Page 69 - Plastics News July 2024

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Now Even Smaller, Latest MicroTemp

Thermolator® TCU Brings Big

Performance to Small Molding Machines

tant standard features, including a direct-injection,
single-zone design that can heat or cool water
between 40°F (4°C) and 250°F (121°C). Both units
feature compact cabinets, standard 1/3 or ½ HP
pumps, durable Incaloy 3- or 6-kW heaters, along
with adaptive maximum setpoints, PID controls,
programmable setpoint displays, a low-pressure re-
sume feature, and on-screen diagnostics.

For medical and electronics molders, the premium
MTC-T Touch unit offers a range of user-configur-
able, energy-saving process control capabilities
that can assist in production validation and trou-
bleshooting. These capabilities include auto-relief
warm-up and cooling, estimated flow display, auto
edesigned for medical, electronics, and other restart, low pressure auto-resume, and key perfor-
processors working with the smallest injec- mance indicator (KPI) trending. Other key features
Rtion molding machines, small precision molds, include an automatic phase detection circuit and a
or tight production spaces such as cleanrooms, built-in pressure transducer to eliminate the need
Conair’s latest and smallest microTemp tempera- for external pressure-monitoring gauges.
ture control unit (TCU) is compact enough (14.7 tall
x 15.6 wide x 18 in deep) to tuck neatly under a small The MTC-T Touch unit also features password-pro-
injection-molding machine. Yet, this smallest-ever tected security, mold-specific recipe programming
TCU retains the power, precision, and configurability and storage, and a range of communications fea-
of full-sized Conair temperature control units. The tures, including Modbus TCP and OPC-UA via Ether-
latest entry to Conair’s renowned Thermolator® line net and SPI via RS-485. In addition, the MTC-T offers
of TCUs makes its global debut at the Conair booth plug-and-play remote monitoring and control, with
(W2113) at NPE 2024, May 6-9 in Orlando. KPI trending, using Conair’s SmartServices cloud-
based monitoring and measurement platform.
The new microTemp TCUs are available in two control
styles. The MTC-B (Basic) is equipped with a 4-inch The Conair Group (www.conairgroup.com) offers
LCD display, while the premium MTC-T or “Touch” innovative auxiliary equipment solutions to plastics
model features a 4-inch color touchscreen HMI processors around the world. With 32 degreed en-
that includes Conair’s easy-to-use common control gineers, including 16 senior team members with
interface. The common control interface simplifies an average of over 23 years of experience, Conair
training, thanks to contextual help screens, and brings unparalleled technical expertise and sup-
links directly to SmartServices, Conair’s cloud-based port to its customers, guaranteeing its products will
Industry 4.0 platform for auxiliary equipment moni- deliver maximum productive uptime. Twenty parts
toring, management, and control. and service team members respond to tens of thou-
sands of calls each year, answering in an average
Both the Basic and Touch models share impor- of about 15 seconds. Over 450 individual products

July 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 71