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High-volume injection mold tooling manufacturer StackTeck Systems Ltd., Brampton, Ontario, is now supporting the iMFLUX low-pressure injection molding process to help its customers meet the challenges of molding recycled materials. Following successfully using this patented technology to qualify a range of postconsumer recycled (PCR) resin grades, StackTeck said it received permission from Procter & Gamble, where the technology was patented, to use and share StackTeck’s experience with molders that have iMFLUX-capable machines. In 2023, P&G changed its ´óÏó´«Ã½ strategy for iMFLUX going forward.

StackTeck notes that in its experience, iMFLUX has proven capable of handling large and sudden material property variations in real time. In a release, Jordan Robertson, VP ´óÏó´«Ã½ development and marketing at StackTeck, recounted watching iMFLUX’s Automatic Viscosity Adjustment capability handle going from a polypropylene with a melt-flow index (MFI) of 40 to a 5 MFI polypropylene with no shorts or scrap parts. “Based on many years working with PCR resins for thinwall, PCR, horticultural products, the power of this technology was immediately evident,” Robertson says.

The iMFLUX process utilizes a closed loop control system to manage injection pressure during every molding cycle based on real-time measurement of the molten plastic in front of the screw. Pressure measurements are taken at a frequency of 1,000 hertz, and the control system maintains a constant injection pressure, regardless of potential variations caused by material changes over time.

StackTeck President and CEO Vince Travaglini says that in coming years, he sees PCR applications growing from a few molds per year to a substantial proportion of the projects that StackTeck will be handling. “As a result, we are working to adapt our mold test machines and qualification procedures to suit PCR projects, while also preparing to handle more projects for PCR resin qualifications,” Travaglini said.