MiniMolder™

Injection moulding is an important industrial process and articles as small as the gears in a wristwatch to as large as a sailing dinghy are injection moulded.

Injection moulding works by heating powders of thermoplastics material from a solid to a liquid state. Whilst in this liquid state, the heated plastics material can be forced into a closed mould and cooled to regain its solid state. This transforms shapeless powder into the shape of the moulding.

The force required to cause the heated plastics liquid, called a plastics melt, to flow and take up the shape of the mould impression is applied mechanically using a plunger. This creates injection melt force and is under the control of the student or operator.

In a School of Design, the TechSoft MiniMolder™ is designed to;

• - show the industrial process of injection moulding with a TechSoft finished steel mould
• - within a design syllabus, injection mould parts with a CNC machined aluminium mould
• - within a design syllabus, injection mould a limited number of parts with a high temp 3D printed mould insert, inside a CNC machined aluminium mould bolster

Accessories — your Distributor may have included the following;

• User Handbook and Instruction Poster
• 1qty TechSoft Finished Mould — golf-tee, screwdriver handle, spinning top etc.
• 1kg carton of coloured polyethylene — choice of red, green, yellow, magenta, purple, orange, blue, silver grey, black & white.

Specifications

• Electrical Supply: 335W, 230V or 120V machines
• Safety: Compliant and marked CE and C-tick
• Operational height (bench to top of lever): 1000mm (39")
• Recommended bench depth: 600mm (24")
• Recommended bench working width: 1000mm (39")
• Recommended bench height: 700-800mm (27-31”)
• Note: MiniMolder is held to the bench with 4qty M8 nuts&bolts, substantial bench required to support operational forces
• Packed mass: 42kg (92lb)
• Packed volume: 0.08m³ (2.83ft³)
• Footprint: 220 x 360mm (8.7" x 14.2")
• Maximum Moulding Temperature: 280°C
• Temperature Controller Resolution: 0.1°C
• Temperature Controller: Fuji Electric/Honeywell
• Maximum Injection Volume: 22cc
• Practical/Initial Injection Volume: 15cc
• Melt Pressure: 25kPa per Newton of tangential force applied at the end of the yellow handle lever (up to an equivalent maximum of 20kg)
• Robust powder-coated steel and stainless steel construction
• Designed and manufactured in New Zealand