Ultraflow - Enabling virtual demonstration for improved market penetration of new technology offering sustainable Innovation with energy savings of 27%+ and productivity gains of 20%+

Matrix Moulding Systems Ltd has just launched a new patent protected ultrasonic melt flow enhancement system for thermoplastic injection moulding, which is a simple retro-fit to many of the moulding machines in the UK. Our first order followed demonstration trials for a large moulding group, validating 27% energy and 20% cycle time improvements. We are keen to promote the technology, but most potential customers are running strict site COVID-19 access restrictions to help safeguard their workforce and our sales process typically involves running moulding trials, necessitating physical presence of both the customer's and our staff. This project is to establish the feasibility to introduce our technology into an industry standard flow simulation software, enabling us to demonstrate our technology in a remote, digital, non-person-to-person environment.

Many plastics industry commentators predict an impact on business operations over the next 6 months due to COVID-19, with a decrease in turnover and export. Using our technology to improve injection moulding efficiency and sustainably could enhance UK GDP growth and generate jobs, contributing to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is commonplace to run injection flow simulations using CAD and FEA models to establish moulding parameters, often with several iterations needed to optimize the process. Having presented the technology to an industry leader in flow simulation, we now have a better understanding of the range of parameters required to successfully integrate it into their simulation software and this feasibility project is to gather the relevant data set, seeking to present it in a format that enables its integration into their system. The feasibility will be demonstrated through moulding back-to-back trials with and without our flow enhancement technology being used, comparing results to those predicted by the simulation package.