For the ultimate in microcellular foaming capability and flexibility, MuCell® has been in commercial production for 20 years enabling lighter and more dimensionally stable injection molded parts. The latest evolution of MuCell® features a smart, simple user interface with highly accurate dosing capability.
5% – 40%
Part Weight Reduction
Up to 40%
Faster Cycles
Reduce
Warp and Sink
25% – 50%
Lower Clamp Force
Thinner Walls
Part Design Freedom
5% – 30%
Energy Savings
Break the Old Rules
The inherent inefficiency of conventional injection molding is the reliance on the screw to pack the cavity as the plastic solidifies and shrinks. The conventional use of the pack & hold phase imposes part design and processing limitations that the industry has accepted since its inception.
Break the Old Rules
The inherent inefficiency of conventional injection molding is the reliance on the screw to pack the cavity as the plastic solidifies and shrinks. The conventional use of the pack & hold phase imposes part design and processing limitations that the industry has accepted since its inception.
Unlock New Possibilities
MuCell® technology relies on cell growth to uniformly pack the entire cavity. Localized packing force from within the cavity unlocks processing and design freedom otherwise unobtainable through conventional holding pressure.
Unlock New Possibilities
MuCell® technology relies on cell growth to uniformly pack the entire cavity. Localized packing force from within the cavity unlocks processing and design freedom otherwise unobtainable through conventional holding pressure.
Conventional Limitations
High Molded-in Stress
Prone to Warp & Sink
High Clamp Force
Flow Length to Wall Limitation
Fill Thick to Thin
Conventional Cycle Time
Solid Density
Conventional Design & Weight
Normal Energy Consumption
MuCell® Advantages
Low Molded-in Stress
Reduced Warp & Sink
Reduced Clamp Force
Expanded Flow Length to Wall
Ability to Fill Thin to Thick
Reduced Cycle Time
Lower Density
Reduced Weight through Design Freedom
Energy Savings
Differences in Wall Thickness
Filling from “thin to thick”
Recommended injection
with MuCell®
Injection in solid
(with MuCell® still possible)
Wall to rib ratio 1:1 possible
Conventional Design
MuCell® Design
“A part molded with the MuCell® process has a solid skin layer and microcellular foamed core which is a closed cell structure. The cell growth is more effective at packing the part than the solid pack phase which allows for increased rib to nominal wall thickness without sink marks. In most cases, it is possible to produce a sink free part with a rib thickness equal to the nominal wall thickness.”
Typical Cycle Time Reduction with MuCell®
Solid Molding
Total 30 seconds
MuCell®
Total 22 seconds
MuCell® Benefits
Reduced Costs
• Reduced resin consumption
• Faster molding cycle time
• Increased yields
• Smaller molding machine
• Use of lower cost filled polyolefin material
Design Freedom
• Thin to thick wall flow
• 1:1 wall thickness rib structure
• Material where needed for function versus flow
• Improved dimensional stability
• Less warpage
Sustainability
• Reduced petrolium based material consumption
• Reduced molding machine energy consumption
• Ability to re-grind/re-use molded parts
• Reduced carbon footprint versus solid molding
Faster to Market
• Fewer tooling iterations
• Predictable molded part geometry
• Ability to mold large part piece
The MuCell® Process
MuCell® is the complete process solution providing lighter and more accurate plastic parts at lower production costs.
Four Technology Steps
During plasticization, precisely metered amounts of supercritical fluid (SCF), typically Nitrogen or CO2, are introduced into the polymer through injectors mounted on the plasticizing barrel.
Homogeneous mixing and dispersing of the supercritical fluid into the polymer through the specially designed mixing section of the plasticizing barrel creates a single phase solution of SCF and molten polymer.
Injection of polymer into mold cavities. Cells start to nucleate once exposed to lower pressure in the mold cavity. Molecular dispersion of SCF provides for a homogeneous closed cell structure with a solid skin layer.
Low pressure filling of mold cavities. Pack & hold phase is replaced by controlled cell growth, which ceases once the mold cavity is filled. Cell growth results in a uniform pack pressure throughout the mold cavity.
The MuCell® process involves the highly controlled use of gas in its supercritical state to create microcellular voids in thin-wall parts. The voids are created as a result of homogeneous nucleation that occurs when a single-phase solution of polymer and gas passes through the injection gate into the mold.
The MuCell® Process generally offers a 50-75% improvement in key quality measures, such as flatness, roundness, and warpage, also eliminating all sink marks. These improvements result from the fact that relatively uniform stress patterns are created in the molded part rather than non-uniform stress characteristic of conventional molding.
The quality advantages of the MuCell® Process are complemented by certain direct economic advantages, including the ability to produce 20-33% more parts per hour on a given molded machine, and the ability to mold parts on lower tonnage machines as a result of the viscosity reduction and the elimination of the packing requirement that accompanies the use of supercritical gas.
For additional information refer to the MuCell® Process Guide which explain all aspects of the process from set-up to optimizing results.
Implementing MuCell®
MuCell® is a one-time equipment purchase with no license fee.
The technology can be integrated into new injection molding machines by Trexel’s OEM partners or retrofitted into existing injection molding machines by Trexel’s field engineers.
Implementing MuCell®
MuCell® is a one-time equipment purchase with no license fee.
The technology can be integrated into new injection molding machines by Trexel’s OEM partners or retrofitted into existing injection molding machines by Trexel’s field engineers.