AUTOMATION/SMART FACTORY u TM ROBOTICS
More sustainable injection moulding
Dervish Ibrahim, international sales manager at TM Robotics, explains why all-electric injection moulding machines are the way forward for reducing the process’s environmental impact — while also helping manufacturers achieve a lower cost-per-part
A
ll-electric moulding machines are more eco-friendly than hydraulic- powered options.
According to the Journal of Clean Production, injection moulding may be responsible of up to 90% of the Global Warming Potential (GWP) created by the entire mould lifecycle, mainly caused by energy consumption. The Journal of Clean Production’s findings are
wake-up call to manufacturers, particularly as demand for injection moulding processes continue to grow. For example, the market for injection moulded medical devices plastics is expected to see booming growth between 2023 and 2030.
Injection moulding is used to manufacture a huge variety of parts, and has several advantages. They include the ability to mould a wide variety of plastics, good repeatability, consistently high production with low waste and a low-cost-per-part — the latter is always a priority.
Maintaining a low cost-per-part throughout the manufacturing process is vital for reducing costs and delivering a higher product value — from both the manufacturer’s and the customer’s perspective. While injection moulding can support this, manufacturers
28 October 2023 Irish Manufacturing
are also concerned about the energy costs of injection moulding, and how this effects sustainability and the bottom line. More than 90\% of the costs of injection moulding can be attributed to energy use. This mainly applies to the electricity used to power and operate the injection moulding machine. As a result, there has been some debate in industry about the cost and sustainability advantages of hydraulic injection moulding versus all-electric machines. Injection moulding machines powered by a
hydraulic motor can produce higher energy levels and higher injection pressures, and the initial cost of the machine is lower. But there are also disadvantages with hydraulic machines. They include the machine’s high consumption
All of the injection moulding machines in Lotan’s production facility are electric, rather than hydraulic.
of electric energy, because its hydraulic power is connected to an electric power unit that works at maximum capacity during every phase of the moulding process.
WHOLE-LIFE COST Although hydraulic injection moulding machines are less expensive initially, it’s important to consider the whole life cost when buying new machines. This was demonstrated by TM Robotics’ customer Lotan, a manufacturer of plastic containers based in Leicestershire, UK. All of the injection moulding machines in Lotan’s production facility are electric, rather than hydraulic. The company relies on Shibaura Machine’s all-electric injection moulding machines (IMM) supplied by TM Robotics. The machine is manufactured in-house by Shibaura Machine, formerly known as Toshiba Machine. Performance benefits of the IMM include a range of clamping force from 50 to 2,500 tons, which can be calibrated by a digital direct screw transfer (DST) control for added production flexibility.
Although all-electric machines are initially
more expensive with lower injection pressures, they are shown to outperform hydraulic
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