Hennecke donates machine to institute

St Augustin, Germany – Hennecke has made a high-pressure metering machine available for a joint in-mould painting project with the Kunststoff-Institut Ludenscheid (KIMW).

The project is studying how to improve the mould release of components coated with polyurethane in the mould with reduced or eliminated levels of release agents, said Hennecke.

Eventually, the firm said it is hoped to be able to integrate two or three potential coatings with an experimental mould and evaluate them with polyurethane coatings that are textured in the mould too.

The Streamline machine is equipped with a HT30evo piston-metering device that can deliver abrasive colour pigments, Hennecke said. It is being used in conjunction with an Engel injection moulding machine to deliver a thin polyurethane layer to finish surfaces. This can be used with Hennecke’s Clearrim technology to produce components with highly finished and functional surfaces and also with Clearmelt technology, developed with Engel.

Hennecke said it had worked with KIMW in earlier projects to evaluate different polyurethane/thermoplastic combinations against a number of physical characteristics such as adhesion, scratch resistance, hydrolysis, climate and weathering resistance.

Hennecke said its customers are increasingly asking for Clearmelt applications to be equipped with colour pigments to enable them to coat parts in the mould.

In-mould coating has a number of advantages of separate coating steps including simpler logistics with fewer components, less surface contamination, and so fewer rejects.