INNOVATION | LIQUID SILICONE RUBBER
Right: An Engel viper 40 linear robot takes care of lens handling. It deposits two ready-for- installation lenses every 50 seconds
tion from the automotive sector on an all-electric EcoPower 160/350 with 1,600 kN clamping force, equipped with LSR technology from Nexus, based in Austria. It says the design of the injection unit allows easy integration of the LSR feeding and blending elements. The system will produce a connector seal using
an LSR from Momentive, using a fully automatic 32-cavity mould equipped with an inspection system from Nexus. The mould features new cold runner technology with a needle shut-off control for moulds with large numbers of cavities, which Wittmann Battenfeld says is unique on the market. A gripper with a sensor system takes care of automatic part demoulding. Engel says that lighting systems for automo-
Below: Arburg offers OPC UA solutions for peripheral equipment, even though standardisation according to Euromap 82.3 has not yet been finalised
biles, and with them the production processes, are continually being reinvented within short periods. “Large-scale production requires these innovative technologies to be implemented in a cost-effective way,” it says, adding that LSR is therefore becoming increasingly important as a lens material. “In addition to very efficient processing in fully automated and rework-free injection moulding, it is the specific material properties that have shifted LSR into the product developer’s focus.” At Fakuma last year Engel and two partners, mould maker ACH-Solution and Dow Silicones, presented what Engel called “an integrated solution for cost-effective production of LED lenses with a highly demanding geometry” for the first time in Europe. Headlamp lenses are already being produced
from LSR for some production models. LSR is also becoming increasingly important as a lens material for street and building lighting. Engel says that, just like established thermoplastic lens materials, acrylics (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC), silicone offers significant weight savings compared to glass. However, LSR beats acrylic PMMA and PC in terms
of thermal and chemical resistance. Highly transparent LSR grades have a lower yellowing index for example. They are extremely resistant to environmental influences such as UV radiation and can be used over a very wide temperature range from -40 to +200 °C. In addi- tion, they allow particularly flexible design. “There are almost no limits with regard to geometry when processing LSR in injection moulding,” says Engel. The demonstration at Fakuma involved the use
of Dowsil MS-1002, a material developed specifi- cally for use on injection moulding machines. The curing speed has been optimised to obtain a smooth and very hard surface similar to thermo- plastic. The LED lenses came out of the production cell ready for installation. The tiebarless Engel e-victory 310/120 injection moulding machine used a two-cavity cold runner mould equipped with ACH’s Servoshot electric cold runner nozzle control system, which enables individual control of each valve gate. The MaxiMix G2 LSR metering equipment was also developed and manufactured by ACH. A total shot weight of 16g was processed per cycle, in a time of around 50s. The entire process can be controlled via the CC300 operating panel of the Engel injection moulding machine.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.elkem.com �
www.elmet.com �
www.wacker.com �
www.arburg.com �
www.kraussmaffei.com �
www.dr-boy.de �
www.wittmann-group.com �
www.engelglobal.com �
www.ach-solution.com �
www.consumer.dow.com
40 INJECTION WORLD | April 2019
www.injectionworld.com
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