Injecting higher PCR content efficiently

Mold-Masters is an industry leader in sustainable application knowledge and success which extends to both Bio-Resins and Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials. Sustainability is not only driven by government regulations, but consumer demand and environmental awareness around the globe is driving more companies towards sustainable applications.  When it comes to PCR and sustainable applications, Mold-Masters has the proven capability. Utilizing its industry-leading co-injection multi-layer technology, the company has the ability to combine 2 separate resins into a single 3-layer melt flow. This enables Mold-Masters to be able to inject high PCR content as the core layer up to 50% of total part weight without sacrificing part quality or cycle time.

In its most recent production application, Mold-Masters implemented a 2-cavity Co-injection system for producing 5 gal. (20 L) pails. Each of these 700g pails incorporated 50% PCR as the core layer. This sustainable solution has the potential to generate significant savings for the moulder (based on current prices) by reducing the use of virgin material and TiO₂ (compared to traditional mono-layer pails). These significant savings and favourable ROI mean that sustainability initiatives can also make good financial sense.

Mold-Masters first introduced this capability as part of its advanced industry-leading co-injection technology back in 2015. What sets Mold-Masters apart is its leading-edge control, which allows us to precisely control distribution and thickness of the core layer. This is what allows Mold-Masters to inject a higher percentage of PCR content than competitive systems. Where Mold-Masters can inject up to 50% PCR core, many competing systems are limited to incorporating up to 35% which could limit sustainability targets and can significantly affect implementation ROI. Uniform leading-edge control allows Mold-Masters to achieve more consistent and fuller core fill. Mold-Masters patented “fold-over” capabilities is a technical advantage that enables us to achieve the highest core percentage and allows it to ensure uniform distribution and complete coverage of PCR resins (prevents contact of PCR with product).

Another significant difference is its ability to position the core. For example, on packaging applications customers may prefer to keep any PCR core away from the injection point to avoid moulded in stresses which can cause brittleness and result in drop test failures.

One of the major advantages of Mold-Masters Co-injection technology is that there is no penalty to cycle time and existing tooling can be re-used. A variety of materials can be combined although those with similar melt temperatures are ideal for compatibility. Many applications are those that utilize the same material (ex: 50% virgin HDPE, 50% PCR HDPE). However, our thermally isolated manifolds make it possible to combine two thermally different resins.

Mold-Masters is a leading global supplier of hot runners, controllers, auxiliary injection and co-injection systems. The company designs, manufactures, distributes, sells and services highly engineered and customised plastic processing equipment that caters to every market. Mold-Masters is credited for patenting the first commercially viable hot runner system in 1965. Today, Mold-Masters conducts business in over 100 countries and employs a diverse workforce that exceeds 2,150 professionals. Mold-Masters Global Headquarters is located in Georgetown, ON Canada.