Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

Another advantage comes from the special needle geometry: The conical contact surface allows better thermal control of the needle temperature, while the precisely aligned cylindrical needle closure creates a seal. With conventional conical configurations, there tends to be formation of a plastic layer at the gating point when the valve closes. When the mold opens, this layer is torn from the part and could lead to flash formation. In order to achieve adequate detachment and avoid flash, a fine adjustment of process conditions typically is required. By eliminating this layer, HPgate reduces the time needed to optimize the respective process parameters. Targeted molding quality is attained much faster, which is basically equivalent to enlarging the process window.

The solar energy system will be installed by New England Clean Energy on the roof of Alpha Rho’s 36,000-square-foot facility in April. It will have 745 Canadian Solar 320-watt panels, SolarEdge inverters with optimizers under each panel and Sollega racking and mounting hardware. The system is projected to deliver electricity savings of more than $1.6 million over 25 years (factoring in inflation). In addition, Alpha Rho will benefit from a new revenue stream created by the sale of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), arranged by New England Clean Energy.

The new HPgate concept from HRSflow (right) introduces a hard metal insert screwed into the mold, in which a conical cylindrical gate is machined. If it becomes worn, the closure can be easily restored without performing conventional cost-intensive work on the mold.

Alpha Rho (Fitchburg, MA), an injection molder of rigid plastic boxes of various sizes and shapes, has decided to go solar. The company will produce more than 80% of its power requirements to run the company’s manufacturing, warehousing and administrative operations, according to President David Tall, who discussed this decision with PlasticsToday.

The environmental benefits of installing solar are “as appealing as the financial benefit.” Tall added, “the solar energy system will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 412,800 pounds per year, which is equivalent to taking 39 cars off the road, or planting almost 150 acres of trees.”

HPgate rids the moldmaker of the time-consuming and complex task of machining standard cylindrical gates. In fact, with the gate geometry already machined on the insert, HPgate eliminates the difficulties associated with cylindrical configurations, including narrow tolerances, large and variable depths and coaxiality between the needle and gate. Equally beneficial for the moldmaker is the hardness of the insert, meaning that a softer steel could also be chosen for the mold plates.

To finance the solar, Alpha Rho opted for a seven-year traditional lease from LFC Capital Inc., which eliminated any upfront capital investment. Instead, Alpha Rho will make 100% tax-deductible fixed monthly payments, creating a low-cost path to ownership at a substantially reduced price.

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

There will be some maintenance costs for the solar panels. The converters that turn the sunlight into energy tend to fail like any piece of equipment, which will require replacing them from time to time, Tall explained.

Because of the rebates and SREC, Massachusetts is a solar-friendly state to be in, even though it’s one of the more costly states for energy in the country. And while it’s not exactly the “sunshine state,” Tall said there are on average enough sunny days to make solar energy worthwhile.

Tall did his homework before deciding to put in solar. “I called around and talked to people in this business park who have solar and no one had anything negative to say. Everybody ran the numbers; on paper, it’s supposed to really save me a lot of money.”

Tall figures he’ll save about $64,000 annually if the numbers work. “There’s definite savings to be had, but until you get up and running, you never really know,” he said.

HRSflow is a division of INglass S.p.A. and specializes in the development and production of innovative hot-runner systems for the injection molding industry. The group of companies has more than 1,100 employees and is present in all the major global markets. HRSflow produces hot-runner systems at its European headquarters in San Polo di Piave, Italy; in Asia at its plant in Hangzhou, China; and at its U.S. facility in Byron Center near Grand Rapids, MI.

The valve gate technology enables the manufacture of high-quality parts without flash and is easy to replace in the event of wear.

“The return on investment with solar is phenomenal,” commented Tall. “The low cost of ownership thanks to the LFC lease, plus the SREC income and electricity savings, add up to a significant impact on our bottom line profitability, while we do something good for the planet at the same time.”

“I generate what I need for the plant and whatever I generate and don’t use goes back into the grid,” Tall said. “However there is some controversy currently in the legislature. Some want to increase the cap on the amount of unused electricity that goes back into the grid. Others, primarily the utility companies, are in opposition to raising the cap. That’s an issue. We’re on a waiting list for the net metering program, and I don’t know whether I’ll get it, but I’ll probably use most of what I generate, which will still give me a reduced electric bill through credits.”

Even better gate quality can be obtained by combining HPgate technology with HRSflow's FLEXflow technology. Here, the needle position can be precisely controlled, thereby further reducing the influence of process conditions. The result is high-quality reproducible parts with optimal gate aesthetics.

Tall explained that he has looked at solar a couple of times as a way to save money on his energy bills for the 12-press company. “Two previous times we looked at it, and it’s always seemed too good to be true,” said Tall. “This time we looked seriously at solar and decided that it is that good to be true. We’re a small business, so I wear a lot of hats and there are always so many things to think about other than solar power. On the third pitch, we looked more closely at what we can save and decided that financially it makes sense.”

Any time the process window can be opened to provide more optimal molding conditions, molders love it. With its new HPgate, hot-runner specialist HRSflow (San Polo di Piave, Italy) introduces an innovative, quality-enhancing, cost-saving valve gate technology for the manufacture of high-quality parts without flash. Unlike conventional products, the gate is machined on a hardened metal insert produced by HRSflow. This insert is simply screwed into the mold, so it’s easy to replace in the event of wear.