Scoring points with precision and production efficiency
With increased precision, dynamic performance and efficiency in its injection moulding machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH, is delivering exactly what its injection moulding customers want.
The Japanese-German company will be presenting its current new and advanced developments at the 21st Fakuma – International Exhibition for Plastics Processing – from 18 to 22 October 2011 in Friedrichshafen, as well as on the stand of a partner company.
Alongside sophisticated exhibits from all three machine series, the fully electric IntElect, the hybrid El-Exis SP as well as the hydraulic Systec, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will for the first time be presenting the new NC5 plus controller. This controller offers users not only much greater convenience but also an increased range of functions. In accordance with the guiding principle of the 21st Fakuma to be a platform for the future topics of the industry, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is also focusing on injection moulding of optical parts.
Three years after the merger between the injection moulding activities of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) and Demag Plastics Group, the Japanese-German company is presenting a harmonised range of machines which has been further optimised in terms of precision, dynamics and efficiency.
For instance, the fourth generation of fully electrical machines in the IntElect series is the result of a joint development between German and Japanese engineers. The IntElect offers high performance and availability, larger tie bar spacings and linear guides for high-volume and heavy moulds, making it ideal for the needs of the European market. Its excellent reproducibility with outstanding process capability values forms the basis for zero-error production. The series has been available with up to 4,500 kN closing force since autumn 2010.
IntElect: Zero-defect production for precision mass-produced articles from automotive electronics
As one highlight, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will be presenting a fully automated cell for plug production at the Fakuma 2011, including a quality checking sequence for implementing zero-defect production. The high process consistency is demonstrated on the trade show stand by inline statistical quality analysis including calculating the process capability analysis Cpk.
At the trade show, an IntElect 100-340 (1,000 kN) will manufacture two-pin plug casings made from glass fibre-reinforced PBT in a four-up hot runner mould made by Fischer GmbH & Co. KG, Sinsheim, in a cycle time of 11 s. The component, weighing only 3.5 g, is intended for automotive electronics and has significant differences in wall thickness. It imposes very great requirements on precision and reproducibility.
The linear robot SDR 22 from the company's own product portfolio is used for removing the moulded parts, and its operation is directly integrated in the new NC5 plus machine controller.
NC5 plus: New version with much greater convenience and functions
The Fakuma 2011 marks the start of sales of the new NC5 plus controller version. In this case, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has made the structure of the former NC5 controller with its immense bandwidth even clearer, as well as creating and adding new functions. The reinforced visual guidance for the user opens the door to much more streamlined usage at the same time as an extended range of functions.
One of these new functions in the NC5 plus controller is activeAdjust, for example: Using a slider, the operator can increase or – if required – reduce the dynamics of the mould movement to suit the individual application, without external help. At the same time, the activeAdjust function is not just restricted to mould movements, but to any machine movement such as ejector movement as well as changing over from injection pressure to final intensified pressure. The injection moulding machine is designed to cover a wide range of applications as standard, whilst this new feature offers the opportunity of adjusting the machine to the product and the process as effectively as possible.
El-Exis SP: Full-cover labelling offers new possibilities in the packaging industry
The individual adjustment option with activeAdjust makes it possible to obtain maximum performance from the machine dynamics above all when it comes to the high-speed production of packaging components. Based on many years of experience in the packaging market, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag developed the new El-Exis SP (Speed Performance) series and presented it as the K 2010, thereby demonstrating greater dynamic performance and efficiency compared to the El-Exis S.
The high-performance El-Exis SP series with hybrid drive will be demonstrating its performance at the Fakuma 2011 with an innovative feature in process technology. Together with Marbach moulds & automation GmbH based in Bad Urach, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will be demonstrating the manufacture of thin-walled shells on its stand, with the feature of full-cover labelling. The special feature of this new in-mould labelling process is that the sleeve label and the base label are inserted overlapping around a radius, thereby providing complete coverage of the plastic surface with the label up to a high level on the sealing edge.
The new development in in-mould labelling runs on a high-speed El-Exis SP 200 machine (2,000 kN) equipped with a double IML mould from Marbach. The production cell produces 250 g shells in a cycle time of approx. 3 s. Here too, the advantages of the new NC5 plus controller version come into play: As part of the activeEcon function, it is possible to produce a detailed energy consumption analysis of all machine movements for each shot, thereby enabling the process to be optimised from an energy standpoint.
Systec multi: fibre optic cables with two-component injection moulding
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag now offers its fully controlled, hydraulic all purpose Systec machine in 19 sizes, with closing forces from 350 to 20,000 kN: up to 1,200 kN with a fully hydraulic closing unit, from 1,300 kN onwards with a knuckle-joint closing unit. Optional, additional injection units from the Demag modular system can be adapted to enable the machine to be equipped as a Systec multi for multi-component technology.
At the Fakuma 2011, a Systec multi 160/520-310h/80v (1,600 kN) with a double turntable mould from HBW-Gubesch Kunststoff-Engineering GmbH, Emskirchen, will be producing a 4.1 g fibre optic cable made from transparent PMMA. This cable is used for illuminating the gearshift pattern of a selector lever used in a passenger car. The second material component, a coloured transparent PMMA, is moulded-on at various points in order to give the emerging light the required colour. The particular challenge with this component lies in guaranteeing the defined light conduction in the component and that the light emerges at the required points. As a result, this demanding application clearly demonstrates the high precision and reproducibility of the fully controlled hydraulic Systec machine.
Trend topic: Injection moulding of optical components
"Optical injection moulded components are becoming increasingly important. One main area concerns ambient lighting in cars. We will be casting light on this complicated topic in a separate information area and, in addition to our exhibited machine, we will be cooperating with experienced partner companies to provide specific information about fibre optics, thick-walled lenses as well as flexible fibre-optic cables and lenses made from silicon," explains Bernd Tröger, the head of Marketing at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.
Systec multi on the Sepro Robotique GmbH stand
Another multi-component Systec multi machine will be working on the stand of our partner company Sepro Robotique GmbH, based in Rödermark. The 2,100 kN version will be producing ashtray trims by injection moulding using a double mould from HBW-Gubesch. The visible part for the interior of passenger cars imposes exacting requirements on the surface quality. The parts handling is performed by an SDR linear robot of the new generation. In this exhibit too, the operation of the linear robot is directly integrated into the NC5 plus injection moulding machine controller.
