Foam injection molding is a special injection molding process and offers many advantages to the processor. Enhanced part properties as well as decisive improvements in the production process are possible. When it comes to processing of physical blowing agents, different concepts are commercially available. These concepts differ mainly in the necessary effort with regards to machine technology. The Optifoam system introduced by Sulzer Chemtech Ltd. is characterized by flexibility and the capability of retrofitting existing machines. It is based on an earlier development by the IKV Aachen. In this paper, general requirements for a foaming process with physical blowing agents are discussed. The Optifoam system as well as the latest research in this area is presented.
展开▼
