NO: HEAT PIPE HEAT CONDUCTORS ARE DESIGNED TO BE INSTALLED INTO OTHER STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE MOLD, AS IS, AND CANNOT BE MACHINED. THEY CONTAIN A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS AND IF PUNCTURED, THE HEAT TRANSFER GAS WILL BE VENTED AND THE DEVICE WILL STOP FUNCTIONING.

THE DEVICE CAN BE INSTALLED WITH ONE OF THE INSTALLATION HEAT TRANSFER COMPOUNDS. THE SILVER COMPOUND IS 8 TIMES MORE THERMAL EFFICIENT THAN THE COPPER COMPOUND.

YES, THE HEAT PIPE HEAT CONDUCTORS HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR MOLD COOLING WHERE THE MOLDS ARE USUALLY IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION. THE DEVICE WILL ALSO FUNCTION VERY WELL IN THE VERTICAL POSITION WITH THE HEAT INPUT AT THE BOTTOM, BUT THE UNITS LOSE EFFICIENCY AS THE HEAT IS CAUSED TO MOVE DOWNWARD.

YES, HEAT PIPE HEAT CONDUCTORS WILL HEAT OR COOL WITHIN THEIR TEMPERATURE RANGES AND ARE AVAILABLE WITH MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURES TO 600 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE LOWER THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE, THE MORE EFFICIENT THEY ARE WITHIN THEIR TEMPERATURE RANGE.

YES. HEAT PIPE HEAT CONDUCTORS ARE SO EFFICIENT THAT THEY CAN REMOVE HEAT FROM PLASTIC AT HIGHER WATER TEMPERATURES. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SURFACE OF THE HEAT PIPE IS ALMOST THE SAME TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER. CHILLED WATER IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND CONSEQUENTLY, AS A SIDE BENEFIT, ELIMINATES SWEATING AND SHORT THERMAL SHOCKS. HEAT PIPES ALSO HAVE A HIGH THERMAL MASS, WHICH COOLS THE PLASTIC IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN WATER COOLING. THIS PROVIDES A PART THAT IS MORE STRESS-FREE THAN A WATER COOLED PART.

NOTE THAT FOR THE "TPL" SERIES HEAT PIPE, TOWER WATER THAT IS USUALLY 60-80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IS RECOMMENDED. THE "TPH" SERIES SHOULD BE UTILIZED WITH A WATER TEMPERATURE OF 90-110 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, TYPICALLY FROM A THERMOLATOR.

SIMPLY STIR THE HEAT PIPE HEAT CONDUCTOR OR THE MOLDING PORTION OF THE CORE IN A CUP OF WATER. THE HEAT PIPE SHOULD COOL UNIFORMLY ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH.

HEAT PIPES IN GENERAL, REDUCE CYCLE TIME. SINCE HEAT PIPES DO NOT SCALE OR CORRODE, THEY PERFORM CONSISTENTLY AND UNIFORMLY OVER THE LIFE OF THE MOLD, RESULTING IN LESS MAINTENANCE AND NO CHANGE IN COOLING RATE OVER TIME.

THESE APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE REVIEWED. IF THE HEATED LENGTH IS OVER FOUR TIMES AS LONG AS THE COOLING LENGTH, THE APPLICATION IS NOT RECOMMENDED. IN MANY CASES, THE HEAT IS REMOVED VIA THE MOLD BASE AS WELL AS THE WATER COOLING ON THE END OF THE HEAT PIPE. THIS MOLD LENGTH MUST ALSO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN DETERMINING THE RATIO OF ONE TO FOUR.

YES. HEAT PIPES CAN BE USED ANYWHERE THERE IS A HARD PORTION OF THE MOLD THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE PLASTIC. TAKE THAT HEAT AND MOVE IT BACK TO THE "COLD" BASE. SIMPLY DRILLING HOLES AND INSTALLING THEM INTO THAT SECTION OF THE MOLD WILL REDUCE CYCLE TIME AND TUNE UP THE MOLD AND MAKE BETTER QUALITY PARTS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE TUNED UP THEIR MOLD BY ADDING MANY LAYERS OF HEAT PIPES AND HAVE OBTAINED GREATLY REDUCED CYCLE TIMES.

IN MANY CASES, SUCH AS SLIDES, REMOTE SECTIONS OF THE MOLD AND OTHER MOVING PARTS, WATER IS NOT FEASIBLE NOR NECESSARY. THE HEAT WILL DUMP INTO THE COLDER AREAS OF THE MOLD BASE. HOWEVER, WATER IS PREFERRED AS THE COOLING MEDIUM TO THE HEAT PIPE.

SIMPLY CHECK THE MOLD AN HOUR AFTER IT HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THIS WILL TELL WHERE THE HOT SPOTS ARE AND WHERE THE NEXT COOLING NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.