How to Control the Temperature in Industrial Plastics Manufacturing
Industrial plastics manufacturing applications rely on the precise control of temperatures. When looking for products, it’s important to work with an industry leader and trusted supplier of temperature control solutions, like Hi-Watt.
In this article, we’ll highlight our plastics processing temperature control units and how they work, their features and benefits, and how to select the right product.
Temperature Control Options
Our heating solutions for industrial plastics manufacturing include:
Heated Platens
Heated platens, or heated metal plates, can simultaneously apply pressure and temperature to multiple layers of materials. Our heated plates use conduction, convection, or radiant industrial heaters to provide reliable temperature control. When choosing a heated platen, you’ll want to consider the space you have available in your facility, the materials you need to heat, and any temperature requirements. There are many application uses for heated platens, but they’re most commonly used during thermoforming and compression molding.
Band Heaters
We offer three types of band heaters: mica, ceramic, and mineral-insulated. Mica band heaters are appropriate for low-temperature industrial plastics manufacturing applications, while our mineral-insulated heaters offer high-temperature capabilities. Ceramic band heaters can handle extreme temperatures up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
When selecting a band heater, knowing the temperature requirements of your application is a must. You’ll also want to consider the size of the band heater and its start time.
Cartridge Heaters
Cartridge heaters are also known as rod heaters or insertion heaters. Our cartridge heaters offer exceptional corrosion and vibration resistance and efficient heat transfer. They’re also available in a wide variety of diameters, lengths, and watt densities. Additionally, all of our products are fully customized based on your application and other energy-efficiency, wattage, and environmental requirements.
Oven Heater Elements & Panels
Hi-Watt also offers custom oven heater elements and control panels. Our control panels include single- and multiple-loop temperature control systems for any size, multiple operator interface types, assembly, custom cabling, and control panel retrofits or upgrades. Additionally, we will design and build thermal control systems to meet your specifications.
Industrial Electric Heaters
We’ve been a leading distributor of industrial electric heaters for more than 50 years. Some of the types of heaters we sell include: band heaters, duct/air heaters, industrial infrared heaters, cable heaters, flexible heaters, strip heaters, cartridge heaters, immersion heaters, tubular heaters, and heated hoses. To ensure quality and longevity, we partner with trusted manufacturers like BriskHeat®, Chromalox, Backer Marathon, Tempco, and Watlow.
Thermocouple Sensors
You can use thermocouple sensors to measure temperature through direct process insertion or with thermowell and protection tubes. We primarily provide K-type and J-type thermocouples, but Hi-Watt can provide other types based on your specific needs. The type that you need depends on application requirements (temperature range) and operating environment (intensity of vibration and level of chemical exposure). Just like all of our industrial plastics manufacturing products, we specially design thermocouple sensors based on your needs.
Melt Pressure Sensors
Melt pressure sensors are ideal for extrusion and injection molding processes. They ensure that your injection molding machine isn’t impacted by a sudden and drastic rise in pressure. In effect, melt pressure sensors save time and money by preventing machine failure. These sensors are specially designed to operate in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.
PID Temperature Controllers & Timers
Our PID (proportional-integral-derivative) temperature controllers and timers provide multiple forms of sensor information and feedback on temperature, flow rate, pressure, and relative humidity. We offer various types of controllers, including single loop controllers, power controllers, data logging and recorders, multi-loop controllers, Watlow SpecView software, and temperature limit controllers.
Hot Runner System Accessories
Hot runner cables, or mold power cables are a type of hot runner system accessory. They establish the connection between the output power connector on a mainframe and the mold input connector.
Additional hot runner system accessories include mold thermocouple cables which secure thermocouple connectors on the mainframe to those on the mold; controllers, or mold junction boxes, are mounted on the injection mold and hold both power; and thermocouple mold connectors.
Find Your Temperature Control Solution Today
Hi-Watt is a leader and trusted supplier of industrial plastic processing temperature control units. We understand how critical temperature control is in industrial plastics manufacturing, and can help you find the best solution for your application. To learn more about our customizable products or to request a quote, contact us today.