Big Interest in Little Cells

MuCell, the proprietary microcellular process technology from Trexel, Inc. (Woburn, MA) continues to draw a great deal of notice from machinery builders and molders alike. By using inexpensive, environmentally friendly supercritical fluids (SCF's) of atmospheric gases (C0₂ or N₂) as blowing agents, licensees can mold parts with evenly distributed and uniformly sized microscopic cells., generally 5-50 microns diam. Designers can specify lightweight, polymer-saving MuCell materials for products where conventionally foamed materials would be unacceptable. And because melt viscosity and melt temperature are lower and mold filling improved, fill pressure can be cut at least 50%, clamp tonnage at least 40%, and the cycle time improved greatly. No additions or nucleating agents are required.

How is the marketplace reacting to this new technology? Strongly. "One of the best applications for the MuCell process is the automotive industry," says David Bernstein, President and CEO of Trexel. "Three Tier 1 automotive suppliers have already licensed the technology and are developing applications for OEM approval. The customers in that sector are attracted to the weight savings, and dimensional stability the MuCell process provides. In other sectors, factors like material cost savings and reduced cycle time are key drivers in the decision-making process."

Genesis Plastics and Engineering Co. (Scottsburg, IN) is one of Trexel's newest licensees. James Gladden , president and CEO, believes the MuCell process gives Genesis a great advantage in automotive and business equipment areas. "There is a huge market out there for the MuCell process because of its cost savings and weight reduction, "Gladden says. "Our customers are also very interested in designing thin-wall parts, which you can do with MuCell because of the easier flow characteristics. Because of this, we're budgeting substantial financial and human resources to make a major commitment to the technology."

Mar Lee Companies (Fitchburg, MA) was one of the earliest Trexel licensees. "Since installing the MuCell process in our Technology Development Center, we've seen significant customer interest in building molds and installing MuCell molding systems to sell commercial MuCell products," stated Stan Bowker, a Mar Lee program manager.

Another company, Hanson Group Ltd. (Ludlow, MA), decided to become a Trexel licensee for an entirely different reason. "Our goal is not necessarily to convert solid parts into MuCell products," explained Brian Worthington, director of research and development. "We're looking to create new market niches not previously available to injection molding. We want to find out what the MuCell process is capable of, and push it to its limits to create new applications."

In addition to a license from Trexel, adapting an injection molding machine to run MuCell technology requires the following modifications: an SCF metering system with sufficient capacity to deliver the blowing agent to the screw at the required pressure; a Trexel-designed screw for creating a single-phase solution of the SCF blowing agent; and software and system hardware modifications to create and maintain solution uniformity throughout the cycle.

Currently, machine builders Arburg, Engel, and Ferromatik-Milacron are licensed to supply injection molding machines with the MuCell process. The company will be announcing additions to this list in April.

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