Dadant Foundation machine Puff Graz

01 · THE MATRIX IS THE WEARING PART

The question we get most

The silicone rubber matrix is an in-house compound and stands years of work, but it is the surface that takes hot wax at every pour: with continued use it eventually deteriorates.

Customers from three different countries have asked us about it, several of them after many years of using the machine — which is the best sign a piece of equipment can give. If yours is damaged, ask us about a replacement before writing the machine off: the rest of it is stainless steel and is usually intact.

02 · EIGHT OR TEN SHEETS PER KILO

The yield, and what it depends on

A Dadant brood sheet runs to 100-130 g of wax, so a kilo gives you around eight to ten. That is the sum that matters to anyone closing the loop on their own wax.

And there is a difference here that a roller mill does not have: you decide the thickness as you pour. On rollers it is set by the gap between them; in a plate mould, more or less wax changes the weight of the sheet. Weigh the first few and calibrate your hand.

03 · THE CELL IS 5.4 MM

And what if you need another

The standard matrix embosses 5.4 mm, equal to 790 cells per square decimetre counting both faces. The arithmetic holds: a 5.4 mm hexagon covers about 25 mm², and a square decimetre fits close to 400 per face.

Standard and special sizes exist, but the cell is set by the matrix, not by an adjustment on the machine. We have been asked for 4.9 and 5.1 mm more than once: if your project needs it, ask before buying and we will confirm with the manufacturer.

04 · NO SOLVENTS, DRY SHEET

What the silicone matrix buys you

On this matrix the wax is poured straight on: it needs no release agent, unlike a roller mill, where release agent is one more consumable to buy and dose.

And with no solvents involved, the sheet comes out dry and ready for the frame. Outside dimensions come out exact, so it does not pass a blade either: on a roller mill the sheet comes out as a continuous ribbon and has to be cut to each format.

05 · THE WATER AND THE VALVE

Cooling with a head on it

Both plates carry internal water cooling on a heat-exchanger principle: in cold, picking up the heat of the wax, out warm. That outgoing water is put to use cooling the surplus wax in the collection tray.

The shut-off and regulating valve matches the flow to the speed you work at, so water consumption stays low even with the circuit permanently open.

06 · BEFORE YOU BUY

This is the press: