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Magazine & News Articles
Nov 18/09 Injection Molding Case Studies: Doing It Cheaper, Faster
By: Mark Stephen, Managing Editor...article graciuosly provided by Canadian Plastics Magazine
GLP HI-TECH
St-Jean-Sur-Richilieu, Que.
The Challenge
An 80-employee strong custom mold shop with 13 injection molding machines, GLP Hi-Tech wanted to trim its energy usage, but without going down the all-electric route. "We've had all-electric machines in the past, but we weren't familiar enough with them technically to feel comfortable, and therefore didn't find enough advantage to continue with them," said company general manager Christian Boudreau. "For the kind of technical parts molding that we do -- including medical, industrial and electrical parts -- we prefer the direct hydraulic machine." The goal, then, was to approximate the low energy consumption of an all-electric unit without giving up the "feel" of a hydraulic.
The Solution
In an earlier time, GLP Hi-Tech might have been out of luck -- but this is a new day. After surveying the latest I/M equipment on display at the K-2007 show in Germany, Boudreau and his colleagues selected a Nissei FNX 140-ton hybrid machine, one of Nissei's FNX series. Available in a range between 89 and 502 U.S. tons, the FNX units feature the X Pump system, a hybrid pump that combines servomotor drive technology and hydraulic drive technology as the driving source for the molding machine. By controlling the rotation of the servomotor, the motor provides driving power only when required.
The FNX 140 consumes approximately 30 per cent less energy than the standard hydraulic machine that it replaced on GLP's shop floor, without sacrificing the advantages of a direct hydraulic unit. "The motor runs only when we need all of our flow," Boudreau said. "When the motor is not turning, no electricity is being used, which translates into a lot of savings."
And this isn't all. "With our very thick parts and long cycle times, the motor gives precise packing pressure needed, which wasn't true with a hydraulic machine," Boudreau continued. "With the machine's servo valve, everything is closed loop: it adjusts for the pressure you need, and the motor and pump push exactly the quantity that you need. There's no leaking, as happens with hydraulic machines, because it's a closed loop system."
The Result
In other ways, though, the FNX 160 is reassuringly familiar. "Set up and control operation are the same as with traditional hydraulic units, and the machine still has all of the hydraulic valves and hoses, meaning the guys on our shop floor don't have any difficulties," Boudrea said.
Part of GLP's strategy for remaining remaining competitive lies in replacing molding machines relatively frequently fre -- usually within five years of purchase -- which means that the company is due to replace another traditional hydraulic machine any time now. Boudreau has no doubts about where they'll turn. "We're definitely planning to replace our older units with new FNX machines," he said. "In fact, we anticipate that the units will be even more effective at higher tonnage, because we'll have more savings to achieve."
Nissei Plastics Industrial Co./En-Plas Inc.
416-286-3030
Sept/Oct 2009 An excerpt from: Full-servo robot with shorter take-out times
The newest line of full-servo take-out robots from Yushin, the RC Series delivers up to 13 per cent shorter take-out times and ensures increased productivity for its owners.
The unit comes with the new E-touch II controller, with audible help guidance, animated icon-based charts, and more. Newly programmed motions may be simulated and checked on a 3D screen on the controller or another PC. This valuable function streamlines operation time, improves safety, and shortens setup time. Edge protectors on both sides of the controller cushion the controller case if dropped. Housing has IP44 rating for protection from particulates and moisture.
The RC units are also equipped with vertical axis and kick axis servo motors a full size larger than the previous robot line.
The standard-equipped "ECO Vacuum" feature reduces the amount of compressed air needed for product suction during take-out, providing energy-savings and lower running costs.
Yushin Precision Equipment Co. Ltd./En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); www.en-plasinc.com; 416-286-3030
July/Aug/09 An excerpt from: Injection Molding: The future is Here For injection molders looking to thrive, not just survive, inexpensive used equipment bought on auction won't cut it for long. Like it or not, getting into new markets like medical parts molding involves getting cutting-edge technology. NPE2009 was the place to see it...and this is the place to read about it.By: Mark Stephen, managing editor Canadian Plastics Magazine www.canplastics.com
All-electric machine pioneer Nissei showed its NEX series, which offer automatic clamping force correction function, and high precision metering control as standard equipment.
The toggle-type automatic clamping force mechanism can automatically correct the clamping force that was affected due to the rise of mold temperature during automatic or continuous operation of a molding machine. This function also allows users to change the clamping force during automatic operation.
High precision metering control permits the selection of a control mode "Pre Pack" or "Precision Metering," which materialize high precision metering during molding operation.
One of the models, the all-electric NEX 110-18E, has been crafted specifically for molding bioresins such as polylactic acid.
All-electric machine pioneer Nissei showed its NEX series, which offer automatic clamping force correction function, and high precision metering control as standard equipment.
The toggle-type automatic clamping force mechanism can automatically correct the clamping force that was affected due to the rise of mold temperature during automatic or continuous operation of a molding machine. This function also allows users to change the clamping force during automatic operation.
High precision metering control permits the selection of a control mode "Pre Pack" or "Precision Metering," which materialize high precision metering during molding operation.
One of the models, the all-electric NEX 110-18E, has been crafted specifically for molding bioresins such as polylactic acid.
April 2008 An except from: IN-MOLD LABELING
"The ultimate result is a visually stimulating part," noted En-Plas Inc. sales manager Brad Lemieux. "And the label cannot be removed from the product, providing permanent advertising."
The IML process also eliminates the need for post-mold operations such as gluing to affix the label to the container. En-Plas demonstrated its IML capabilities using a Yushin RA800SL servo robot with a Nissei molding machine at last year's Plast-Ex show. With several years of implementing IML solutions, En-Plas noted that there is often some "black magic" associated with IML.
For one, the processor has to ensure that the process takes place in a clean molding environment, in order to avoid dust and contaminants. Also, En-Plas said that there is the chance of servo motor arching due to the static charge process, especially if the processor opts for a less experienced supplier.
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