BARCODING, PACKAGING & LABELLING ABELLING REDUCE PLASTIC P WALWALL THICKNESS ALL THICKNESS PACKAGING
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Kevin Heap, packaging specialist Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK lobal forecasts for thin walled plastic containers is expected to
reach USD 68.54 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 6.5 per cent during 2018 to 2026 (according to research released by Research & Markets ). PE is projected to be the largest-growing segment during this forecast period. Light-weighting and consumer convenience are important factors in this expansion, with the combination of environmental pressures, improvements in recycle rates and high polymer prices placing increasing pressures on packaging manufacturers.
THIN WALLING IN PACKAGING
Most companies operating in the competitive arena produce millions of packaging containers every year. Volume, raw material waste and precision are fundamental to each company’s financial viability, with many facilities operating 20+ machines to meet supplier demand.
To successfully succeed in the thin walling arena, injection moulders need to examine every potential application to ensure that the selection of materials, machine and tooling give the optimum blend of speed, quality and consistency.
EL-EXIS SP MACHINE DEVELOPMENTS The El-Exis SP range, available globally, now comprises 10 machines, with a clamp force range of between 150 and 1,000 tons.
Capable of delivering dry cycle times of less than two seconds, the latest generation of EL-Exis SP’s retain the title as the fastest injection moulding machine series for packaging manufacturers on the market today. Designed specifically to withstand the higher stresses and injection pressures that are so critical in achieving repeatability in thin walling, the range is aimed squarely at high volume manufacturers of polymer products, including caps and closures, thin wall containers and lids.
Central to this machine’s fast cycle time and 1000mm/s injection speeds is the hydraulic accumulator. This enables moulders to repeatedly produce even thinner lightweight packaging items, resulting in significant reductions in raw material, packaging waste and shipping costs.
With the introduction of a new control valve regulating the hydraulic 18 APRIL/MAY 2020 | FA FACTORY&HANDL NGSOLUT ONS ORY&HANDLINGSOLI UTIONSI
pressure during the loading of the accumulator, the range now consumes up to 15 per cent less energy that previous generations of El-Exis machines. This saving is dependent upon the packaging application, moulding cycle time and process parameters.
Being able to adjust the accumulator charging to the injection pressure required for the exact moulding process not only lowers energy usage, but also reduces wear and tear on parts.
COMPRESSION MOULDING
The method of pressing material in a mould is quite a common industrial process, and is now being applied to the mass-production of polypropylene packaging applications. By applying injection compression techniques to stack moulds, packaging moulders can now reduce the wall thickness of containers and lids from 0.45mm to 0.35mm. This saves around 25 per cent in raw polypropylene materials compared to the standard injection moulding process, while maintaining comparable mechanical properties. Again, El-Exis SP machines are used for this technique.
AMARAY
Last year, Amaray unveiled a pioneering, fully automated In Mould Labelling (IML) production line featuring technology from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, Waldorf Technik and Roth Werkzeugbau. The line features a ultra-high speed 580-tonne El-Exis SP, fitted with a multi-cavity 12+12 stack mould.
Although there are several examples in Europe of moulders using 8+8 stack moulds for producing IML margarine lids in high volumes, using a 12+12 stack mould means that Amaray is really pushing the packaging boundaries in thin walling.
To create the flip-like hinged lid was challenging as the tooling needed to accommodate varying depths of raw material. Unlike a single face tool, the polymer is injected in the centre between the two plates and has to be evenly distributed in all 24 cavities.
Sumitomo Demag
www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu
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