMPACT II:

• Auto-Tuned Closed-Loop Control of Three Important Operations: Velocity Profile - Pack and Hold Pressures - Recovery Profile
• Continuously Adaptive Tuning
• The automatic elimination of pressure spikes at transfer
• Injection control features velocity or pressure controlled fill, with ramping for up to 10 steps.
• A transfer mode that is user-selectable (with multiple steps of pack and hold)
• Synchronized back pressure and RPM control of up to 10 steps

For more details on Injection Molding Control with MACO Compact and Impact II, click here.

And don't forget, our iPact^TM Melt Pressure Control (...more info by clicking here) is now available as a standard option!

Remember being in total control during the Play-Doh days? At Eurotherm, we're trying to bring this back in your real-world extrusion applications!

Most plastic parts are formed to shape by a process defined as extrusion (either in the injection molding or extrusion process). This is accomplished by first softening the material with heat. Through the use of a drive screw, which is rotated by a motor, the material is forced toward and then through the die's opening. Various compounds, colorants and additives can be mixed with the plastic materials as they move along the screw path. The heated materials are shaped by the die and/or other post extrusion equipment and then cooled to retain their shapes.

Melt pressure controllers sense the pressure associated with the extrusion processing of plastic material.

Our advanced melt pressure controller suitable to these applications is the Eurotherm 3504 Advanced Temperature/Process Controller & Programmer. A few of this product's key features included two separate pressure inputs, advanced alarm strategies, and various communications inputs (Dnet, Profibus, and Ethernet Modbus TCP/IP).

Additionally, it can support up to two loops of control permitting a variety of control strategies that are all capable of being created and "cloned" with the iTools software package. Some combinations include:

• Extrusion melt pressure controller
• Extrusion melt pressure controller + melt monitor (before-screen monitor, after-screen control, differential pressure alarm for screen changer)
• Pressure controller + pressure monitor + drive RPM monitor + drive AMPS monitor
• Pressure controller + pressure monitor + melt temperature monitor + mathematics (if high pressure and if low melt temp then ....)

With an emphasis on flexibility yet maintaining ease of use functionality, a simple 'QuickStart' code is used to configure all the basic functions essential to controlling the process. This includes input sensor type, measurement range, control options and alarms. The large, 5-digit display provides a clear and unambiguous indication of the process value. A four-line message center provides custom or standard views of important information to the user, while vertical and horizontal bar graphs provide visual indication of the process at a glance.

For more information on the 3504 Control...click here.