Injection moulders optimise energy at Fakuma

At Europe’s Fakuma show, Engel will present ‘energy optimised’, powerful injection moulding machine designs including all-electric models and the Engel e-victory hybrid machine.

Energy optimised, powerful machine designs are the focus of Engel’s presentation at the German Fakuma exhibition Engel will show its duo 500 pico machine, which is a compact variant of the Engel duo large scale machine series.

Engel will also show three all-electric injection moulding machines and the e-victory hybrid machine.

With raw material prices continuing to rise, and environmental issues on the increase, the need for energy efficient designs in mechanical engineering is becoming increasingly urgent, said Engel.

* Compact injection moulder – the compact Engel duo 500 pico offers maximum power on a small ‘footprint’.

The duo 500 pico brings the tried-and-trusted strengths of the large scale machines to the 500 tonf (5000kN) clamping force class, said Engel.

The machine has a compact dual-platen clamping system, mean maximum energy efficiency, and very short dry cycle time of just 2.6s.

Engel claimed that its duo 500 pico is the fastest dual platen machine on the market – in spite of its comparatively low energy requirements.

At Fakuma, Engel will be demonstrating a typical teletronics application.

Using a duo 3550/500, Engel will produce a front frame for a 20’in monitor, which is supplied to electronics companies by Hungarian Jasz Plasztik.

The duo 500 pico is equipped with a robot from the new Engel Linear series.

With a weight-optimised but still extremely stable mechanical basis the new robot drive technology means dynamic action despite a very compact design.

On top of this, a new I/O and BUS system guarantee minimal response and communications times.

* Energy efficiency – the Engel e-max is all-electric, compact and extremely favourable, but is still equipped with those critical options that help customers optimise injection moulding.

The machine offers a comparatively small footprint owing to its highly integrated drive and control technology, and maximum precision and process reliability.

The e-max has a central power supply for the servo drives including recovery of braking energy.

An Egel e-max 310/100 with a clamping force of 1000kN (100 tonf) will be producing an electronic component using a mould by Moeller/Schrems (Austria).

* Highly versatile – the servomotor-based drive technology in the Engel e-motion injection moulder offers an extraordinary level of precision despite low energy overheads.

The e-motion machines are not just highly economical when deployed in the manufacturing of standard components, said Engel to manufacturingtalk, but also guarantee low emission levels and efficiency in high speed applications.

The result is a machine that consistently saves resources with the most optimum cycle times and easy to use controls on the latest CC 200 control unit.

Engel will be showing two applications to demonstrate the versatility of the e-motion machines.

1 – An ENGEL e-motion 740/180 with a clamping force of 1800kN (180 tonf) will demonstrate that fully electric machines are perfectly suited for deployment in injection moulding for the packaging industry.

High-precision parallel movements – thanks to independently actuating electrical motors – mean that the machine is perfectly suited to fast high speed applications.

The exhibit is equipped with an Engel speedy ERS 21 fast take-off, linear robot that moves in from one side.

This series guarantees maximum flexibility and dynamic action.

In combination with ENGEL zero time communications, this means shortest possible mould pause time without restricting the machine.

2 – An EngelL e-motion 200/55 will be moulding COC vaccine receptacles using a mould by Koebelin/Eichstetten (Germany).

The mould is designed for sterile production in a clean room for deployment in medical technology.

Optimised for clean room applications, the machine has an encapsulated barrel that helps optimise particulate and heat emissions, along with encapsulated injection unit drives and clean room capable, corrosion resistant mould mounting platens with clean room plating.

An oil return unit on the toggle lever guarantees an excellent clean look, while additionally minimising particulate emissions.

The e-motion 200/55 is fitted with a Staubli TX40 articulated arm robot located within the machine’s safeguarding to provide a highly compact production cell.

* e victory injection moulder – the tiebar-less e-victory has an electrically driven injection unit and proven Engel victory clamping unit to offer a substantial energy saving potential.

The e-victory is your best choice, said Engel, if you need compatibility with an existing range of moulds, efficient mould changing and easy automation capabilities.

The machine is perfectly suited for energy-saving production using moulds with hydraulic core-pulls and/or hot runner nozzles.

At Fakuma, Engel will demonstrate this flexibility on an e-victory 310/120 moulding dual branch fittings.

The mould is by IFW/Micheldorf (Austria).

* Engel at Fakuma 2008, Friedrichshafen, Germany, October 14-18, Hall A5, Stand 5204.

related catagory Die & Mould