Feasibility of an Innovative Structural Foam Injection Moulding Technology using Super-Heated Water as the Foaming Agent – Foamtech

FoamTech系统有限公司是TRC集团公司的一部分，该公司开发创新的技术解决方案，以“现实世界”的工业，农业和食品问题，利用科学，工程，创造力和人工智能来开发这些解决方案。近4年来，FTS一直致力于用一种更无害的物质取代有害发泡剂的技术。我们已经尝试了几种方法，以各种方式和形式将各种物质引入熔融聚合物。本提案中描述的Foamtech工艺显示出最大的前景，我们现在能够进一步探索该工艺的可行性，以期将其发展成为一种可供市场使用的技术。结构热塑性泡沫成型部件比固体塑料轻得多，具有高强度重量比。汽车行业是结构泡沫增长的主要驱动力，因为终身能源和二氧化碳的节省推动了对轻质部件的需求。因此，对泡沫成型的需求不断增长，但需要良好的表面光洁度。在S-O-A中，泡沫部件是通过使用化学发泡剂或气体（氢氟碳化物、丁烷、N2或CO2）的一种注塑成型方式生产的。由于加工压力低、发泡剂吸热以及在零件表面形成气泡，这些发泡工艺无法达到良好的表面光洁度，通常具有典型的漩涡图案，妨碍了这种技术用于高质量的表面光洁度零件。泡沫技术是一种创新的新工艺，可以制造高质量的表面光洁度泡沫零件。我们的创新工艺将一种新物质引入熔融聚合物中，通过控制膨胀成气体来创造泡沫结构。与固体部件相比，Foamtech可节省50%的重量（更少的聚合物），减少20%的循环时间（更少的热量）和30%的节能（更少的热量）。Foamtech的目标是提供比S-O-A更好的光洁度，因为它的表面没有泡沫，因此这将满足汽车行业的需求。预计它将提供比其他开发项目更好的泡沫分布。这项技术将使英国的模具制造商能够降低泡沫成型部件的成本，并通过消除昂贵的、对环境有害的发泡剂（如氢氟碳化物、二氧化碳、N2和有害的丁烷）的需求，最大限度地减少对环境的影响。这些优势将使英国模具制造商在后新冠经济中更具竞争力。

FoamTech Systems Ltd is part of The TRC group of companies which develops innovative technological solutions to 'real world' Industrial, Agriculture and Food problems using science, engineering, creativity and AI to develop these solutions. FTS has been working on the technology to replace hazardous foaming agents with a more benign substance for almost 4 years. We have tried several methods for introducing a variety of substances into the molten polymer in various ways and forms. The Foamtech process described in this proposal has shown the most promise, and we are now in a position to explore the feasibility of the process further with the view to developing it into a market ready technology. Structural thermoplastic foam-moulded parts are much lighter, with high strength-to-weight ratio than solid plastic. The automotive sector is the main driver to structural foam growth as lifetime energy & CO2 savings drive the need for lightweight components. So, there is growing demand for foam mouldings, but there is a need for good surface finish. In S-O-A, foamed parts are produced by a form of injection moulding using a chemical blowing agent or gas (HFCs, Butane, N2 or CO2). These foaming processes fail to achieve good surface finish due to low process pressure, heat absorption by blowing agent and bubbles forming at part surface, often with a characteristic swirl pattern preventing use of this technology for good quality surface finish parts. Foamtech is an innovative new process to make good quality surface finish foamed parts. Our innovative process introduces a novel substance into molten polymer to create the foamed structure by controlled expansion into a gas. Foamtech offers 50% weight saving (less polymer), 20%+ cycle time reduction (less heat to remove) & 30%+ energy savings (less heat put in) over solid parts. Foamtech aims to provide generally better finish than the S-O-A by virtue of the un-foamed skin, so this crucially would meet automotive sector needs. It is expected to offer better bubble distribution than is seen in other developments. This technology will enable UK moulders to reduce the cost of foam-moulded parts and minimize environmental impact by eliminating need for expensive, environmentally harmful blowing agents such as HFCs, CO2, N2 and hazardous Butane. These advantages will enable UK moulders to be more competitive in a post-COVID economy.