During plastic injection molding and die casting, the mold is clamped together to resist the rapid thermal expansion and contraction caused by the molten material filling the mold cavity. Flawed parts can be created if the mold is not kept properly clamped to resist thermal loading throughout the molding and casting process. To mitigate these thermal effects, Load Cells are placed at the clamp contact points, enabling machinery monitoring processes to adjust clamping forces.
How it Works
- Load Cells are fitted in-line of hydraulic pressure or screw-type clamps measuring the compressive force applied to the mold.
- As the mold expands and contracts due to the molten material, the load cell provides feedback to the PLC with the new compressive force.
- The feedback is used to adjust the clamps in real-time to maintain mold compression.
When paired with the Amplifier, the load cell can provide a variety of amplified outputs such as 0-10 V or 4-20 mA signals for the PLC.
