Mold and Temperature Control
Quick mold clamping is the general name for systems that secure the mold to the machine platens with a magnetic platen or hydraulic clamps instead of bolts. A job that takes hours with bolted clamping and depends on the operator is reduced to minutes, and the clamping force becomes measurable and repeatable. A magnetic system requires no preparation on the mold; a hydraulic system requires a standard back plate geometry.
A magnetic platen works on the electro-permanent magnet principle: a short current pulse magnetizes the poles, no energy is needed while holding; the mold stays clamped even if the power is cut. The force is monitored continuously by a pole flux sensor.
A hydraulic clamp (wedge clamp, rocker clamp, pull cylinder) presses on the back plate of the mold; the self-locking angle at the piston tip keeps holding even if the pressure drops. Model selection is required for different mold back plate thicknesses.
The decisive factor is the variety of the mold fleet: if there are many molds of different sizes and geometries, a magnetic platen; if back plates are standardized and temperatures are very high, a hydraulic system comes to the fore. Both are connected to the press through a safety interface.
Yes; the pole flux sensor measures the holding force continuously and stops the machine if it drops below the threshold. In the electro-permanent design the magnet keeps holding even when power is cut; this is the fundamental difference from an electromagnet.
A job that takes 45–120 minutes with bolted clamping drops to 5–10 minutes with a magnetic platen; with a hydraulic system it is at a similar level. The real gain is as much that the time becomes repeatable and measurable as that it becomes shorter.