Calculate the line before it runs
VulcaRAMix calculates how a profile heats up and cures on its way through the vulcanisation line – module by module and across the whole cross-section. You test new profiles, compounds and speeds on screen instead of running them in on the line.
Developed by Gerlach Maschinenbau, a Rameckers Group company, in research cooperation with the IKV at RWTH Aachen University and the KTP at Paderborn University.
Fewer trial runs, more production
Bringing a new profile onto the line usually means: tie up the line, run material, measure, readjust. VulcaRAMix moves a large part of this to the desk.
Run in on screen
You run new articles virtually first. The line stays free for what earns money – production.
Material stays product
What ends up as scrap in trial runs today is no longer used up.
Physics instead of gut feeling
Especially with a new geometry or compound, calculated temperature and cure curves show what actually happens in the profile.
Knowledge in one place
Compounds, profiles and lines live in one shared database – for the whole team, with approvals and permissions.
From compound to result
- 01
Compound
Store the rubber compound with its thermal and dielectric properties. The cure behaviour is calibrated on real rheometer data, not just literature values.
- 02
Profile
Create the cross-section parametrically, draw it freely or upload a drawing, photo, DXF or STEP file – solid or hollow, mono- or co-extruded.
- 03
Machine and line
The machine is built as a chain of modules, just as it stands in the hall: hot air, infrared, microwave, cooling, blow-off. Several machines are connected to form a line.
- 04
Calculation
The engine follows the profile through every module – with geometry, material, line speed and dwell time. In 1D for everyday work, in 2D where position and geometry make the difference.
- 05
Results
Temperature and cure along the line and across the cross-section, core temperature, degree of cure at the exit and throughput time. Every run is versioned and can be compared with others.
What a calculation looks like
Two views from VulcaRAMix, calculated for a reference line built from Gerlach modules. For every position along the line you can read temperature and degree of cure in the profile.
From research and practice, not a black box
The models come from research projects of Gerlach with the IKV at RWTH Aachen University and the KTP at Paderborn University. HeatStraD, a measuring device developed together with the IKV, makes the temperature curve in the profile cross-section visible during hot-air, infrared and microwave vulcanisation; with the KTP, air flow and heat transfer in hot-air vulcanisation were studied.
Operating influences such as product position, belt contact and shading are taken into account as well. The formulas are documented with source and limits of validity, approximations are marked as such.
What is preconfigured today – and what carries over
VulcaRAMix was developed at Gerlach. So that you know what to expect:
Reference machines from Gerlach
The preconfigured machines in VulcaRAMix are Gerlach systems, and their models were validated on these systems. TSM machines are currently not available as ready-made references.
Much carries over
Hot air, infrared and microwave act on a profile by the same physical principles, and the machines are built in a similar way. How a new compound, geometry or speed affects the cure therefore transfers well to comparable lines.
TSM machine configuration possible
Your TSM machine can be rebuilt from modules in VulcaRAMix – as an individual configuration, not as a ready-made template. We agree with you directly on how best to do this for your line.
Whether and how your TSM line can be modelled sensibly is something we are happy to discuss with you directly. And what the simulation suggests can be checked on a real profile in the Rameckers Group's pilot plant.
Try it for 30 days
Create a company account and test VulcaRAMix with the released Gerlach reference machines for 30 days. VulcaRAMix runs in the browser and on iOS and Android and is intended for business customers only. Plans and prices are on vulcaramix.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is VulcaRAMix a machine?
No. VulcaRAMix is simulation software for continuous vulcanisation lines. It runs in the cloud – in the browser and on iOS and Android – and was developed by Gerlach Maschinenbau.
Are TSM machines available in VulcaRAMix?
Not as ready-made templates; the preconfigured machines are validated Gerlach systems. Many findings carry over to comparable TSM lines, and a TSM machine configuration is possible – we discuss with you how.
Which materials can be simulated?
Out of the box NR, EPDM, NBR, SBR, CR and HTV silicone, as solid material or cellular (sponge) structure. You add your own compounds with your rheometer data.
Which technologies does VulcaRAMix cover?
Hot air, infrared, microwave, cooling and blow-off – combinable per module, including air transfer between modules.
How can I try VulcaRAMix?
With a company account for 30 days, using the released Gerlach reference machines. After that you continue in the plan that suits you.
Your line in the computer?
Get in touch if you would like to know what VulcaRAMix can do for your products and your TSM line.