Index plate drive
Hydraulic cylinder index plate drive
Text: There are many different ways to drive an index plate in an injection mold. One of them is to have a hydraulic cylinder drive a spur rack that rotates the index plate via a pinion. Hydraulic cylinders enable very quick plate motions due to their enormous power density.
Regardless of the drive concept being used, the required deceleration of the index plate mass should always be considered as well.
Our index plate solutions
Text: Block or standard cylinders are used, depending on the stroke. Both of these cylinders can generate more than enough force to move the index plate quickly. In the stroke end position, the deceleration of the mass must be ensured without causing any damage to the cylinder, rack, or pinion. The linear cushioning by AHP Merkle is a perfect match for this. When using a standard cylinder, the cushioning capacity can be taken directly from the catalog and verified. However, in cases where a short cycle time is of the essence, this may not be sufficient.
In such cases, or if you wish to use a block cylinder, we will be happy to provide a custom cushioning design for your application.