Energy Cost-Reduction for Thermoforming Platen Customers

US Distributor WECO International reports strong receptivity from the US thermoforming community to energy cost reduction. WECO uses focused infrared (IR) heat and Ceramicx products and systems. WECO’s ongoing sales include a number of large thermoforming platen customers. One common denominator in these is energy usage and platen size. For example, in Q4, 2017, one WECO client in the US leisure sector ordered a 4.6m x 2.7m thermoforming platen for producing bath and spa tubs. Such a large heating system (281kw output) draws considerable power. Ceramicx designed and built the new thermoforming platen in its new machinery hall. It includes 10 individual control zones, 468 ceramic IR medium wave FFEH elements, and operates at 480 volts.

In the same month WECO fulfilled an order for a white goods OEM client in the US requiring two platens (upper and lower) for a thermoforming system manufacturing components for fridges and freezers. Again, the platen size was large, measuring 3.2m x 2.04m, with each platen containing a total of 210 elements. This particular customer required a total of 70 heat control zones, each with its own thermocouple and three ceramic IR elements.

WECO International’s President Brett Wehner says, “In manufacturing, heavy users of utilities are likely to be extremely cost conscious of their power consumption. Many of our US thermoforming customers clearly fall into that category – both in continuous inline thermoforming for industries such as packaging and FMCG goods and in large cut-sheet applications in automotive, aerospace and white goods. We are delighted to offer these customers energy-saving thermoforming systems from Ceramicx.”

Thermoforming Ovens for Automotive Industry

Meanwhile Europe’s automotive industries continue to drive sales and innovation in thermoforming markets. Interior panels, including doors and floors, plus parcel shelves and boot liners, account for much fibre-reinforced production.

The automotive sector proves time and again that room exists for all kinds of vehicles, from standard to luxury. It also shows room exists for all kinds of materials processing, from functional to exotic. This includes complex composite lay-ups and the simplest molded components.

All of these components contribute to the make-up of the modern car. One common denominator remains the drive toward weight reduction. Any driver who has recently opened a boot, adjusted parcel shelves, or checked spare tyre covers will notice this trend. Lightweight components continue to dominate new models. This trend opens the door to thermoforming opportunities.

Ceramicx recently won an important order. It supplied a Tier 1 supplier with an Infrared thermoforming system. This system produces such products for a leading automotive OEM in the UK.

Ceramicx designed the heat system o fit into the cut-sheet process for thermoforming car interior liners, in this case the boot space. Black carpet and black plastic sheet loaded robotically onto a moving table. The table then moved the material into the heated zone.

The IR heat system applied heat to the top and bottom of the part for a period of time. The sheet was moved onto the mold surface and slowly pressed into the required shape. The component then remained in the mold for a set period to cool. It then underwent trimming and finishing.

A top and bottom Infrared (IR)-based heating system using 276 HTE Ceramic heaters at 200w and 300W for each thermoforming platen. The customer outlined a total of 18 control zones in the pattern. A series of HTE 300W heaters also surrounded the perimeter of both the top and lower platen to minimise edge heat loss.

Infrared Heat Wins With Consistency

When correctly applied, IR-based heating never fails to perform in terms of consistency and repeatability. The customer particularly appreciated the fast heat-up time of the ceramic heaters and the ease with which the IR heaters reached and maintained the required temperature set-point.

This “proof of the pudding” has led the customer to place an order for a second oven. Ceramicx is delighted that these IR heating efficiencies can pass directly into the thermoforming cut-sheet industries – including applications in the modern automotive sector.