Smart Molding International 1-2026

40 smart_molding interna onal 1/2026 machinery Automatic inline de-flashing of injection-molded work pieces For quality reasons a globally leading manufacturer of garden implements and motorized tools established a plas c injec on molding system for engine parts at its produc on facility in the United States. The geometrically complex work pieces are de- ashed in a swing chamber blast machine, model RWS 1200-I4-SAT2, supplied by Rösler. This system, completely integrated into the manufacturing ow, allows fully automa c de- ashing of the work pieces and their transfer to the assembly line at the precise output speed of the injec on molding machine. I n forest and garden maintenance as well as landscaping and construc - tion the tools and implements of this company, headquartered in Ger - many, enjoy a first-class reputation around the world. They are produced at various loca ons on several con - nents. To maintain the excellent inter - na onal quality reputa on of the mo - torized tools, purchased components must meet extremely high standards regarding dimensional accuracy and functionality. Two injection-molded thermoset engine components, sup - plied by external suppliers for the US manufacturing facility, did not consis - tently meet the speci ed quality stan - dards. For this reason, the company decided to make these components in- house, including the removal of ashes created during the molding opera on. Since in Europe the company cooper - ates with suppliers, who o er excel - lent solu ons from Rösler for the "de- flashing of plastic components”, the engineers responsible for this project contacted the Rösler US subsidiary in Ba le Creek (Michigan). Challenging quality and cycle me requirements The specifications of the garden imp l emen t manu fa c t u re r we re quite comprehensive and detailed, demanding full automation of the entire manufacturing operation. Among other things, this included supplying the injection molding machine with threaded bolts, the actual molding operation, the de-flashing and cleaning of the components - containing through-holes - at a cycle time of 60 seconds (per two parts) and, finally, the transfer of the de- flashed components to the assembly line. Based on processing trials, conducted by the sales and process management team at Rösler, an equipment concept was developed around the proven swing chamber machine RWS 1200. This system was specifically designed for gentle de- flashing of thermoset and highly filled thermoplastic components. Consistent and e cient processing with minimal non-produc ve idle produc on mes The compact RWS 1200-I4-SAT2 system has two chambers, each containing two rotating satellite stations with integrated fixtures for holding the work pieces measuring about 55 x 80 x 80mm(LxWxH). This clever dual chamber design ensures that while in one chamber thework pieces are de-flashed, finished and raw work pieces are unloaded, respectively, loaded in the other chamber. This practically eliminates any non-productive idle production times. The RWS 1200-I4-SAT2 for fully automatic de-flashing of thermoset components achieves the required results at a cycle time that is 25% lower than specified. This results in lower operational costs.