MOD24® 1-192 Zones of Hot Runner Control

Mobile Power Rack™

Tabletop

Wall or Panel Mount

The MOD24® Hot Runner Control Story

MOD24® is the marriage of modular, integrated and high-cavitation hot runner controllers enhanced with modern IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) features such OPC-UA Euromap 82.2 data logging, remote access/control and file transfer capabilities. It is an ideal solution for integrating with an injection molding machine and other auxiliary equipment while giving users complete modular flexibility for adding zones and mounting the controllers anywhere that is convenient.

Hot runner controllers have evolved substantially over the years. For decades, Fast Heat offered modular mainframe controllers with individual 15 or 30 amp modules. These types of controllers are still commonly used today and are supplied by numerous catalog type suppliers. They offer exceptional modularity because they are available in 1-zone, 5-zone, 9-zone, 12-zone mainframes that can easily be combined together as needed. The downside is that each zone is it’s own controller. Each control module needs to be set manually and turned on or off manually at the appropriate time. These types of controllers call for power independent of each other, allowing for peak demand to escalate. The control algorithms offer only a basic level of accuracy which induces too much variation into the molding process for some applications. We still supply this type of controller when requested through our affiliate Fast Heat UK. Here are photos of this type of modular controller.

In The News:

Plastics Technology, Published 3/6/2024, Plug-and-Play Modular Hot Runner Controller

Integrated Hot Runner Control

Fast Heat introduced a significant innovation to the injection molding industry in 2001 called the “Pulse” hot runner controller. This widely adopted solution for hot runner control is still being used by much of the industry. We inventory spare parts and provide refurbishment services as needed. The most notable advancement from modular controllers to Pulse is the single human-machine interface that displays 24-zones of set points, actual temperature, percent power and mode. This made setting up a tool recipe really easy and fast. The zones could be easily grouped for automatic and proper sequential start-up of manifolds first, sprue bushings or secondary masses second, and then nozzles last. There was also a single touch button for idle and boost per a saved recipe. What really made the controller a success over other integrated controls was the advanced PID that was ideal for tight processing windows and energy management that reduced peak KW demand. To quote one of our customers, “We need Pulse to achieve the critical gate and temperature control required to mold  thin-wall parts with challenging part geometries.” – Advanced Drainage Systems, Hamilton, OH. You can read many more testimonials on our About Spark Industries page.

High Cavitation Hot Runner Control

In 2005, Fast Heat addressed the trend for higher cavitation hot runner systems by introducing Pulse II that went up to 180 zones in combinations of 30-zone cabinets. This controller is also still used today. With more zones to manage, the HMI underwent a significant update that displayed 30-zones per page, more groups, the ability to easily name zones, copy/paste by line, group or column and some graphic displays for percent power, amperage and temperature. The display was updated to an LCD touchscreen along the way and is currently a 10.1 high-resolution LCD touchscreen with many accolades from customers and display designers. The control algorithm and core functionality remained the same as Pulse and remains an industry leading solution. Auxiliary I/O capability along with VNC Viewer have become popular features as the industry is connecting controller with injection molding machines more often.