FEATURE INJECTION MOULDING
BREAKING THE MOULD with tie-less bar and automation
Plastic injection moulding technology has benefited considerably from automation yet a manual approach remains a practical solution for small to medium-sized batches
P
lastic injection moulding has been a popular manufacturing process since
the high demand for cheap, mass- produced equipment and products during World War II. This popularity is still seen today due to its unrivalled rapid product turnover, low costs and ability to create detailed parts. In 1872 John Wesley Hyatt and his brother Isaiah patented the first injection moulding machine to manufacture buttons and hair combs. A crude machine compared to those available today, it wasn’t until 1946 that James Watson Hendry created the first screw injection machine. This system lowered energy usage due to the heat produced from the friction created by the screw mechanism. This ensured higher quality end products because the injection speed could now be controlled and allowed virgin materials to be mixed with coloured or recycled materials. This machine type accounts for around
90% of injection moulding systems in the UK today. Amtek Plastics favours Endel injection moulding machines due to their barrier-free access to the moulds and high end product quality.
TIE-LESS BAR TECHNOLOGY
For the past 25 years Endel has developed the latest innovations in moulding machines. The current range incorporates tie-less bar technology to increase production efficiency within the loading and end removal of the moulds, giving a faster turnaround time for product manufacturing. These machines have low energy consumption by working with low friction, closing pressure lock-in and electrohydraulic variable capacity pumps. This quality combined with the quicker mould changes produces a more economic process. The platen parallelism of each machine
is adjusted with high precision creating significantly lower tolerances than other machines on the market. Its parallelism remains unchanged when a mould is mounted and during any movement including acceleration and deceleration because the vibrations are symmetrically transferred to the mould. This behaviour is down to the mould connection to the machine at its backside rather than on the bottom end of the mould platen. As
part of the platens Endel machines have patented force dividers that ensure the clamping force is evenly distributed over the entire mould fixing platen producing a consistently high quality product even when multi-cavity and off-centre moulds are used. Endel injection moulding machines provide an ideal working environment for robotic and automated systems due to the barrier-free access to the mould area. This feature means that there is faster demoulding capabilities, a smaller machine footprint and lower overall height of the cell, perfect for keeping the manufacturing compact.
WHY AUTOMATE? There are many reasons for injection moulders to invest in automation including the ability to remain competitive, improve productivity and reduce error potential and costs, especially as product cells are becoming more complex to fulfil changing market requirements. Originally, automation cells consisted of a simple cartesian robot that could simply pick and place moulds onto a table of conveyor; some of the advanced automation systems available today include multi-axis robots. Three-axis robots are perfect for the
simple task of removing a part from the moulding machine; it is when more manipulation is called for that you require more advanced robots. For example, 6-axis robots have movement in every
26 DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
Amtek Plastics favours Endel injection moulding machines due to their barrier-free access to the moulds and high end product quality
plane. Robots such as the Endel Viper Cartesian are now being fully integrated within the moulding machine control unit so operators do not need to learn two sets of controls. Portable robots such as the Kuka cell can be easily moved between moulding machines so long as they are set at suitable clamping forces and sizes. The robot control can be used to operate the injection moulding machine while its MC6 control system can in turn be used to control the automation cell. This 6-axis robotic system with linear axis permits dynamic movements and direct access to the mould. As robots become more ‘intelligent’ with new software systems, the communication between robot and injection moulding machine will become more sophisticated to create shorter production cycle times, improve energy efficiency and the longevity of machines and components However, despite the continual
development of robots in manufacturing, manual involvement is still a practical and logical solution for small to medium sized batches. By working the machines manually combined with robotic handling systems, manufacturers can dramatically reduce setup time compared to a fully automated system.
Amtek Plastics UK T: 01626 830113
www.amtekplastics.co.uk
Enter 322 / FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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