Injection machines

The NRG solid state relay platform integrates load monitoring and heater switching into a modular and fully scalable solution. The integrated current and voltage measurement within the single SSRs helps OEMs remove current transformers from the panel thereby saving on component, wiring and also PLC analog inputs. The data measured by the NRG SSRs can then be exchanged with the machine PLC via Profinet, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT and Modbus TCP/IP protocols. All this results in better process monitoring, faster reaction to abnormal conditions and, with advanced features such as load deviation detection you can detect a heater malfunction before it actually breaks down.

Solid state relays (SSRs) are very popular in injection molding processes thanks to their long lifetime and fast switching capabilities. Fast switching allows the heaters to be turned on and off rapidly thereby ensuring an accurate temperature in the heating zones.
The RM1A series of SSRs is one of the products of choice for leading OEMs. Its hockey puck style design makes it ideal for fitting into compact panel spaces.
The RM1A series comes with IP20 cover for finger-safe protection and built-in overvoltage protection with MOVs (varistors).

Injection machines require a considerable amount of heating elements which need to switched continuously to maintain a precise temperature in the various heating zones. Solid state contactors such as the RGC series are very popular with OEMs thanks to their slim 17.5 mm (0.7 in) wide design. When you have hundreds of these SSCs connected next to each other the overall space saving is considerable. The RGC comes with an integrated heatsink resulting in a plug and play solution. The RGC series is available in 1-pole, 2-pole and 3-pole variants (up to 600 VAC) for single phase and three phase heater applications.

Proportional controllers, also known as SCRs or power controllers, can provide a finer resolution in heating control applications where precise temperature is required such as in injection molding processes. The heater power can be modulated directly via an analog input that is fed to the RGCxP SCR and the output voltage on the heater will vary proportionally. The RGCxP is also offered in 1-pole, 2-pole and 3-pole versions and comes with different switching methods to target different use cases. Phase angle and full cycle switching are the most common switching methods utilized in heater control.

Monitoring of the heater status is a critical issue in plastic injection processes. A failure of the heater will cause a drop in temperature in the heating zone that can cause significant damage to the screw feeder. Solid state relays like the RGS1S and RGC1S can be used to detect partial heater failure and signal the fault through an auxiliary output. Other variants such as the RGC..M series also include monitoring functions to detect mains loss, load loss as well as SSR malfunction. Quick detection of a heater malfunction is critical to minimize machine downtime and high maintenance costs while ensuring a high quality product.

Designed to provide an accurate detection unaffected by electrostatic discharge and dust build-up, the CA18 and CA30 CAN/CAF sensors are ideal for the monitoring and processing of plastic granules in for instance a hopper or in drying machines where the temperature often rises to high levels. The sensors are designed to tolerate temperatures up to 120°C (248°F). With the TripleshieldTM technology, Carlo Gavazzi capacitive sensors are protected against external interference resulting in a very reliable detection even in harsh environments. Through IO-Link, the CA18..IO and CA30..IO capacitive sensors functionalities can be easily configured for any application requirements.

Switch mode power supplies are a crucial part in powering up most of the critical components within the electrical panel of any plastics processing machinery. Our SPDE series of DIN-rail mount power supplies offer a number of unique features such as ultra-slim design, integrated PFC and efficiencies up to 96%. Switch mode power supplies can work on a wide range of input voltages maintaining a very stable DC voltage output to make sure that all the critical components such as PLCs and HMIs are safely powered up.