New TCU Ready for Industry 4.0

At the Fakuma 2018 show in Germany, Aquatech, a Piovan company, will present its new Easytherm mold-temperature-control unit (TCU), which was also displayed at the Plast 2018 show in Milan in May. The unit, which operates at up to 90 C (194 F), has been redesigned inside and out, and so have the controls. The latter include a new tilted, 4.2-in. display with high brightness and strong color contrast to ensure easy readability in low-light conditions. Navigation in the submenus is managed with a convenient turn knob, and capacitive touch buttons provide immediate access to the main functions. A “basic” version with LED display is also available.

Easytherm incorporates the OPC-UA communication protocol, making it ready for communication with machines from different suppliers in Industry 4.0 environments with open standards. It also can be used with Piovan’s Winfactory 4.0 plantwide supervisory software, which can be accessed by mobile devices using the optional WiFi connection. Models are available with 9 and 12 kW heating capacity. They have plate heat exchangers and a removable, folding front handle for moving the unit on the shop floor. A portable chiller incorporating similar design features will be launched next year.

Aquatech products are available from Universal Dynamics (Una-Dyn), which recently moved to Fredericksburg, Va., the new headquarters of Piovan North America.