PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2021

CAPS & CLOSURES 33 PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 06/21 www.petpla.net square millimetre of contact surface, compared with steel. In the case of Heatlock’s KE0200305 spacers, four of which have a combined surface area of 490mm 2 , heat loss savings would total 160Wh. The benefit to operating compa- nies that use ceramic rather than steel spacers is to save energy on heat- ing, give better hotrunner temperature control, improve recovery and give less work for the chiller to undertake, all leading to better part control and quality consistency. The greater insu- lation properties mean that more sup- ports can be employed, with greater support area, improving mould rigidity and without high levels of heat loss. Due to the ceramics, there is an extremely small heat input from the manifold into the mould plates. The heating elements on both sides ensure a good and even temperature in the manifold. Nozzle tip detail for a particularly fine sensitive gating point. Heatlock says that its latest generation CE-FIX ceramic clamp technology, delivered within 5micron height tolerace, offers increased sustainability, ease of installation and adjustment. Tailored hot half systems Heatlock’s hot half systems are tailored for specific customer require- ments. At Plastimagen Mexico 2019, the company announced its first part- nership for caps and closures moulds, with TK Mold Shenzen, of China. Heatlock says that the partnership is dedicated to “providing high qual- ity moulds of 32 cavities and under”, which it has identified as an opportu- nity gap in the market. The company claims that its hot half systems, which are all manufactured from P20 or stainless steel, are more affordable than equivalent systems from estab- lished global suppliers. As well as built-in flash memory with complete mould details and a Digital Project Book that includes all documentation for individual projects, including service information, Heat- lock’s hot half systems come with a full range of standard fittings and fea- tures. Insulation plates, high tolerance location elements, built-in service tools and service interval counters are all included as standard. Total quality commitment and global network Heatlock’s production pro- cesses are constantly monitored and improved using TQM (total quality management) Lean Sigma and TPM (total productive maintenance) BPM/ BPR (business process management/ business process re-engineering) techniques and tools. Its distribution network includes presences in most countries across the world with mould making or injec- tion moulding manufacturers. www.heatlock.com High cavity hot runner with sliding nozzles Complete hot side from behind with a partially blanked insulation panel