packaging | Caps & closures


and easy-to-set-up stack/cube moulding solutions. In order to meet these needs, Athena says that it has


Above: Arburg’s new Allrounder Cube machine series, first presented at the K 2016 show, is optimised for high-speed cube mould applications


like and what the main features should be to achieve a more efficient product. “For the new Allrounder Cube, we have optimised


the complete clamping unit, for example, including the servo-electric toggle, with regard to the cube-mould- specific requirements,” Stern says. “The machines feature four servo-electric axes as standard: one for form closure, two for dosage and one for rotating the mould. The injection units can be driven either hydrauli- cally or electrically, depending on usage and corporate philosophy. The core-pulls for ejection and further mould functions are always hydraulic.” Arburg adds that the servo-electric toggle-type clamping unit enables fast assembly and dismantling, as well as the dosing across the cycle, allowing the Cube 2900 and Cube 4600 machine sizes to achieve shorter dry cycle times of around 1.8 and 2.1s compared with analog, hydraulic machines. As a result, the cycle time can be reduced by up to one second and output improved by 10% for applications such as two-component closures. One of the first market applications to be produced


Right: The new cube mould machine


Allrounder Cube 2900


produces in a 32+32-fold


Foboha cube mould two-


colour flip-top closures for washing-up liquid bottles in a cycle time of 8.5s


42


on an Allrounder Cube 2900 with a 32+32-fold Foboha cube mould were flip-top closures for a washing-up liquid bottle. The two-colour parts moulded from polypropylene weigh 3.2g, with shot weights of 96 and 12.64g. The 8.5s cycle time required to create 32 caps corresponds to a throughput of 46kg/h, or more than 13,000 articles per hour. Canadian machinery manufacturer Athena sees


growth in the custom closure market, driven by a trend to offer consumers functional convenience and tamper evidence. In addition, package reconfiguration for cost and convenience, for example pouches, or space efficiency such as cube cartons, are also increasing demand for multi-part closures. The company adds that the increasing need for multi-piece or multi-material closures is highlighting the benefits of cost-effective


INJECTION WORLD | July/August 2017 www.injectionworld.com


recently introduced its first 150 tonne stack/cube machine featuring two in-line opposed injection units. The mould’s centre section is not supported by tie bars, but mounted on base-mounted linear rails instead. Mould water and hydraulic oil are routed through the centre of the cube. Machines can also be equipped with dual robots for part retrieval and other operations. According to the company, the stack/cube machine offers advantages such as higher output per unit of floor space, reduced mould wear, no sprue bar, the use of conventional hot runners, balanced injection, and unrestricted access to the mould from the sides and top. Future developments will include expanding the stack/cube option across the product line to higher tonnage (350 and 550 tonne) machines.


Higher output


Husky Injection Molding Systems has developed the HyCap 4, the next generation of its high output beverage closure moulding system. The HyCap platform was launched in 2009 and has several new developments and energy saving features. Husky is following an integrated approach with HyCap 4, offering as a single source provider not only injection moulding machines, but also moulds, hot runners, temperature controllers, auxiliaries and productivity improvement software. The Polaris control unit has been redesigned with a 19-inch full colour display and more intuitive layout for simpli- fied navigation to provide quick access to information and process parameters. HyCap 4’s improvements include electrification of the clamp motion, servo-variable pumping technology and a regenerative clamp stroke. Husky says that these enhancements deliver up to a 40% improvement in energy consumption over the previous generation system, without sacrificing performance. New features are also designed to simplify operation and optimse the moulding process. These include a new


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