Engel Austria GmbH, Schwertberg, has restructured and optimized the hydraulic injection units used in its two best-selling product lines — the victory machines, which have no tie bars, and the duo two-platen presses. The company has also made a number of other upgrades to the machines.
Engel said the new injection units enable more precise injection and greater process stability and efficiency than previous designs.
At the K show, Engel dedicated a section of the booth to the injection units. An injection unit size of 860 — which is compatible with screw diameters ranging from 45mm to 55mm, is available for order with victory machines, which have clamping forces from about 31 to 550 tons. Injection units up to size 23060 — which can accommodate screw diameters from 135mm to 170mm — are available for the Engel duo two-platen series. Engel said additional sizes will follow.
Engel said several changes improve the performance of the new injection units. The company improved the temperature control of the feed throat for greater precision. The control works with a greater temperature range to rule out clumping in the feed throat and prevent absorption of moisture across a wider range of materials, Engel said. The design minimizes energy losses both during heating and cooling of the feed throat.
In addition to the new feed-throat temperature control, the company said its ecodrive servo-hydraulics and on-demand pump operation contribute to energy efficiency. These components are standard equipment with the victory and duo models.
A revised piston design and software updates contribute to improved control of pressure within the injection unit. Engel's iQ weight control software, which is designed to detect and compensate automatically for fluctuations in material quality and machine conditions, will be offered as an option for its line of hydraulic molding machines.
Engel also improved the ergonomics of the injection molding machines. A new arrangement of the control cabinets and pumps offers simpler layout and improved accessibility.
Mikell Knights, senior correspondent
Contact:
Engel Machinery Inc., 717-764-6818, www.engelglobal.com
