The hot runner controller system is used in injection molds, employing a heating component system that injects melted plastic pellets into the mold's cavities. By maintaining the plastic in a molten state, it enhances injection efficiency, reduces material waste, and lowers maintenance costs. Hot runner controller systems are widely utilized in the automotive, medical devices, toys, and other fields, and face development trends such as standardization, stacking, precise temperature control, and co-injection.
The hot runner controller system ensures that the plastic in the runner and gate remains molten by means of heating. Due to the electric heating elements located near or at the center of the runner, the entire runner from the nozzle of the injection molding machine to the gate is kept at a high temperature. After the plastic is injected into the mold cavity, it needs to be cooled and solidified to form. The mold typically uses cooling water or other cooling media to lower its temperature, allowing the molten plastic to rapidly cool and solidify within the mold. Once the plastic is fully solidified, the mold will open, allowing the molded plastic parts to be removed for subsequent processing or assembly.
Hot runner controller systems are classified into insulated runner control systems and micro semi-hot runner controller systems in the hot runner controller market. Insulated runner control systems are complex in design and often use needle valve hot nozzles. They not only save materials but also ensure that the plastic parts have a beautiful appearance, a compact internal quality, and high strength. They require prolonged heating and are suitable for large parts or high-volume production. In contrast, micro semi-hot runner controller systems are simplified in structure, do not contact the product but rather the micro-runners, enabling the use of open-type hot nozzles. The heating time is relatively short, and compared to the frequently clogged and aging insulated runner needle valve hot nozzles, they offer stable performance with a lower failure rate. They are extensively used in high-precision molds abroad.
The history of hot runner systems by temperature controller company can be traced back to the 1950s. With the development of plastic injection molding technology, people began seeking more efficient methods to control the flow and cooling of plastic within molds. The initial versions primarily used traditional resistance heating methods to heat the runner, with early system designs being simple and limited in functionality, mainly addressing some basic flow and cooling issues.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the introduction of new heating elements and temperature control technologies made hot runner controller systems more stable and reliable, providing more flexibility and precision to plastic injection molding processes.
From the 1990s to the early 21st century, as computer technology advanced, hot runner controller systems began evolving toward intelligence and automation.
Entering the 21st century, with the continual emergence of new materials and design technologies, the design and application of hot runner controller systems have also been innovating rapidly.
Currently, they are widely used in automotive, medical devices, home appliances, and other fields, and the micro semi-hot runner controller system has become the market mainstream.
