Creation of an Innovative Prototype Slimline Watermould System to deliver our Super Heated Water Structural Foam Moulding Technology - Watermould

结构热塑性泡沫塑料成型的零件比固体塑料轻得多，具有更高的强度与重量比。汽车行业是结构性泡沫增长的主要驱动力，因为终身节能和二氧化碳节约推动了对轻质部件的需求。对泡沫塑料的需求越来越大，但需要良好的表面光洁度。在目前的技术水平下，发泡部件是通过使用化学发泡剂或气体(氢氟碳化物、丁烷、氮气或二氧化碳)的注射模塑形式生产的。这些发泡工艺由于工艺压力低、发泡剂吸收热量和在零件表面形成气泡而无法获得良好的表面光洁度，通常带有特征的漩涡图案，使这项技术无法用于高质量的表面光洁度零件。泡沫技术系统有限公司一直在研究用水取代危险发泡剂的技术，并尝试了几种方法，以不同的方式和形式将水引入熔融的聚合物中。水模工艺显示出了最大的前景，我们现在能够进一步开发该工艺，以期将其商业化并利用日益增长的市场机会。

Structural thermoplastic foam-moulded parts are much lighter, with higher 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. There is growing demand for foam mouldings, but there is a need for good surface finish.In the State of the Art, 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 Systems Ltd has been working on the technology to replace hazardous foaming agents with water and have tried several methods for introducing the water into the molten polymer in various ways and forms. The Watermould process has shown the most promise, and we are now in a position to develop the process further with the view to commercialising it and exploiting a growing market opportunity.