Global suppliers debut all-electric presses at K
New capabilities and improvements in performance and energy-efficiency are among the benefits of all-electric presses introduced by five press-makers at the K show. These machinery suppliers, lesser known in the Americas, unveiled new configurations for co-injection, multishot or multi-material production as well as packaging applications.
BILLION ADDS TWIN-SHOT ALL-ELECTRIC
Injection press maker and multi-injection specialist Billion SAS, Bellignat, France, displayed its newest and largest all-electric machine configured for twin-shot applications with its introduction of the Select².
The Select² machines incorporate six servo-motors, each synchronously controlled by a separate inverter drive and integrated optical encoder. Each motor drives a major machine movement.
Because the new machines require no oil or water for machine cooling, maintenance demands have been reduced. They're also more energy-efficient, as the servomotors recapture 25 to 30 percent of the energy used to power machine movements, when they're engaged in decelerating. In all, the all-electric design contributes to energy savings of 50 to 70 percent, said Marielle Bourgeon, marketing and communications manager.
Compared to the earlier model, the Select, the Select² features wider platen dimensions, a new chassis and moving platen guidance on linear bearing rails for increased cleanliness. High-speed opening and closing movements enhance general machine performance. An extended carriage-return stroke of the injection unit facilitates easy access to the injection nozzle for maintenance.
Other features include Billion's Dixit 3 control system. The control offers a greater range for the mold height to be adjusted. To improve consistency when operating temperatures vary, the company also enhanced the self-adjusting clamping force function.
At the show, the company displayed a Select² all-electric twin-shot with 440 tons of clamping force, configured with its H3500 injection unit as the primary unit and a H780 injection unit for the second material. The company will introduce Select² versions with 220 tons and 330 tons of clamping force later this year, Bourgeon said. Billion offers the original Select line with clamping forces of 44 to 660 tons.
BORCHE TARGETS CO-INJECTION WITH ELECTRIC MODEL
Borche Machinery Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, China, introduced its first all-electric machine for co-injection, the BME150-ML, which combines aspects of the company's BE all-electric series with its BM multicolor, servo-hydraulic line. It also incorporates Borche's ML side-injection unit, said Emily Ma, director of the overseas business department. The BME150-ML provides 165 tons of clamping force.
The main injection unit of the BME is equipped with eight servomotors; three servos are employed for charging and injection, and one servomotor each is used for clamping, mold opening and closing, mold height adjustment, ejection and rotary-platen operation. The add-on ML side injection unit uses three servomotors.
Borche developed a special control system and software for the BE line, which operates on a Keba control platform to monitor and manage all functions of the press. The controller has a new health production management program that provides insight into the state of the machine. The program collects operating data that can be used for troubleshooting or optimization, Ma said. The software also allows for communication between the injection press and auxiliaries.
At the K show, the BME150-ML produced a 4.6-gram part made from PC and ABS in a 4+4 cavity mold in a cycle time of 22 seconds. Borche said the servo rotary platen can rotate from zero to 180 degrees in 0.75 second with a positioning accuracy within 0.02mm. Platen positioning is precise to plus or minus 0.01mm and injection position and shot weight control are repeatable to within 0.1 percent.
ROMI HIKES MACHINE SPEED FOR PACKAGING JOBS
Indústrias Romi SA, Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Brazil, added a high-speed model to its EL all-electric machine line for packaging applications. The new Romi EL 300 Speed version joins two other models, the EL 75 with 82.5 tons of clamping force and a standard EL 300 model with 330 tons of clamping force, national sales manager Neil Bathard said.
The Romi EL 300 Speed distinguishes itself from the standard EL 300 model with faster screw speeds and faster injection rates. The machine, currently offered with just one injection unit size, can attain a top screw speed of 320 revolutions per minute (rpm), a maximum injection speed of 350mm per second and an injection rate of 1,000 cubic centimeters per second. In comparison, the standard EL 300 model, which comes in a choice of four injection unit sizes, has a maximum screw speed of 280 rpm, maximum injection speed of 215mm per second and an injection rate of 715 cubic centimeters per second.
The EL line has been updated with Romi's new CM20 machine controller, featuring a 19-inch high-resolution touch screen and user-friendly graphics. Users can access all machine settings with two taps of the controller screen. The rapid processing speed of the controller and responsiveness of the servo technology driving the machine motions allow users to overlap clamping and injection functions. A new clamp control function lets the molder lock the clamp more quickly as well as unlock the clamp earlier and more quickly than with the standard unit. A self-contained hydraulic power pack is used for the cores and part ejection. Romi said the EL series units require 70 to 90 percent less power than some similarly sized units with variable-displacement or fixed pumps. Romi, represented in the U.S. by Romi Machine Tools USA, Erlanger, Ky., will offer a high-speed version of the EL 75 model. It also offers EL versions configured for PET, multishot and in-mold labeling applications.
TEDERIC UPDATES LINE FOR MULTICOMPONENT USE
Tederic Machinery Co. Ltd., Hangzhou, China, released a redesigned model from its DE series of all-electric injection molding machines. The DE series is equipped with ball screws and high-torque servomotors designed and manufactured by NSK Americas, Ann Arbor, Mich., and uses the Keba i8000 controller from Keba AG, Linz, Austria.
At the K show, a DE140/E500 model providing 154 tons of clamping force molded 8.4-gram, 0.45mm-thick cups made from PP in a four-cavity mold. The machine was part of an automated cell in which the cup was labeled in the mold and produced in a cycle time of 4.8 seconds.
Tederic's line of toggle type, two-platen, multi-color/multicomponent, all-electric machines is sold here by Tederic North American Machinery Inc., said Richard Konnen, founder of the Palmetto, Fla., division.
TMC'S REDESIGNED MODEL INCREASES SPEED, ACCURACY
TMC Technology Corp., Taoyuan, Taiwan, redesigned its AE series of all-electric toggle-clamp machines with a new controller and servo-driving system for greater responsiveness. The AE line is offered in seven models with clamping forces ranging from 55 to 385 tons, said Morgan Lee, injection molding machine sales manager.
TMC's AE line uses a Techmation Sandal controller from Techmation Electric & Controls Ltd., Airdrie, Alberta, and a servo-drive system that includes a motion module and low-inertia servomotors. The controller has a 12.1-inch color display with a keyboard and touch screen. Users have the option to integrate control of auxiliary and peripheral devices into the controller, and can also connect to other machines.
The AE series uses five servomotors for controlling major machine motions, including plasticizing, nozzle touch, clamping, injection and ejection. The company offers the machines with a standard injection speed capability of 200mm per second, and a high-speed injection option of 300mm per second. Response time for acceleration or deceleration is less than 50 milliseconds. The controller and servo components control speeds to an accuracy within 0.1mm per second. Positioning accuracy is repeatable to within 0.01mm.
Other features of the AE line include a five-point toggle mechanism and TogCAD Toggle motion analysis software that optimizes the opening and closing speed of the clamp. The moving platen is supported by linear guides that reduce friction while maintaining platen parallelism, Lee said. The four tie bars are calibrated by a Swiss strain gauge to ensure that the forces on them are uniform.
Due to changes in how it sources parts for the AE series, the company says the series is now 30 percent less costly than some competing models.
Mikell Knights, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Billion USA, 248-880-8953, www.billion.fr
Borche North America,909-498-4691, www.borch-machinery.com/EN
Romi Machine Tools USA, 859-647-7566, www.romiusa.com
Tederic North America Machinery, 941-722-1174, www.tederic-na.com
TMC Technology Corp., 886-2-2755-0897, www.tmcint.com