HEAT PIPE APPLICATION IN RUBBER VULCANISATION MOULDS

The electric heating of vulcanising moulds is usually installed into the heating plates in such a way that the local overheating of rubber compound in the mould cavity is avoided. In deep moulds not even in such case a uniform temperature in the whole mould cavity is being attained. This leads to an uneven speed of vulcanisation and consequently to an uneven rate of physical and mechanical characteristics of rubber in product, i.e. to a deterioration of quality and even to rejects.
Due to the application of a heat pipe in the male part of the vulcanising mould a uniform temperature field in the whole mould cavity has been attained. The heat pipe enabled to replace the heating plates using cylindrical heating bodies built directly in this male part of the mould. In addition to a uniform temperature field there is also a reduction of temperature losses from the mould and its mass has been reduced, too.