Mike Munnings
Mike Munnings, President, Trinetics Group.
Seeking a better solution for an existing client, I recently discovered the Melbourne, Florida-based Trinetics Group. My mission was to find a more affordable, compact, and even mobile infrared plastic welder. Mike Munnings, Trinetics’ president, was gracious to carve out time for an interview so he could share some of their newest technologies in Infrared Plastic Welders.
Q: Mike, first can you tell us a little about Trinetics Group?
A: For over 30 years, Trinetics Group has served every market in the plastic industry including medical, automotive, computers, toys, and electronics to name a few.
Our infrared welders, spin welders, non-contact welders and staking welders can be found in facilities around the world operated by IBM, AlliedSignal, Dell Computer, Honeywell, Whirlpool and many more.
Q: What do you contribute to Trinetics’ success, and in some years, survival, over this long timeframe?
A: Service! Trinetics’ commitment to service begins at the design and process recommendation phase and continues after the installation of your welder or welding system. We design, manufacture and support a wide array of innovative plastic welding and plastic assembly machines that operate manually, semi-automated or fully automatic.
Trinetics has survived over 30 years because people know they can depend on us for turnkey plastic welding solutions.
Q: You are particularly excited about the welder you recommended for my client. Can you tell me more about this Model 8050 Bench Infrared Welder?
A: This model 8050 Bench Infrared Welder is gaining overwhelming popularity. The advantages are numerous. First, a complete machine brings an infrared welding solution within the financial reach of many companies who could not previously afford this technology. These custom designed units typically sell for less than $100,000. Next is how our patented infrared technology bonds and seals two thermoplastic parts by bringing the joints together under pressure. The process produces a strong and extremely reliable hermetic seal. The feedback has been tremendous.
Another advantage of the Bench Model IR welder is it’s price and size. Its exterior dimensions are around 23” wide x 28” deep and 32” high. The compact size advantage opens up much greater flexibility as to location within a facility for improved process flow.
There are design alternatives that offer a customer flexibility in their capital spending. For example, the machines low price starts with designs using pneumatic controls but servo driven motors have been incorporated in many machines. We are able to use programmable positioning on the tooling when we switch from pneumatic to slides.
We are able to build in any brand-name controller operator interface (PLC) into the welder as the customer requires. We do this because many customers have a brand preference so that their maintenance personnel need to know only one manufacture of controllers.
Q. You mentioned operator interface. How important is this?
A. Very important. We design in safety and place concern on operator fatigue for day long operations. For example, to assist in operator fatigue the welder is able to accept ergonomic non contact infrared push buttons instead of the standard press down push buttons.
The welder is able to accept an open access light screen instead of a manual door. This speeds up the cycle time of the operator and still provides emergency shut down provisions. It is our philosophy to design in operator safety into every machine.
Q. I see that you have a operator touch pad on the front of the Model 8050 Bench Infrared Welder. What is the operator able to modify with the touch pad?
A. The operator touch pad is the interface to the system controller which enables the operator/maintenance to change the heat times, hold times, array temperature, cycle counts, manually cycle the welder and check status of all inputs and output to the controller for diagnostic purposes.
Q. What are the advantages of the optional side saddle?
A. Because of the compact nature of this new design, we offer the side saddle for those customers who have a need to secure longer lengths. The side saddle gives the welder amazing flexibility for multiple lengths in tubes, pipes, bar stock, filters, etc.
Q. Are there any other features that you would like to point out about the Model 8050 Bench Infrared Welder?
A. Yes, many. This new welder is up to five times more cost and energy efficient to operate than a hot plate welding process which takes large amount of energy and heat to operate. Our non-contact IR welder plugs into a 120 volt outlet, starts up within a minute and cools down fast, heat is more focused to eliminate part distortion. The no contact array requires dramatically less maintenance and requires no ventilation because there is no smoke….I could go on and on; our customers love it!
Q. Can the welder be retooled easily for another part?
A. Yes, the basic design of the tooling is adjustable. We manufacture the fixtures and depending on the application we only need to use a difference size heating array which is changed out easily.
Q. Why use non-contact welder instead of a hot plate?
A. A hot plate takes hours to heat up, constantly the operator needs to clean the hot plate and they take a large amount of energy to run. Our 8050 Bench Infrared Welder can be plugged into a normal 120V outlet, heats up in 1 minute and the array does not need to be cleaned.
Q. Mike, It is easy to see why you are so passionate about this new Model 8050 Bench Infrared Welder. What is the current availability of one of these units should a potential customer recognise its obvious benefits?
A. Depending on the level of customisation required to meet a customer’s specific design criteria, Trinetics can ship a turnkey welder in approximately ten weeks.
Q. Lastly Mike, what is the customers’ best option to contact Trinetics?
A. Customers can call Trinetics at (321) 383-3456 or inquire on our web site www.TrineticsGroup.com
Mike, Thank You for taking this time out of your busy schedule, congratulations on your innovations!