We have been using 8mm cast aluminium tooling plate for our heat sealer plates running at around 110 to 160 degrees with no problem. Just testing a new machine using 6mm plate MIC6 at temperatures between 150 and 240 degrees and patchy seal suggesting plate deformed. Is this likely?
December 7th, 2009
David F.
Thanks for the question, David! Cast tool and jig plate usually gets a thermal stress relieving treatment that imparts thermal recyclability into the product. Typically, it can be heated repeatedly to temperatures as high as 800°F (427°C) and, when cooled, will return to its original dimension with a minimum of distortion, depending upon the extent of machining. Without knowing what forces are on your sealer plates, it would be hard to say if the heat resulted in the deformation. The plate is designed to take some heat, but you may want to check with your aluminum supplier. Since the composition of cast tool and jig products like MIC6 are proprietary, they would need to tell you if you particular product could have deformed under these circumstances.
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