Zhafir Third Generation – a New Opportunity for Electrics
The Zhafir family of electric IMMs serves molders with clamping forces from 44 to 3,709 U.S. tons. Solutions include toggle and two-platen clamp configurations. The highly precise, energy-saving models can be used in a wide-range of applications from medical clean rooms to large, complex automotive components.
The latest generation of the electric Zeres III, all-electric Venus III and hybrid Jenius III offers new developments in hardware and software. Software improvements include optimized drive control (Motion Plus) and an open integration strategy (Connectivity Plus) for automation and auxiliaries to increase the scope for processing and production. Hardware upgrades to the clamp and injection unit continue to follow our philosophy of designing products around standardized components, instead of proprietary components. This increases parts availability, decreases downtime and greatly reduces the cost of ownership.
The Venus III is a cleanroom-ready molder with 100 percent all-electric precision and repeatability. For large tonnage applications, the Jenius III offers precision electric injection combined with the increased mold capacity and space saving of a two-platen configuration. The best-selling Zeres III provides the energy saving precision of electric injection and clamp functions, but integrates a hydraulic power pack for cores, ejectors, valve gates and carriage movement. The Zeres III also offers a high-speed and a multi-shot configuration for even more application flexibility.
New Electric Zhafir Injection Unit
An innovative improvement is the new electric injection unit with single, dual and quad-spindle drive. Here you can see the perfect interaction of software and hardware. The challenge is to synchronize the software and hardware for all four spindles. The multi-axis control technology is based on servo torque direct drives. This is only possible with extremely powerful, reliable, but also flexible components that are controlled by an intelligent control center.
Other Injection Unit Improvements
• Injection carriage and injection supported by linear guides with a lower friction coefficient, higher operational accuracy and lower energy consumption
• More active hold pressure response for better quality control of small and precision parts
• Swiveling injection unit for quick screw and barrel changeover as standard
• Injection unit speeds up to 500 mm/s
Clamp Design Improvements
• Tie bar spacing increased; all tie bar spacing squared (H=V)
• Dry cycle times decreased by 10 percent
• Improved highly reactional mold protection
• Reduced platen deformation
• Reserved space for robot movement above the non-operator side of the machine
• Option for linear guides for the clamp unit
• Smaller overall machine layout
Software Improvements with Connectivity Plus and Motion Plus
Generation 3 is not just a hardware update. Rather, it is a comprehensive system upgrade (Motion Plus) from sensor communication improvements to a new adaptive processing control. This update also extends to how the user and auxiliary equipment can interface and communicate with the machine (Connectivity Plus). Motion Plus and Connectivity Plus form a strong symbiosis and are in healthy balance with each other.
At a Glance: Connectivity Plus
We provide the molder with an intelligent machine system that is open to all possibilities while opening the free choice of integration partners, easily automating processes, machine cells and production lines as required – maximizing flexibility with the best possible productivity.
Features include:
• Versatile communication interfaces, interoperability protocols and device integration functions based on all internationally common interfaces such as Euromap 77, 82 and 83
• Remote monitoring – monitor process conditions, alarms and more from an external location
• Remote access – connects control directly to Absolute Haitian for remote support
• Based on OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) Standards – open integration with all common interfaces for seamless connection of MES systems (machine to business) and industrial automation
At a Glance: Motion Plus
Motion Plus is the collection of already established and new developments for intelligent motion control. This may not sound spectacular at first, but given the enormous manufacturing power and service capacities, this technological advance is taking on new significance. Motion Plus combines hardware and software into a high-performance symbiosis.
Capabilities include:
• The collection of already established and new developments around intelligent motion control
• Proprietary Servo Drive to Motor Parameterization for precise Velocity / Pressure Control
• Versatile Automation Random Access Network (VARAN) Fieldbus