Patented process for the thermal activation of sealing systems, adhesives, and casting resins via microwave radiation.
The curing time of sealing systems, adhesives, and casting resins is crucial for cycle and lead times. RAMPF's new and patented* microwave technology RAKU� Microwave Curing increases the reactivity of 1- and 2-component polymer systems based on polyurethane, epoxy, and silicone by up to fourfold.
The material is thermally activated directly after the discharge nozzle via electromagnetic waves and then applied to the component. Radiation is transmitted by waveguide to the activation zone only for a fraction of a second. Viscosity and reactivity are thus continuously adjustable and can be regulated quickly, flexibly, and directly in the production process.
Shorter curing and processing times significantly reduce Work In Process and thus improve production efficiency. Manufacturers also benefit from time and cost savings as well as a reduction in process steps and negative environmental influences. Handling stability is achieved at a much earlier stage, so the component can be fed more quickly to the next processing step. In many cases, the annealing cycle can be significantly reduced by microwave heating. Ideally, a curing oven is no longer needed.
In the case of two-component reactive resins, the interaction of material and microwave radiation is further improved by adapting the formulation of the material. This guarantees the optimum combination of resin and dispensing system for each individual customer application.
Moreover, reduced operator maintenance improves productivity as well as operating costs. In a two-component low-pressure machine, material mixing and activation usually take place in one step. RAKU� Microwave Curing now separates the mixing and activation process. As a result, contamination in the mixing head is significantly reduced, which in turn reduces the frequency of mixer cleaning.
*Pending
