True to the motto "our people help shape your success", Netstal will present innovative injection molding solutions for users from the packaging industry and the medical sector in the age of industry 4.0 at the NPE in Orlando (7th–11th May). The ELIOS series celebrates its American premiere with the 7500 kN variant. With the all-electric ELION in a cleanroom-suitable configuration, Netstal offers the ideal solution for mass medical consumables. In the age of industry 4.0, the new e-service and the AnalytiX analysis app ensure sustainable production efficiency. With an additional booth, Netstal is part of the new Bottle Zone.
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The ELION with MED-Kit offers all-electric high performance and absolute precision in the clean room |
Our people help shape your success
"Under the motto ‘our people help shape your success’, we are presenting innovative injection molding solutions at the NPE, especially for users in the medical sector and the packaging industry. Our fast, high-precision standard machines and tailor-made system solutions allow us to support our customers sustainably on their way to maximum efficiency and economy." explained Matt Membrino, Sales Manager Netstal USA. A total of four Netstal injection molding machines will be on show live in production at the KraussMaffei Corporation booth and at partner booths.
American premiere of the ELIOS series
The ELIOS 7500-6000 – an example of the new Netstal high-speed machine series – will be in the limelight at a North American trade fair for the first time. With an 8+8 cavity stack mold from StackTeck, 16 oz delicatessen containers (473 ml) are produced in a cycle time of 3.1 seconds. The system is completed by a handling solution from CBW Automation. The series currently comprises four main versions with clamping forces of 4500, 5500, 6500 and 7500 kN. A range of different injection units and screw diameters allow the ELIOS machines to be tailored to a wide variety of applications. Across the entire series, 33 combinations of clamping force, injection unit and screws are available to the customer. Thanks to its strictly modular design, this modular equipment system can be used to implement practically any application. "With ELIOS, our customers produce perfect thin-walled packaging at the lowest unit costs. The fast clamping unit, the dynamic injection unit with two-valve technology and high process stability are the keys to success," said Membrino. The particularly low power consumption of the machine and the extremely robust and stable construction make the series a sustainable solution. The heart of the ELIOS is the newly developed hybrid drive concept of the clamping unit with 5-point dual toggle lever. The energy-efficient combination of an electrically powered travel motion and the hydro-mechanical design of the clamping force leads to considerable acceleration of the entire movement system. The ELIOS 7500 thus achieves a dry cycle time of 1.9 seconds. The smaller members of the series are even faster: The ELIOS 5500 achieves 1.7 seconds, the ELIOS 4500 even just 1.5 seconds. "With ELIOS, Netstal has set the bar high for high-speed packaging injection molding machines. The series is proving to be very popular on the North American market. Since the market launch at the K 2016, we have recorded very good sales figures," stressed Membrino.
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With AnalytiX, users have the most important data of their injection molding production always and everywhere in sight |
Maximum precision and efficiency in the cleanroom
The manufacture of mass medical consumer goods, such as petri dishes, blood vials, medical beakers or pipette tips, is also becoming increasingly important in the USA. "These are classic Netstal applications because, in addition to high precision and cleanliness, maximum output and maximum availability are important. Our system solutions impress with outstanding quality and low unit costs," said Membrino. At the NPE, Netstal will demonstrate its expertise in medical engineering applications with a fully electric ELION 2800-870 in the cleanroom version. With a 128-cavity mold from Tanner, more than 82,000 pipette tips are injected at a cycle time of 5.6 seconds per hour. The shot weight is 33.28 grams. The automation system with cavity separation comes from Zubler Handling. "Even without the MED kit, the ELION is one of the cleanest machines on the market as a result of the completely closed circulatory lubrication of the electrical clamping unit. With numerous options from our MED kit, they can also be flexibly equipped for the cleanroom. Up to ISO class 5 is possible, depending on the equipment package," said Membrino. With elements such as the patented Netstal "Clean Purge" nozzle extractor hood, a laminar flow hood, galvanically sealed mold plates, additional cover plates and closed drag chains, the particle output is effectively reduced. The special medical painting and the raising of the machine simplify the regular cleaning process. Flexible equipment options mean that ELION can be individually adapted to the application. "The ELION from Netstal offers the ideal injection molding machine for applications in the medical sector with fast cycles and correspondingly high annual output," said Membrino.
