products | Machinery and equipment ENERGY EFFICIENCY VW installs its first IntElect machine
German car maker Volkswagen has commissioned a fully electric IntElect injection moulding machine at its Braunschweig plant for production of lighting dial trims for the latest Golf VIII model. The 220 tonne Intellect 220-1100 machine is the first IntElect machine to be supplied by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag to Volkswagen, which selected it for its fast cycle times, high precision and energy efficiency. The car maker has set a target of reducing energy and water consumption and waste volumes and emissions by 25% by 2018 as part of its Think Blue Factory concept. “In our production process-
es along the value creation chain, energy efficiency is
MATERIALS PREPARATION Maguire improves vacuum drying system
US-based ancillary equipment maker Maguire has introduced a new vacuum dryer – the VBD – that offers the fast drying time and low energy consump- tion of the current LPD design along with simplified operation and reduced maintenance. While the original LPD
dryer used a three-station indexing carousel mechanism to move the material from one stage to the next through the drying process, the new VBD design uses gravity and slide-gates to transfer material through the vertical- ly-arranged stages. This eliminates most of the moving
54 INJECTION WORLD | April 2013
parts in the system. The VBD design also
eliminates the sealing gaskets, which could be damaged by resin dust, and does away with the perforated screens that required regular cleaning. “The VBD Vacuum Dryer
provides trouble-free, low-maintenance service, along with the same operator- friendly software and control- ler used with great success on the LPD dryer, and with the same five-year warranty,” says B Patrick Smith, Maguire’s vice president of marketing and sales. The VBD model will
ultimately replace the LPD design. The first model in the new line is the VBD-1000, which provides a throughput of 455 kg/h. A series of smaller dryers, starting with a throughp8ut of 45 kg/h, will be introduced over the coming months. The VBD dryer uses a
continuous batching process. Energy savings of more than 60% are claimed compared to desiccant dryers. The company also says start up times are reduced while thermal exposure of the resin is cut by up to 80%. ❙
www.maguire.com
playing an increasingly important role. The fully electric IntElect machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag makes an important contribution to this,” says Marco Heinemann, who is responsible for project management of new start-ups in the Braunschweig plant. The direct drive technology used in the IntElect machine is highly energy efficient, with
consumption further reduced by the ability to capture braking energy from one axis and use it to power another. Cooling requirements are also reduced. Sumitomo Demag claims potential energy savings of up to 85% against traditional solutions. “By using the IntElect, we
have been able to improve the cycle time by 15% compared to
a hydraulic machine. At the same time, we are able to reduce scrap because of the increased precision and repeat accuracy,” says Jens Pedersen, a VW works technology specialist. VW’s Braunschweig plant is one of the most important suppliers of parts within the Volkswagen Group manufac- turing front and rear axles, steering systems, shock absorbers and pedals as well as an extensive assortment of more than 500 different plastic components used across almost all the company’s models. The facility operates 132 injection moulding machines and 447 moulds and processes some 60 tonnes of polymer every day. ❙
www.sumitomo-shi-demag.com
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