e-motion 160 combi M Among the displays Engel plans for K 2022 is an injection molding machine (IMM) line producing two-component medical diagnostic sample vessels in clean-room conditions. In the first step, an injection unit on the stationary platen of an Engel e-motion 160 will inject a black PC material into a 32-cavity mold, forming the primary part of the vessels with cylindrical cavities. The IMM is incorporated in an Engel combi M design, which includes a second injection unit integrated in the moving platen and a horizontal indexing table. Following the first shot, the table will rotate 180 degrees, and the second injection unit will seal the cylinders with a transparent PC to form lenticular covers. Simultaneously, the first injection unit will inject black PC in a second mold to produce the next set of primary parts. Then, an Engel viper 20 linear robot will remove the completed two-component vessels and put them into trays, and an e-pic pick-and-place robot will cover the full trays with an intermediate layer so they can be stacked in boxes.
What’s new? The e-motion 160 combi M. This marks the first time Engel has offered a combi M configuration with an IMM this small.
Benefits A 20 percent smaller footprint than possible on a configuration with a vertical rotary table – which would require an IMM with about 309 tons of clamping force, as opposed to the e-motion 160’s 176 tons. This efficient use of space is especially valuable when operating in a clean-room environment. The combi M technology can be used for two-component molding, or to double the output if two identical molds are used.
Engel Machinery Inc., York, Pa., 717-764-6818, www.engelglobal.com
