Smart Molding International 1-2024

22 smart_molding international 1/2024 molding outlook The lightest 1.3-litre pail with all-electric thin-wall injection moulding At the Fakuma event, ENGEL was presenting a highly efficient, all-electric application for the packaging sector. Addressing the ever more important consideration of weight reductions in impressive style, an all-electric e-motion 765/280 T was being used to produce the world’s lightest 1.3-litre pail. The continuing trend towards reduced wall thicknesses is being driven by economic concerns. In the case of injection moulding machines used for continuous mass production, small weight reductions in specific products have a big effect on the viability of production cells. An understanding of injection moulding processes and the particular features thereof, developed over decades, makes ENGEL the ideal partner to any injection moulding business – especially in the field of thin-wall packaging. What until recently could only be produced with a hybrid solution involving hydraulic accumulators is now possible with an all-electric machine: ENGEL has set new standards in the performance of all-electric machines with the e-motion 765/280 T. Until now, a 1.3-litre pail with a wall thickness of 0.45 millimetres as produced at Fakuma could only be manufactured using a hybrid machine. Despite the extreme flow path to wall thickness ratio of over 1:400, ENGEL is demonstrating how thin-wall performance can be combined with energy efficiency. The pail is being produced using easy-flowing polypropylene supplied by Borealis with an MFI of 100. The new 765 injection unit also ensures high injection speed and dynamism. Speeds of 600 millimetres per second and injection pressures of up to 2,600 bar guarantee machine performance in spite of short fill times and injection strokes. Another benefit of the e-motion series lies in the variety of available components for plasticising. In thin-wall applications, ENGEL takes advantage of this by adapting the plasticising unit to high demands in terms of the throughput rate and melt homogeneity. For the first time, two packages aimed at packaging are available for the e-motion. Package 1 contains all high- performance options required on the e-motion platform to facilitate the fastest cycle times with maximum machine stability. Package 2 comprises a hydraulic package that replaces the standard electric ejector with a hydraulic ejector drive. This is operated by an integrated hydraulic unit, which also controls the nozzle movement automatically. The system is completed with a two- cavity mould and an automation solution from Inmold. The former is ideally coordinated to component geometry characterised by a smaller wall thickness, ensuring the mechanical stability of the pail. As an option, a handle for the pail can be injected in the same cycle using a mould attachment. The automation comprises a side-entry robot which fills the cavities with labels from MCC Verstraete. The labels are picked up electrostatically and positioned in the cavities. Visual quality control is then performed to check the geometry and ensure the labels are correctly positioned, with any missing parts separated fully automatically. At the Fakuma event, machine performance – so essential in the field of thin-wall packaging – was going hand in hand with resource conservation. An all-electric drive and ideal temperature control add up to potential energy savings of around 30% compared to hybrid machines. The 1.3-litre pail, which weighs just over 26 grams, is being produced with maximum energy efficiency. Bringing high performance molds to Mexico and Latin America StackTeck was exhibiting once again at the Plastimagen 2023 that was taking place in Mexico City from November 7th to November10th, 2023, having a high precision injection mold running at the show, featuring a sustainable packaging solution. This ultra-thin molding technology was running in a Sumitomo Demag El-Exis SP 4200 machine which is part of an ultra-high speed hybrid series of injection molding machines. The system was running a 1x4 500g rectangular container mold that featured the TRIMTM (Thin Recess Injection Molding) light weighting A two-cavity mould and automation from Inmold complete the high-performance system (picture: ENGEL)