Two additional packaging applications on partner booths
In addition to the exhibits on the KraussMaffei Group booth, two other Netstal applications will be on display at partner booths. At the joint booth of Switzerland Global Enterprise the production of IML-decorated coffee capsules made of biodegradable PLA will be presented on an all-electric ELION 1200-250. A hybrid ELION 3200-2000 is used at CBW Automation. In the production cell, rectangular IML containers are produced with four cavities in a cycle time of 3.9 seconds.
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Design freedom and long shelf life: PRELACTIA is the cost-effective PET barrier preform for liquid dairy products |
Reliably linked: Interactive e-Service and, with AnalytiX, your own injection molding production in the cloud
As a powerful brand of the KraussMaffei Group, Netstal is driving developments in all aspects of Industry 4.0 under the Plastics 4.0 umbrella term. The new e-service provides Netstal users with versatile electronic functions for information and direct communication. Access to machine-specific documents, fast spare parts identification with direct order activation, the integrated ticket system and many other features offer additional assurance of production efficiency at the highest level. "With AnalytiX, Netstal's cloud-based production monitoring system, our customers always have their entire injection molding manufacturing process with them wherever they go. All you need is access and the new app on your smartphone or tablet," said a delighted Matt Membrino. The user benefits from automated evaluations of processes and machine conditions. This saves a lot of time and increases employee efficiency. With the help of intelligent key figures for stability and productivity, the user can identify trends or performance deviations of individual machines at a glance. "Data security is a top priority at Netstal. All information is hosted in the secure Netstal cloud in Switzerland and is not accessible to third parties," stressed Membrino. The user administration and the granting of access rights are entirely in the customer's hands. An essential requirement for using AnalytiX is that the injection molding machine is equipped with the "iOT Ready Package". This consists of the NRS-Connect module (Netstal Remote Support) and the Euromap 15 interface. The machine's Internet connection is either wired (LAN) or wireless (WIFI, 4G). The basic version of AnalytiX itself is available free of charge as an app for iOS or Android. With paid subscriptions, the range of functions can be flexibly adapted to individual needs.
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Engineered for the efficient production of thin-walled packaging: Injection molding machines of the ELIOS series unite high clamping forces with fast cycle times |
Netstal part of the newly established Bottle Zone
For the first time, Netstal will be represented with an additional booth in the newly installed Bottle Zone. "With the current PET-LINE generation of PET systems and the hybrid ELION series, Netstal offers the complete solution package for cost-effective production of PET preforms and beverage bottle caps," said Membrino. In addition to standard preforms for carbonated soft drinks, Netstal's portfolio includes PRELACTIA, an efficient packaging solution with integrated light barrier for filling liquid dairy products. Filling milk into PET offers a number of economic, ecological and aesthetic advantages and is therefore gaining in importance around the world. The design freedom in bottle design, the long shelf life of up to 6 months for UHT milk, the lower consumption of resources and the lower material costs are lasting arguments. PRELACTIA has been successfully in use in South America and Europe for several years. There is enormous interest in the technology in Asia. "In contrast to the co-injection process of other manufacturers, we see decisive advantages with our overmolding solution. We can precisely define the two layers, and thus the barrier effect. In addition, a PRELACTIA bottle always consists of pure PET, which considerably simplifies the recycling of the empty bottles," concluded Membrino.
About Netstal
The Netstal product brand stands for first-class, high-performance, high-precision injection molding machinery and system solutions. Netstal customers set a high value on the company’s continuous drive to innovate, excellent service and efficient, high-performance engineering solutions, especially for the beverage, packaging and medical technology industries. The Netstal brand, embodied by the Netstal company with its long engineering tradition in Näfels, Switzerland, has been part of the KraussMaffei Group since 1992. For more information: www.netstal.com
About the KraussMaffei Group
The KraussMaffei Group is among the world’s leading suppliers of machinery and systems for producing and processing plastics and rubber. Its products and services cover the whole spectrum of injection and reaction molding and extrusion technology, giving the company a unique position in the industry. The KraussMaffei Group is innovation-powered, supplying its products, processes and services as standard or custom solutions which deliver sustained added value along the customer’s value-adding chain. The company markets it’s offering under the KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal brands to customers in the automotive, packaging, medical, construction, electrical, electronics and home appliance industries. Continuing a long tradition of engineering excellence, the international KraussMaffei Group currently employs around 5,000 people. With a global network of more than 30 subsidiaries and more than 10 production plants, supported by around 570 sales and service partners, the company is close to customers around the world. KraussMaffei has been headquartered in Munich since 1838.
