MuCell Weight Reduction Technologies

The Trexel NC-Series Nitrogen Booster is the central compressor that supplies supercritical nitrogen (SCF) for the MuCell® process. A single booster feeds several Satellite dosing units in the same plant, making multi-machine MuCell applications possible at low cost.

It can run on a bottled nitrogen, nitrogen generator or liquid nitrogen source; redundancy can be set up with a second booster. The NC-250 (215 l/min) and NC-500 (500 l/min) models are selected according to the dosing requirement and the number of machines.

The booster's function

The NC series booster is the gas source of the MuCell process. It raises the mains nitrogen to the pressure that turns it into a supercritical fluid and feeds the line. The supercritical state is a transitional state in which the gas can dissolve like a liquid and diffuse like a gas; this is also what makes MuCell's microcellular structure possible.

Why a central unit

A single booster can feed more than one injection molding machine. Using a central unit instead of setting up a separate gas source for each machine reduces both the investment and the maintenance. The precise dosing on the machine side is taken over by the T-Series Satellite units.

NC-250 and NC-500

Common values: 300–330 bar working pressure (max. 365 bar), 400 V / 50 Hz, IE3 efficiency class motor, 1480 × 830 × 1520 mm housing.

Capacity selection

What decides it is the number of machines to be fed at the same time and the total gas consumption. Consumption varies with the material being processed and the target weight reduction ratio. Leaving a margin rather than working at the capacity limit is recommended, so that adding machines later does not require a new investment.

About the technology: MuCell foam injection molding.