By Karen Hanna
Simplicity, space savings and smarts are among the advantages of a new electric injection molding machine (IMM) series that Arburg says is designed as a cost-effective option for a variety of applications.
Company officials at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the day before the start of the K show, touted Arburg’s new Allrounder Trend, which replaces the Allrounder Golden Electric.
“On the one hand, we are offering our existing customers even more opportunities to utilize Arburg technology in a wide range of efficient and economical ways," said Guido Frohnhaus, managing director of technology and engineering. “On the other hand, the Allrounder Trend is also highly interesting for many new target groups.”
Available in three sizes — from about 56 tons to about 225 tons of clamping force — and electric injection units in sizes 100 to 800, the IMMs are available for order at the show, and officially will hit the market in the spring, with intended turn-around delivery times of just four weeks.
According to the company, the presses are easy to set up, operate and maintain.
Fronhaus and Tobias Baur, managing director of sales and after sales, stressed the machines’ cost accessibility.
“Our new Trend performance level offers high cost-efficiency coupled with proven Arburg quality and globally standardized service. We wish to reach existing customers worldwide, as well as completely new target groups who do not yet have an Allrounder in their injection molding production facilities,” Baur said in a news release.
According to Frohnhaus, changes to the machine design, including a new clamping unit and a new system for modularity, have allowed the company to offer them with the same features as other Arburg IMMs, but at a more attractive price. However, he declined to cite specifics about how much the Allrounder Trends would cost or where Arburg would manufacture them.
He said the machines are appropriate for high-volume applications, such as the manufacture of electronic connectors, and should appeal to markets around the world.
According to the press release, “The Allrounder Trend is relevant for all industries, such as technical injection molding and electronics. However, they are not high-speed machines and are not suitable for all special processes. Their performance has been specifically optimized for standard applications.”
The IMMs employ the company’s new Gestica lite control, designed for ease of operation, even by inexperienced users.
Screens featuring videos can walk personnel through maintenance issues, and e-learning and remote training — as well as Arburg’s global service network — also are available.
“We have designed our Trend machines in such a way that they are easy to operate even without specialized personnel and enable a quick start to production. The machines are designed to be easy to maintain, with easy access to maintenance points and digital support for self-maintenance," Frohnhaus said.
In addition to other benefits, the company says the machines are slim and compact, designed for easy access for maintenance.
They also are easy to integrate with Arburg automation.
Injection speeds are between 200mm and 500mm per second.
Arburg is demonstrating three of the presses at K. An Allrounder 1000 e Trend will be producing electronic connectors, while another Allrounder 1000 e Trend will show its capabilities with recyclate by turning material from used fishing nets into plastic dolphins. Finally, a turnkey system based around an Allrounder 1800 e Trend will produce LSR diaphragm valves fully automatically with a 64-cavity mold. A Multilift Select 16 linear robotic system will handle the parts.
Editor Ron Shinn contributed reporting from K 2025.
