The plastic industry is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. Competition is tough and to be at the forefront, equipment and processes must be top-tuned. Increasing consumer expectations to product quality and sustainable materials further fuel the development of next generation plastic processing machines.
Filling ever more complicated shapes in just a fraction of a second requires extremely precise control of injection and clamping pressure. At the same time accurate pressure control is decisive for tight dimensional tolerances and perfect surface quality of plastic products today and tomorrow.
This article focuses on the role of pressure transmitters in the plastics industry and how to ensure precise control of processing pressures in every situation and how to deal with EMC caused by for instance Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), solenoid and hydraulic valves in this specific environment.
The role of pressure transmitters in plastic processing
Pressure transmitters are some of the most critical components in plastic moulding applications. The transmitters control pressures in at least three vital processes during moulding, i.e. plastic injection pressure, mould clamping pressure and servo pump pressure.
All three processes depend on exact pressure control in order to achieve optimum product quality, reduce energy consumption and ensure high productivity on the lines.
Failure of the pressure transmitters can be costly when the quality of the material or the moulded products fail or when the machinery grinds to a halt and the line stops for repair.
It is therefore essential to select the right transmitters for the vital production processes, i.e. components that are optimized for the special conditions and requirements of the plastics industry.
The quality of the pressure transmitters should never be sacrificed to save on initial costs. The cost of high-quality pressure transmitters is paid back many times by high reliability, fast response and extreme accuracy during daily operation and durability over time in harsh environments running 24/7/365.
Mitigating the challenge of VFD electric noise
In order to bring down energy consumption VFDs have been introduced across the industry. But with VFD comes the risk of electric noise that may cause lost production hours, material waste and ultimately expensive damage and repair of machinery.
To mitigate the increasing problem of electric noise, the plastics industry, machine builders and parts manufacturers are on a continuous journey to invent components that do not create electric noise in the first place and are immune to EMC interference if it occurs.
The sensitive parts of the advanced transmitter design are especially exposed to electric noise during the daily operation of the machinery. And if they fail to function optimally, the risk of production loss and quality failures is imminent.
New transmitters optimized for the plastics industry and with 100 % immunity to VFD-induced electric noise or noise from other sources such as Direct Coupled Electrical Fast Transients from relays and motor controls, solenoids, electric hydraulic valves and cable harness inside the machine itself have recently been launched to eliminate the problem.
This is the MBS 1600 pressure transmitter from Danfoss, customized to the specific requirements of the plastics industry.
Industrial leaders have already implemented EMC-immune components in order to surf the productivity wave and beat the competition. Are you the next?