wiredinUSA December 2012

Curing oven

manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors and recirculating blower airflow safety switch.

The 984 is an electrically-heated, 500ºF (260ºC) custom designed top loading oven from Grieve, currently used for curing con- nector assemblies onto long cables at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions measure 72in (width) x 8in (depth) x 14in (height). 12kW in Nichrome wire elements heat the unit, while a 600 CFM, 1/2 HP recirculating blower motor provides rear- to-front airflow across the workload.

Specialized dies

The micro-structured surfaces on Hoowaki modified extrusion dies are designed to lower friction on wire and cable polymer jackets. The micro-features (smaller than 200 microns) transfer to the product during the normal extrusion process. There are no adjustments to the material and few, if any, adjustments to the extrusion process. No new materials are introduced onto the extruded polymer. Hoowaki customdesigns the features based on each manufacturer’s material and application. The company’s design process takes material shrinkage and drawdown into account, to provide features that offer the optimal geometry on the final product. Hoowaki has demonstrated a significant reduction in the surface friction of standard polymers, said to be over 45 percent reduction in dry sliding friction and up to 80 percent reduction in lubricated sliding friction. Hoowaki surfaces can also be used to increase extruder productivity and reduce the drag between the die surface and the polymer, without changing the process parameters. Low-friction surfaces have already been applied to polypropylene,

The oven features 4 inch thick insulated walls, aluminized steel exterior, type 430 stainless steel interior, four independently hinged doors to expose the front and back of each loading station, a steel plate oven floor and a workspace floor reinforced for 100lb loading on 1/4 inch plate. Controls on the 984 include four automatic door switches to shut off both blower and heat when any door is opened, a digi- tal programming temperature controller,

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wiredInUSA - December 2012