Smart Molding International 4-2021

molding technologies 34 smart_molding international 4/2021 M u l t i - component i n j ec - tion molding is a process of great importance and high demand. Because it enables the combination of two or more plastic components with different properties in one injection molding process. In other words, multi-component injec - tion molding allows different molded parts to be combined inline in the in - jection molding machine. This replaces assembly operations. Today, no branch of industry can do without the result - ing productivity and precision advan - tages (due to the consistently correct position and form-fit connection). The automotive industry is outstanding in terms of quantities and innovation. Currently, the switch to electric drive technology is proving to be an upswing to the next level of innovation. This is because, because instead of the com - bustion engine noises, the wind or roll - ing noises of the tires come to the fore, as do body vibrations. This is the environment in which Messrs. ELDISY (= Elastomer Sealing Systems), who focuses on sealing sys - tems for automotive and industrial applications and operates with sev - en production sites worldwide. The company mainly produces extruded profile seals for all door openings in automobiles, as well as a wide range of single- and multi-component body components. One example of ELDISY's systems expertise is that it has been commis - sioned by Volkswagen's commercial vehicle division in Hanover to produce all the plastic exterior components for the new VW ID.Buzz, which will be available from 2022. One of the components from this parts package is the approximately 180 cm wide "water box cover" in - stalled in front of the windshield. It consists of an arc-shaped polypropyl - ene structure combined with elastic In the past, relying on vertical injection molding machines instead of traditional horizontal molding machines when it came to the production of 2C molded parts was usually the exception to the rule. And even then, it was only an option for small and medium-sized molded parts. It was only when the automotive supplier ELDISY in Gardelegen / Saxony-Anhalt was faced with molded parts in the top size segment that the system change proved to be an unavoidable alternative because it was foreseeably more reliable and therefore more productive. In the Bavarian injection molding machine manufacturer LWB-Steinl, the company found a partner who not only had the necessary system components but also many years of experience in large-scale machine construction to enter this new territory. With a system change to new competitiveness The alternative machine concept from LWB-Steinl, derived from the VR-vertical-machine-series with modular frame-shaped clamping unit and a horizontal orientated turntable, supported by four pressure units (Pictures: LWB-Steinl, ELDISY)