Smart Molding International 3-2022

25 machinery www.smart-molding.com safety and performance features are on a par with those of modern poly- olefins, with a simultaneous significant reduction of the CO2 footprint. The mold from HAIDLMAIR is laid out op- timally for processing Bornewables™ material. A special feature of this mold is the use of hybrid elements in the mold plate to optimize cooling. These hybrid elements are manufactured by HAIDLMAIR directly on a laser tech machine in one production step from a combination of conventionally processed tool steel with 3D-printed yellow bronze. The cup produced in clear optic in the first cavity is over-molded in the second cavity with a shell and provided with an additional insulat- ing effect by foaming the melt with Cellmould technology. The shell con- sists of a Bornewables™ PP blend with adequate surface attributes for a firm grip. The lid for the cup is injection- molded in an adjacent cavity. It con- sists of the same material as the main body, but can be individually colored thanks to the special mold technology. The choice of materials was made to suit the cup’s function and give it a clear optical appearance. So, the en- tire cup is not only produced from Bornewables™, but can also be both re-used and 100% recycled in line with the principle of circular economy. The parts are removed and deposited on a conveyor belt by a WX142 robot, then passed on to a flow wrapping machine and packaged. The packaging material used in this instance also comes from the Bornewables™ product family from Borealis. Injection-compression molding for thinner wall thicknesses In injection-compression molding (ICM), the melt is injected into a not yet completely closed mold. Final forming of the part takes place fol- lowing complete closing of the mold by displacement of the melt into the cavity. This enables the mold to be filled under lower pressure, which in turn leads to a reduction of warpage inside the part. Injection-compression mold- ing allows processing of an extended range of materials with particularly high efficiency in material and energy input. Moreover, it offers innovative approaches to solutions where con- ventional processes have reached their limits. This process enables the production of extremely thin, pre- cisely reproducible wall thicknesses and accurate reproduction of surface structures. WITTMANN BATTENFELD will dem- onstrate this technology on a high- speed EcoPower Xpress 160/1100+. With a 4-cavity mold supplied by GLAROFORM, Switzerland, a 230 ml cupmade of polypropylene fromSABIC, the Netherlands, with a wall thickness of 0.28 mm will be produced within a short cycle time. Thanks to the highly dynamic drive technology of the high- speed EcoPower Xpress, especially the short injection times required for the ICM process can be realized. The ma- chine is equipped with a 4-fold IML system supplied by BECK Automa- tion, Switzerland. This system stands out by its high speed and compact design. One of its special functions is automatic positioning of all four la- bels. Regardless of its position inside the magazine, every label is invariably placed into exactly the same position on the IML core. This reduces both re- ject rates and operating effort, since manual adjustment of the label maga- zines is no longer necessary. Quality inspection of the cups decorated with SmartPlus 90 with automation cell WX138 robot