Placement of heating mats in a pneumatic press
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Placement of heating mats in a pneumatic press
Are you guys routing recesses in your molds to accomodate for the blanket? Are your mats holding up to the pressure of a full press?
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knightsofnii
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i was considering recessing future molds for the steel sheet, not sure.
Heat blanket has held up to about 20 boards and we've beat the crap out of it pretty good. We killed one blanket by pressing the "knuckle" into it, this clamp thing we have holding the cat track cables tight. I was able to rerout the cables so those clamps are out of the pressing area off to the side.
We put a little bit of foam on the edges of the cassettes and that helps keep the cassettes from shearing the blanket.
If you want a really bomber blanket, get one from BH thermal, super thick.
If you want one you can afford that will do the job and hold up as long as you take care to protect it, get it from MEI (Michaels Enterprises)
We gotta order up a couple more, one for top heating and one for a spare. They end up running about 300bucks each.
Heat blanket has held up to about 20 boards and we've beat the crap out of it pretty good. We killed one blanket by pressing the "knuckle" into it, this clamp thing we have holding the cat track cables tight. I was able to rerout the cables so those clamps are out of the pressing area off to the side.
We put a little bit of foam on the edges of the cassettes and that helps keep the cassettes from shearing the blanket.
If you want a really bomber blanket, get one from BH thermal, super thick.
If you want one you can afford that will do the job and hold up as long as you take care to protect it, get it from MEI (Michaels Enterprises)
We gotta order up a couple more, one for top heating and one for a spare. They end up running about 300bucks each.
Doug
thanks,
I was wondering if they could deal with the load... Even if recessed the full area of the mats will take the majority of the pressure, although I think I will remain sub 4 bar for all the right reasons so perhaps...
Unfortunatly I live in europe and makers of such mats are nonexistant or uncooperative (sizing) so I have the choice to take two smaller mats and ghetto it or ante-up and order from the good ol' US o' A .....
unless y'all got an option for me I missed?
I am actually not interested in pressing a board super rapido, I would be happy with say 40 ~ 50 degrees c in the cure as I have access to resin that will cure at those temps rock solid.. As an alternative I was wondering about using silicon heating tape strips.. taped along the outside of the mold sheet and set to slowly heat up the steel sheet... because it would be located inside the mold cassette it would bear no load, assuming it isn't thicker than the layup of materials..
hrmm.. options options...
I was wondering if they could deal with the load... Even if recessed the full area of the mats will take the majority of the pressure, although I think I will remain sub 4 bar for all the right reasons so perhaps...
Unfortunatly I live in europe and makers of such mats are nonexistant or uncooperative (sizing) so I have the choice to take two smaller mats and ghetto it or ante-up and order from the good ol' US o' A .....
unless y'all got an option for me I missed?
I am actually not interested in pressing a board super rapido, I would be happy with say 40 ~ 50 degrees c in the cure as I have access to resin that will cure at those temps rock solid.. As an alternative I was wondering about using silicon heating tape strips.. taped along the outside of the mold sheet and set to slowly heat up the steel sheet... because it would be located inside the mold cassette it would bear no load, assuming it isn't thicker than the layup of materials..
hrmm.. options options...
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knightsofnii
- Posts: 1148
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:02 am
- Location: NJ USA
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it would most likely take you forever to heat up the "system" that way, the top and bottom mold pull away a lot of the heat, it takes us a while to get ours up to full operating temp with a full size 70" x 14" blanket.
The blankets can handle the load, you just need to make sure nothing is going to be shearing against them, like the edges of the cassette, etc, reinforce these areas with some foam or rubber or something. Otherwise if your mold is smooth and flat and your sheets are smooth and flat, you should be fine as long as you dont get a pebble, screw, or a gi-joe doll in there or something
The blankets can handle the load, you just need to make sure nothing is going to be shearing against them, like the edges of the cassette, etc, reinforce these areas with some foam or rubber or something. Otherwise if your mold is smooth and flat and your sheets are smooth and flat, you should be fine as long as you dont get a pebble, screw, or a gi-joe doll in there or something
Doug
Reputable supplier for Europe http://www.holroyd-components.co.uk/
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knightsofnii
- Posts: 1148
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:02 am
- Location: NJ USA
- Contact:
mei heat blankets are all custom. So depending on the specs you gave them, that would determine the price. I cant remember what our specs were just 72" x 14" with side entry wires. I'm going to see if they can make me one next time that's double thickness.
To put it in perspective, the BH thermal blanket was 1100 USD and we killed it after the third try, though i got it used as part of package deal with the press i have. The heat element wires inside were thicker, there was more fiberglass covering them, and the rubber padding was much thicker. The thing heated up way faster but drew more current. But for a 110v system it was really good and I'd love to be able to afford another.
To put it in perspective, the BH thermal blanket was 1100 USD and we killed it after the third try, though i got it used as part of package deal with the press i have. The heat element wires inside were thicker, there was more fiberglass covering them, and the rubber padding was much thicker. The thing heated up way faster but drew more current. But for a 110v system it was really good and I'd love to be able to afford another.
Doug
ok, thanks guys.
so it looks like the MEI blankets are the way to go in terms of durability and function. No need to re-tool the steel plate or mold to accomodate just slap it in and pump it up..
rather than spend almost as much on standard sized mats from a place like rsonline or the like and tooling fidgeting it into the mold....
slowly surely getting there...
so it looks like the MEI blankets are the way to go in terms of durability and function. No need to re-tool the steel plate or mold to accomodate just slap it in and pump it up..
rather than spend almost as much on standard sized mats from a place like rsonline or the like and tooling fidgeting it into the mold....
slowly surely getting there...