Sterling, VA (February 24, 1998) . . . Gammaflux L.P. offers the following information on its hot runner temperature control system software for diagnosing mold and hot runner problems.

Mold Doctor is a fault analysis program that reports on the basic faults that can occur in a mold, including pinched and reversed thermocouples. Key features of mold doctor include:

• Wiring Analysis - designed to tell the user if each temperature control zone is wired properly, and if not, it instructs the user on which wires to change. Also, Wiring Analysis will detect if a temperature control zone is being affected by another zone’s heat.
• Thermodynamic Analysis - provides complete performance analysis of the hot runner manifold, including heater resistance, power consumption, and heating and cooling rates.
• Historical Analysis - compares an old Thermodynamic Analysis to a new one, to present the user with a percent change, if any. This comprehensive troubleshooting device points to specific problems and can provide complete data on the tool, hot runner system, hot runner temperature control system and chiller, allowing the user to easily troubleshoot the entire injection mold system.

Mold Monitor is a new on-line software package designed to actually predict hot runner system heater failure before it occurs. By measuring the resistance of heaters in the hot runner once an hour and comparing them to an historical baseline, the software can predict the failure of a heater in advance. This can result in enormous production savings by maximizing press time.

"Heater and/or thermocouple failure is the #1 cause of downtime for many hot runner systems," said Lee Jones, director of sales and marketing for Gammaflux. "A simple heater band burnout can cause hours of lost production. It is because of this that Gammaflux developed this product for use with its Series 9500 temperature control systems."

Field Calibrator™ allows users to determine thermocouple accuracy - thereby ensuring that the controller’s "read" temperature is as close to the actual temperature as possible.

Field Calibrator™ gives users the ability to adjust the internal offset of the Gammaflux temperature controller to re-calibrate the thermocouple inputs +/-0.2 deg F, or the rating of the thermocouple simulator. This can eliminate the need for service calls or sending the equipment back to the factory for ISO, FDA or QS 9000 audits.

"Reading temperatures accurately is vital for good temperature control," said Jones. "This new software allows users to have more control over the process of diagnosing hot runner mold thermocouple problems." As an added feature, Gammaflux provides free training seminars to users of its temperature control systems.

Based in Sterling, Va., Gammaflux L.P. is a leading supplier of hot runner temperature control systems to the plastics injection molding industry. Long known for innovation in control technology, Gammaflux developed the first products to anticipate temperature changes, sense wiring and heater problems, and react instantly to avoid serious mold damage. Combining digital capabilities with precision analog control, Gammaflux systems enable the user to achieve centralized command of molding systems and retrieve critical data for performance analysis. The company serves the automotive, medical, packaging, electronics, household products, and tool building markets.