Home » Industry & Applications » Plastics & Polymer Processing (Injection, Extrusion & Compounding)

Plastics & Polymer Processing (Injection, Extrusion & Compounding)

CD Automation provides SCR/thyristor power control for core plastics processing equipment, from injection moulding barrels and hot runners to extruder dies, thermoforming ovens and dryers. REVO controllers help improve temperature stability, reduce energy peaks and support consistent part quality across shifts.

With REVO C for single zones, REVO-PN for compact multi-zone systems, and REVO-PC, or REVO-DPU zone control on larger lines, we integrate easily with existing machine controls and new OEM designs.

  • Injection Moulding
  • Extrusion
  • Thermoforming
  • Dryers
  • Blown/CAST Film
  • Annealing Ovens

Industry Overview - Electric Heating in Plastics & Polymer Processing

Plastics and polymer processing rely heavily on electric heating for barrels, nozzles, dies, film lines, ovens and resin dryers. Stable, repeatable temperature control is essential to maintain dimensional accuracy, surface finish and mechanical properties. Intelligent SCR power control can improve stability, reduce energy peaks and support modernisation of existing machines, helping processors increase efficiency and reduce scrap.

  • Injection moulding barrels & nozzles
  • Hot runner manifolds & tips
  • Extrusion barrels, dies & adapters
  • Thermoforming and IR ovens
  • Desiccant & hopper dryers
  • Blown/CAST film dies & deckles
  • Pipe heat trace & melt transfer lines
  • Annealing & post cure ovens

Process Machinery & Applications

Electrically heated plastics machinery commonly controlled with REVO SCR power controllers.

Injection Moulding – Barrel & Nozzle Heaters

Electric band, strip and coil heaters along the barrel and at the nozzle to maintain melt temperature.
Common pain points:
  • temperature stability
  • start-up overshoot
  • element life
Recommended controllers:
Injection Moulding – Barrel & Nozzle Heaters

Hot Runner Manifolds & Tips

Precision electric heating on hot runner manifolds and nozzle tips for consistent part quality.
Common pain points:
  • tip temperature balance
  • sensitive materials
  • scrap reduction
Recommended controllers:
Hot Runner Manifolds & Tips

Extrusion - Barrel, Die & Adapter Heaters

Multi-zone barrel, die and adapter heating on single-screw and twin-screw extruders.
Common pain points:
  • profile control
  • line speed changes
  • energy usage
Recommended controllers:
Extrusion – Barrel, Die & Adapter Heaters

Dryers - Desiccant & Hopper

Electric heaters used in desiccant dryers and hopper dryers for resin conditioning.
Common pain points:
  • overdrying risk
  • energy efficiency
  • material changeovers
Recommended controllers:
Dryers – Desiccant & Hopper

Blown/CAST Film – Dies & Deckles

Multi-zone die and deckle heaters for blown and cast film lines.
Common pain points:
  • gauge variation
  • edge profile
  • response to speed
Recommended controllers:
BlownCAST Film – Dies & Deckles

Pipe Heat Trace & Melt Transfer

Heat tracing and jacketed piping to keep melt or pre-dried material within target temperature.
Common pain points:
  • freeze/melt protection
  • load diversity
  • maintenance
Recommended controllers:
Pipe Heat Trace & Melt Transfer

Thermoforming Ovens

Electric panel and IR heaters in sheet and film thermoforming ovens.
Common pain points:
  • heat-up time
  • sheet temperature uniformity
  • energy demand
Recommended controllers:
Thermoforming Ovens

Annealing & Post Cure Ovens

Batch and continuous ovens for relieving stresses and post-curing plastic and composite components.
Common pain points:
  • uniformity
  • cycle time
  • recipe repeatability
Recommended controllers:
Annealing & Post Cure Ovens

Typical Pain Points & How We Solve Them

  • Temperature Stability & Part Quality
Injection, extrusion and thermoforming processes are sensitive to small temperature changes, affecting part dimensions, surface finish and scrap rates.
Solution: REVO C, REVO-PN and REVO-PC + REVO-S provide smooth, accurate power control to barrel zones, dies and ovens, helping maintain tighter temperature profiles.
  • Energy Consumption in Heat-Intensive Processes
Dryers, barrels, dies and ovens can form a large share of total energy use in plastics plants.
Solution: Using appropriate firing modes, demand limiting and staggered starts via REVO-PN or REVO-PC can help reduce peaks and total energy consumption compared with basic on/off control.
  • Changeovers & Material Variants
Frequent material changes and colour changes require fast and predictable thermal response.
Solution: Digitally controlled power with REVO C and REVO-PC improves response when setpoints change, helping reduce waiting time and scrap during start-up and changeover.
  • Multi-Zone Coordination
Modern machines often have many heating zones that must track together to maintain melt and profile consistency.
Solution: REVO-PN and REVO-PC with multiple REVO-S or REVO-C zone controllers allow coordinated control across many zones with clear feedback to the machine controller.
  • Maintenance, Downtime & Heater Failures
Heater and wiring faults can cause downtime on key machines like injection moulders and extruders.
Solution: Diagnostics such as open or partial-load detection and current monitoring from REVO C and REVO-PC support maintenance teams in identifying issues earlier.
  • Efficiency & Modernisation
Plants are under pressure to improve efficiency, reduce waste and upgrade older machines without full replacement.
Solution: Replacing contactors or basic SSR banks with REVO controllers can improve controllability and support incremental modernisation of existing equipment.

Snapshot: Injection Moulding Barrel Heater Control Upgrade

Problem: an injection moulding machine using contactors/SSR banks for barrel heaters experienced temperature overshoot, slow stabilisation after setpoint changes and limited visibility of heater performance.
Solution: the barrel zones were re-controlled using a REVO-PC master with REVO-S zone controllers for each resistive heating zone. The machine's controller now sends setpoints to the REVO-PC, which coordinates firing across zones and provides power and current feedback via a fieldbus connection.
Result: smoother temperature profiles along the barrel, reduced start-up scrap, more consistent part quality and better visibility of zone loads and alarms on the machine HMI (typical benefits achievable on similar upgrade projects).

Why CD Automation?

  • REVO-PC + REVO-S/REVO-C for multi-zone barrels, dies and ovens
  • Modbus, Profinet, EtherCAT integration with machine controllers
  • Firing modes suited to band heaters, IR panels and heat-trace
  • Support for OEMs and retrofit projects on existing machinery
  • Solutions across injection, extrusion, film and thermoforming lines

What next?...

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