TECHNOLOGY | MEDICAL
Right: The LSR and PP nose and mouth mask developed by Arburg
manufacturers of medical devices to provide proof of complete batch traceability. ALS ensures this shot for shot. Not only are process parameters being monitored, but also machine statuses and maintenance intervals.”
Sensitive sectors such as medical technology
require reliability. He says: “As a primary contractor, Arburg provides its customers with advice right from the outset, from concept design to the start of production. Whether it is implants, dental drills or syringe barrels, the company has found a suitable medical injection moulding solution for every application – for example by using the electric Allrounder A series, which offers the best cleaning conditions with regard to GMP and ISO 14644-1.” Arburg has Allrounders for medical micro-injec- tion moulding of thermoplastics and elastomers, which it says are flexible enough to meet any customer requirements. Manka says: “As a system service provider, Arburg also offers its customers the support they need right from the start, for example, in the form of customer trials in our Customer Centre or cleanroom laboratory in Lossburg. Powder injection moulding (PIM) for dental applications is another field of significant interest for Arburg in medical technology. Exam- ples of such injection-moulded metal (MIM) or ceramic (CIM) products are dental root pins (jaw implants) and dental crowns.” The flexible Arburg micro-production cell can
Below: An electric Allrounder 270 A produced delicate LSR caps for micro-switches, each weighing just 0.009 grams
produce the extremely small parts and micro implants required for minimally invasive proce- dures. At K2019, an electric Allrounder 270 A with 350 kN clamping force, equipped with a size 5 micro injection unit, an 8 mm screw and an LSR cartridge with a capacity of 290 ml, produced LSR caps for micro-switches, each weighing just 0.009 g. The cartridge contained the two-component material Elastosil LR 3005/40 (hardness 40 Shore A) as well as white pigment, pre-mixed precisely and homogeneously. The shot weight was 0.072 g. The
components were injection moulded directly in an 8-cavity mould using a cold runner system with shut-off nozzle. A clean air module with ionisation, situated above the clamping unit, prevented electrostatic charges. A sensor integrated in the feeder ensured additional process reliability. The recorded values were graphically displayed and monitored by the Selogica ND control system. The moulded parts were removed by a horizontally operating Multilift H 3+1 robot and were visually inspected and measured for complete filling directly in the gripper. After integrated camera inspection, the robot system transferred the good parts to a packaging station, where three shots of caps were individually packed in bags which were then sealed and ejected. The company says that the Allrounder Cube machines, which are specifically adapted for use with cube moulds, are well-suited to the packaging sector and therefore ideal for the production of medical technology products. Their servo-electric toggle-type clamping unit allows for high-speed cycles with reduced energy requirements – an ideal basis for efficient high-volume production at reduced unit costs. The cube machines are used, for example, in the production of caps and phar- maceutical containers. Arburg has produced high-quality LSR masks and safety goggles using four injection moulding machines in a speedy development at its head- quarters in Lossburg, Germany, to assist in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The equipment has been distributed to employees, as well as to nursing staff in charitable and medical facilities in the region. It says that it implemented the safety goggles project quickly with Swiss speciality chemi- cals group Ems-Chemie and German protective and safety glasses manufacturer Uvex. Based on the fully automated production of sunglasses as a
24 INJECTION WORLD | September 2020
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: ARBURG
IMAGE: ARBURG
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