Cannon presents mew mixing heads at K 2013

More than 32,000 Cannon mixing heads – most of them are still in production – have been installed on more than 14,000 metering units, in the five continents.

The patented LN6 mixing head – specifically designed to operate with epoxy formulations used for fast RTM process (ESTRIM technology) features a very compact design and a small injection nose, to accommodate the little moulds required to manufacture lightweight Composite parts for Automotive, Transportation and Leisure - Sport.

The new Cannon FPL SR mixing head, specifically designed for the injection of rigid foam in the cabinet of domestic refrigerator and freezers

The output capacity of these heads covers a range from 1 to 10,000 g/second, meeting and exceeding the expectations of a wide number of processors of polyurethanes, epoxy, silicone, phenolics and DCPD. At K 2013 Cannon will present the new versions of their high pressure mixing heads for rigid, flexible, reinforced polyurethanes and for fast RTM epoxy resins:

JL 32 (18, 24 and 32 mm) particularly suitable for new rigid foam plants
FPL SR (18, 24 and 26 mm) recommended for the revamping of existing rigid foam plants
LN6 for ESTRIM, a compact patented solution developed specifically for fast RTM technology with epoxy resins
AX (14,18 and 24 mm), a restyled external design provides advantages when automatically foaming automotive seats
RIM-24/4 mixing head, a compact solution for the injection of filled and reinforced formulations for RRIM
InterWet 30 with completely revised, patented design that provides superior wettability of the chopped glass fibres used in the InterWet co-injection process

The new design of the AX mixing head, designed for multi-component automotive seating formulations.

Fast-reacting rigid foams are progressively being adopted for the manufacture of modern refrigerators, insulation panels and pipes: their thermal insulation capacity is greatly improved by reducing the average diameter of the foam's cells, and this can be obtained with very fast-reacting formulations. As a consequence, since these end products are becoming larger and larger, these quickly-setting foams must be injected at higher output rates than in the past.

A new sleek design characterises the RIM-4 mixing head, the compact solution for the injection of filled and reinforced formulations for RRIM.

The new and redesigned versions of heads that Cannon present at K 2013 have been conceived in order to cope with the rising request from the market of faster operations, higher reliability under severe cycles conditions, reduced overall cost of ownership and ease of service and maintenance.

A 3D CAD rendering of the new InterWet 30 mixing head designed by Cannon Afros for high-output co-injection of polyurethane and glass fibres (InterWet process).

According to the type of chosen head, their users benefit from a wide range of advantages:

Significant foam savings, thanks to higher mixing efficiency at lower working pressure
Optimum mixing efficiency and very laminar injection at a very high output
Superior foam’s performances using low-boiling point blowing agents
Possibility to reach remote injection holes, thanks to longer injection noses and sleek heads’ exterior design
Possibility to vary the foam's output during a multiple sequential injection, in order to wet a very long portion of the mould cavity during the deposition of the foam
Reduced TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) thanks to long-lasting construction and smart solutions for the periodical maintenance.