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SUPPLEMENT SUSTAINABILITY IN MANUFACTURING


AN ALL-ELECTRIC SOLUTION FOR PRECISION MOULDING


D&G Moulding has ramped up


productivity by over 40% and lowered energy consumption by 75% thanks to a 75-ton all-electric IntElect from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag


components in a variety of materials. However, the rising cost of energy resulted in managing director David Ivey looking for an alternative to the company’s 22 year old hydraulic machines, so he began reviewing the efficiency of a variety of injection moulding machines. Ivey listened to the feedback from industry


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colleagues who had installed Sumitomo Demag IntElect machines. “There was resounding affirmation that this all-electric machine delivered on all aspects of precision moulding and energy efficiency,” Ivey explained. He added: “As an SME, investing in a new machine is a big commitment. But when spares are no longer being produced for existing machinery, you do reach a tipping point when ongoing maintenance and the potential downtime can undermine productivity and future viability.” Theoretical energy comparisons followed by a


tool trial at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s Academy in Daventry gave Ivey a ballpark 75% reduction in energy use when benchmarked against the hydraulic machine being retired. The manufacturer revealed that running the same eight-cavity tool on an IntElect 75-ton was consuming approximately a quarter of the energy compared to their outgoing hydraulic.


D&G has observed energy savings over 75%


ased in Alton, D&G Moulding specialises in manufacturing premium automotive, aerospace, industrial marine and medical


Additionally, as a result of the IntElect’s parallel movements, cycle times were on average 15% faster. In the live production setting, D&G’s skilled


operative and tool setter Graeme has observed 20 second cycle times reduce to 12.5 seconds, boosting productivity by up to 40% and increasing D&G’s production capacity. “We are manufacturing around eight different components on the IntElect currently. On average, dry cycle time savings are around 20%,” he said.


“There was resounding affirmation that this all-electric machine delivered on all


aspects of precision moulding and


energy efficiency” As a direct result of these findings, the


company is already weighing up the benefits of adding a larger tonnage (130 or 180)


ActiveFlowBalance feature ensures equal melt pressure is applied in each cavity for repeatable part quality


all-electric machine to its fleet. A further benefit for Ivey was the activeRemote


diagnostics feature, which enables the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag support team to dial into the machine and resolve queries. On top of post- installation training, Ivey also values having access to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s IOM3- accredited training at the Daventry Academy.


RESHORING As a tier two supplier to the premium automotive market, dimensional moulding stability is critical. “Although polypropylene is a relatively stable material to mould, the IntElect’s direct drives provide precision and control over the injection pressure. This is essential for mouldability and component quality,” said Ivey. The IntElect machine, equipped with


activeFlowBalance, has again proved its worth when moulding high-end engineering materials. Ivey explained: “Shot-to-shot, the repeatability of the IntElect is excellent. But when combined with activeFlowBalance on multi-cavity tools, equal melt pressure is automatically applied in each cavity, ensuring repeatable part quality. This feature means that our machine setters aren’t having to constantly reset complex injection profiles.” Ivey believes that it is this level of precision moulding and component quality that is driving OEMs back to sourcing parts from the UK. D&G is already in discussion with another local company that’s seeking to reshore high-volume moulding work from China to Hampshire. “Until recently, SMEs like ourselves have been competing with locations where labour costs are the lowest. However, given that most moulding tasks can be automated or, like D&G, can run uninterrupted for eight hours throughout the night on our new IntElect, labour costs have effectively become a moot point.”


Sumitomo (SHI) Demag http://uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu


36 DESIGN SOLUTIONS - SUPPLEMENT JULY/AUGUST 2023


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