There are 3 main categories of dip molding equipment; manual systems, rotary machines and inline machines.

• Manual Systems

  • Manual systems are used for low volume or lab environments.
  • Although the Multi Lift is considered part or a manual system, it can achieve precision tolerance requirements with very good repeatability. Multi Lifts can be upgraded with servo drives for precision dip length tolerance requirements.
  • A typical manual system would include at least one Multi Lift for plastisol dipping (more if water cooling, priming or lubing is required), two FlexBatch ovens; one for preheating and one for curing, and two workstations; one for loading racks and one for unloading or striping parts. The system employs modular, stand alone components that can be added to as needed.
  • Racks are moved by hand, or some type of lift if heavy, from one station to the next.
     

 

• Rotary Machines

  •  Rotary machines are used when several products will be processed at one time and when floor space restrictions exist. Rotary machine usually require only one operator. Although inline machines can run different products, one behind the other, sophisticated product identification is required in order to constantly update molding parameters. Traditionally, inline machine have been reserved for high volume, one product applications such as medical gloves and condoms.
  • Rotary machines are by far the most popular choice in the dip molding industry for high volume, semi or fully automatic molding. Six, eight, ten, and twelve station machines are available.
  • Selection of the particular model is based on floor space availability, cooling and lube/primer, production speed, budgetary, and single or multiple dip requirements.
  • Six station machines usually consist on 2 preheat ovens, a moveable tank dip station (this can be upgraded to a 2 axis overhead dip station), a cure oven, a cooling station, and an operator station (sometimes called a loading and unloading station). Mold lube or part priming must be done manually at the operator station after part removal, or offline.
  • The eight station machine adds a cure oven and a lube/primer station and the dip station can be upgraded to a 3 axis overhead system.
  • The ten station machine is the minimum size rotary machine when online double dipping (reheat required) is required. This machine incorporates 2 preheat ovens, a moveable tank dip station, a reheat oven, another moveable tank dip station, 2 cure ovens, a cooling station, an operator station and a lube/primer station.
  • The twelve station machine can add a combination of preheat oven(s), cure oven(s), reheat oven(s), cooling station(s), lube/primer/station(s) or operator station(s) as needed for the particular part being molded.
        

 

• Inline machines

  •  Inline machines are usually designed with one product in mind. Traditionally, inline machine have been reserved for high volume, one product applications such as medical gloves and condoms.
  • Inline machines include over and under chain conveyor, linear, horseshoe, and walking beam conveyor machines.
  • Some inline machines (walking beam or linear) require at least two operators; one at each end. Racks or tooling must be moved manually or by conveyor to the preheat end of the machine after they are processed. 
  • Over and under type designs have the advantage of inverting dipped mandrels for curing. This reduces the drip by dissipating it over a larger area of the part. This design is usually not used when coating parts or if multiple dips are required
  • Linear machines progressively carry tooling or parts through the preheat, dip, cure and cooling sections. This can be cyclic with a given index time or constant speed. Constant speed conveyors, while not as energy efficient due to opening at each end of the oven, can achieve dipping and cooling by gradually dropping the overhead chain conveyor at the dip station or cooling station to “drag” the preheated parts through a stationary tank and then gradually raising the conveyor chain to extract the parts. This eliminates cost associated with lifts to dip or cool the parts since the conveyor motor effectively accomplishes the work. Precision thickness tolerances or profile dipping is not possible with this design.
  • Horseshoe designs can accommodate 2 axis overhead dip systems for multiple dipping requirements.
  • Walking beam conveyors are designed when chain conveyors are not practical. The walking beam conveyors, one on the cure end and one on the preheat end, systematically move loaded racks through the preheat, dip, cure and cooling sections while eliminating moving part exposure to oven temperatures.