Milacron has expanded its line of proprietary co-injection systems with a new plug-and-play system that is retrofittable to non-Milacron injection presses.
The Kortec Connect system lets a molder convert an injection molding machine into a multi-shot press that can produce parts with enhanced properties.
Kortec Connect can be added to any brand of injection molding machine as a retrofit, provided the press has the required performance specifications to mold the part, said Steve Morris, president of Milacron Systems. Kortec Connect is manufactured by the Milacron Co-Injection Systems division, formerly known as Kortec.
Kortec Connect features an E-Multi secondary injection unit from Milacron's Mold-Masters division, a Kortec co-injection hot runner and a patented co-injection nozzle from Milacron Co-Injection that allows two different resins to be combined into a single melt stream with three layers. The Kortec co-injection melt-delivery technology has separate flow channels for the inner and outer material layers and the core material layer.
Co-injection produces a three-layer structure from two materials, consisting of inner and outer (or skin) layers made from the same material, and a core layer that is typically a barrier material that adds a performance characteristic to the part, such as strength or impact resistance.
A key benefit of co-injection is that both the skin and core layers can be injected at the same time, so a molder can produce a part with barrier technology with the same high-volume production efficiency and cycle time as a part made from a single material.
Kortec Connect provides a high-performance co-injection system at a lower cost than a co-injection molding machine, while adding the flexibility to move the co-injection technology to other qualified machines throughout a facility.
Milacron said Kortec Connect has been used successfully in molding coffee cups, caps, closures, personal care items, and thin-walled and medical parts. It also can be added to a press used to mold PET preforms, making it possible to mold PET preforms with a barrier layer at a fraction of the cost of a co-injection press.
Oliver Lindenberg, president of the Americas for Mold-Masters, said the company has been connecting with numerous customers that have full fleets of standard injection molding machines. "These same customers have expressed interest in entering the co-injection field yet want to utilize existing assets," Lindenberg said.
A dedicated team of engineers from Milacron collaborates with the customer regarding part design and the use of existing equipment. Comprehensive system audits are conducted to optimize machine functionality.
All software algorithms and set-up procedures are contained within the Kortec Connect controller. The molder mounts the E-Multi co-injection unit to the press, adding some communication connections with the primary machine, and then can begin operations, Morris said.
Kortec Connect makes it possible to mold features into a barrier part that other processes such as thermoforming, cannot, Milacron said. The molder can control barrier-layer placement, distribution uniformity and thickness using the patented, proprietary system.
Kortec Connect complements Milacron's Kortec Complete turnkey co-injection systems, which integrate the E-Multi unit, Kortec co-injection hot runner and nozzle into a Milacron F-series press.
Milacron has supplied more than 100 turnkey systems across a variety of markets in 18 countries; collectively, the machines have produced more 12 billion parts.
Mikell Knights, senior staff reporter
Contact:Milacron Co-Injection SystemsRowley, Mass., 978-238-7100, www.milacron.com
