Smart Molding International 1-2023

16 smart_molding international 1/2023 newsfeed ENGEL to exhibit at Chinaplas 2023 with four machines and more As the demands on productivity and energy efficiency continue to rise, integrated system solutions to support cost-effective injection moulding are rapidly gaining in importance. At Chinaplas 2023, which takes place from 17 to 20 April in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, ENGEL, the injection moulding machine manufacturer and system solution provider, will set up challenging applications to demonstrate how combining the ideal machine with smart digitalisation can maximise overall efficiency. Also at the Chinaplas event, the new iQ hold control assistance system will be making its Asian première. “All of us are very much looking forward finally to re-establishing personal contact with our customers, partners and the sector as a whole in Asia,” says Gero Willmeroth, President Asia and Oceania at ENGEL in the run- up to Chinaplas. The event opens its doors in Shenzhen on 17 April following the Covid-enforced break. “Now that travel restrictions have eased, we are expecting more visitors from across Asia to attend the trade show. We are now in the post-Covid era and perceive a spirit of optimism that will also blow through Chinaplas.” ENGEL will welcome visits to its stand, featuring four machine exhibits alongside Expert Corners devoted to trending themes. ENGE L w i l l b e p r e s e n t i n g an automated production cell manufacturing mirrors for head-up displays of polycarbonate using a servohydraulic duo 2460/500 injection moulding machine. An ENGEL viper robot will remove the parts from the mould and place them on the conveyor belt. For this exhibit, ENGEL teamed up with a local mould producing partner: Skymold, based in Ningbo City, China. Working with local partners ensures a high degree of cost efficiency even in the case of sophisticated and innovative technologies while shortening delivery times for the system as a whole. The ENGEL duo machines are also produced locally for the Asian markets. The large-scale machine plant is located in Shanghai. In Shenzhen, ENGEL will present two applications on all-electric ENGEL e-mac injection moulding machines to demonstrate how productivity gains can be achieved in a highly cost- effective manner. In both examples, the space and energy requirements of the production cell remain low as the mould cavities are scaled up. An e-mac 465/180 with a 128-cavity mould will be used to produce the kind of connector seals needed in automotive electronics. The series mould, manufactured by Austrian firm Nexus Elastomer Systems, is used by the automotive supplier Waexim based in Xiamen, China. The special design of e-mac machines, which feature enlarged tie-bar spacing, makes it possible to install this large mould on the relatively small 1800 kN machine. The second ENGEL e-mac in Shenzhen will showcase a medical application: in the medical sector too, there is a distinct trend towards raising productivity through higher cavity numbers. An e-mac 1340/280 injection moulding machine will be used to produce blood collection tubes of PET from a 64-cavity mould supplied by NCM of Suzhou, China. The issue of surface area productivity will also set the tone for the teletronics exhibit on the ENGEL stand. Battery housings will be produced from fibreglass-reinforced PC-ABS on an insert 500V/100 rotary vertical machine, with metal rings inserted into the mould and overmoulded. For this purpose, the insert machine will be fitted with a large rotary table and a compact integrated ENGEL easix articulated robot. To underline the strong potential of digitalisation in terms of enhanced product quality and production efficiency, the injection moulding machines on the ENGEL stand will operate with smart assistance. In similar fashion to the driving assistants used in cars, ENGEL’s iQ systems serve to ensure stable injection moulding processes. Among other things, they automatically detect fluctuations in raw materials, ambient conditions and mould temperature control and compensate for such fluctuations in the same cycle; iQ systems can also determine the ideal set values for specific applications. ENGEL www.engelglobal.com The new iQ hold control assistance system determines optimum holding pressure times, thereby enhancing efficiency in both setup and production operations (picture: ENGEL)