Mould technology with conformal coolingRowenta Werke GmbH

The development of 3K tools with conformal cooling for the production of distortion-free parts for a new range of Rowenta irons.

The customer

Rowenta Werke GmbH, based in Erbach, Hesse, is a manufacturer of kitchen and household appliances. The German brand has been impressing discerning consumers with high-quality products that guarantee perfect results since 1909. In 1988, it was integrated into the global French-based Groupe SEB, which comprises over 20 renowned brands and is present in numerous other product families.

The task

For a new iron series from Rowenta, Hofmann Impulsgeber’s task was to develop 3K injection moulding tools that, thanks to conformal cooling, guarantee cycle time improvements and reduced distortion.

The solution

The resulting lack of distortion is essential when developing 3K parts. This is responsible for the positive ‘assembly behaviour’, i.e. the high dimensional accuracy. To develop the cooling concept, Hofmann Impulsgeber used the Moldex3D simulation software, which enables designers to take a virtual look inside the tool. This allowed us to make qualified statements about flow behaviour, temperature distributions, pressure losses and flow velocities. This is particularly indispensable when temperature control channels become so complex that the flow can no longer be assessed using conventional methods, such as in the case of production using the 3D metal printing process. As an innovative partner, the use of simulations for the design and verification of cooling channel construction is a matter of course at Hofmann.

The success

The development goal for the 3K injection moulding tools, reducing distortion in the frontal area, was achieved with homogeneous temperature distribution in the cooling phase of the injection process. Three-dimensional display results and animations of the distortion clarified the behaviour of the end product and simultaneously helped us design and optimise the conformal temperature control. In addition, we were able to precisely analyse the interaction of the various components, materials and geometries. Both aspects, transparency and optimisation, resulted in a high-quality component. This meant that overall cycle times could be shortened, production costs could be lowered, tool post-processing could be reduced to a minimum and a significantly shorter development process could be achieved.

Your partner in household goods

Christian Richardt
Technical Sales Director - Customer Projects
T: +49 9571 766-9660
sales@hofmann-impulsgeber.de

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