INNOVATION | THIN WALL MOULDING
packaging items, resulting in a significant reduction in raw materials, waste and shipping costs.” The 350 tonne PAC-E is to be launched in mid-2023, with three additional clamp force variants – 250, 300 and 420 tonnes – set to follow. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has also expanded its all-electric Intelect S range with mid-size machines between 220 and 450 tonnes which sit between the Intelect series and the PAC-E range and are geared specifically toward mass-manufacturing narrow tolerance and thin-walled components at the fastest speeds. Featuring optimised tool movement, nozzle
position, injection and ejector movements and metering speed, the Intelect S outperforms previous generations of Intelect machines in virtually every department. “Increasing the capacity of the Intelect’s braking energy recovery system not only improves energy efficiency but also extends the lifespan of electrical components and capacitators,” says Product Manager Peter Gladi- gau. “Clamp spindles tested under the hardest conditions showed no evidence of visible wear after millions of cycles.” He continues: “Cycle times of between three and twelve seconds and injection speeds of up to 350 mm/s are the typical range.” He also draws special attention to the resilient, high performance drives, shorter clamp spindles and longer service life. The company also claims that to offset current
energy price challenges, for packaging applica- tions the Intelect S can lower energy consumption to between 0.25 to 0.32 kWh/kg. The increased production capacity of Intelect S compared to hybrid machines, combined with savings on energy bills, means a fast return on investment. “Given the rapid rise in energy prices, counter- acting the impact on rising manufacturing costs through higher productivity, processing repeatabil- ity and reduced waste is increasingly imperative,” Gladigau says.
Another company focused on pairing speed with energy conservation is Italian injection moulding machine maker BMB. The company ran several production cells at K2022, one of them
Right: A BMB eKW70HP/ 3450 WP
Hybrid machine moulded round,
thin-walled containers at K2022
18 INJECTION WORLD | March 2023
www.injectionworld.com
featuring an eKW70HP/3450 WP Hybrid machine moulding round, thin-walled containers. A cycle time of 4.8 s ensured the production of eight containers, each with two labels. At the show, a eKW28Pi/1300+330 fully electric machine also produced two-colour flip-tops for cosmetics from a 16-cavity mould. The 280-tonne machine showcased exceptionally high precision, with weights of only 2.3g for the base and 1g for the top in an 11s cycle time. Two-colour or two- component injection moulding machines are increasingly in demand, says BMB. The 850-tonne eKW85HP/12500 Hybrid is described as the ideal machine for packaging applications with products of a deep draw design, such as buckets and waste material containers. BMB says this machine is characterised by a very high injection speed, necessary for the correct production of thin-walled parts. Direct electric drives and roller recirculation screws on opening and closing, extraction and plasticisation, make it possible to obtain a level of energy consumption similar to that of a fully electric press, it says. Meanwhile, Wittmann Battenfeld also demon-
strated at K2022 its expertise in thin-wall injection moulding with the production of a cup, again using ICM technology, on a high-speed Ecopower Xpress 160/1100+ machine. With a four-cavity mould supplied by Glaroform, Switzerland, a 230 ml cup made of polypropylene from Sabic with a wall thickness of 0.28 mm was produced. The machine was equipped with a four-fold IML system supplied by Beck Automation, Switzerland featuring auto- matic positioning. Regardless of its position inside the magazine, every label is placed in exactly the same position on the IML core, reducing both reject rates and operating effort. The Ecopower Xpress is described as being
ideal for implementing ICM technology as its dynamic drive technology provides the short injection times required. Injection speeds of up to 600 mm/s and injection pressures of up to 2,500 bar can be attained, along with an injection acceleration of up to 15,000 mm/s. Also at K2022, Arburg used an electric Allround-
IMAGE: BMB
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