welcome to engel at plast 2012

Press release

ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, A-4311 Schwertberg/Austria, Tel.: +43 50 620-0, Fax: +43 50 620-3009 E-mail: [email protected], http://www.engelglobal.com

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Welcome to ENGEL at Plast 2012

Schwertberg/Austria – March 2012. Intelligent proce ss integration for maximum

efficiency and economy – this is ENGEL's focus at P last 2012 from 8 to 12 May in

Milan. Five highly-integrated and automated product ion cells at the trade fair stand in

Hall 24 impressively demonstrate the injection moul ding machine manufacturer and

automation expert's system solution and technology competence – and across a wide

spectrum of applications, too, from Automotive thro ugh Technical Moulding and

Packaging to Medical.

"Right now, plastics processors in Italy are mainly investing in new technologies, automation,

process integration and energy-saving options," says Maurizio Ferrari, sales manager with

ENGEL ITALIA, in the run-up to the most important trade fair for the Italian injection moulding

market this year. "Our exhibits at Plast 2012 precisely reflect these trends." All told, seven

ENGEL production solutions will be presented live and in action. ENGEL will be presenting

five of these production cells at its own trade fair stand and another machine at a partner

company’s stand.

Automotive: MuCell saves material and costs in ligh tweight construction

The biggest growth driver in Italy today is the automobile and automotive supplies industry.

At Plast, ENGEL is presenting a highly-integrated application from the lightweight

construction field for these target branches. Oil sumps made of polyamide will be produced in

MuCell® foam technology on an ENGEL duo 3550/500 pico injection moulding machine with

a clamping force of 500 tons. The production cell is automated with an ENGEL viper 20

linear robot. Additionally, the machine is equipped with energy-saving ENGEL servo-

hydraulic ecodrive , which can reduce the energy consumption of a hydraulic injection

moulding machine by up to 70 %, depending on the machine type and application, by

reducing the lost energy.

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Due to an increasing focus on lightweight constructions and the continuing increases in raw

material prices, the trend will be for structural foam moulding. Physical foaming involves the

injection of pressurised nitrogen or carbon dioxide into the plastic melt during plastification.

After injection into the unpressurised mould, the gas separates from the melt and creates a

fine-cell foam structure. This saves raw material, weight and costs. At the same time, the

moulded parts exhibit excellent dimensional stability. This opens up new degrees of

freedom to product designers. For example, the MuCell process also allows for the

dimensioning of thin parts in the component, whilst wall thicknesses of 1mm are beyond

the capabilities of compact injection moulding.

Under the ENGEL foammelt banner, ENGEL offers turnkey solutions from a single source

for MuCell structural foam moulding. The foam units by ENGEL technology partner Trexel,

Woburn/USA, are fully integrated into the ENGEL injection moulding machine's CC 200

control unit. This means that the overall system satisfies the highest demands with regard

to documentation, traceability and clarity.

The ENGEL viper linear robots are now available in six sizes with nominal load bearing

capacities of between 6 and 90 kg. Thanks to clever software such as vibration control, or

mass identification, the robots reduce their structure-borne vibration, even with longer axis

dimensions, and optimise their movements and dynamic values to achieve better

efficiency. What this means is: shortest cycle times and maximum productivity with low

energy consumption.

Packaging: All-electric machines for maximum perfor mance

For ENGEL packaging it's all about speed at Plast 2012. With a cycle time in the range of 4

seconds, an all-electric ENGEL e-motion 740/200 T injection moulding machine will be

producing round caps for food packaging in polypropylene thin-walled technology using a 4-

cavity mould. Thanks to integrated in-mould labelling, the highly integrated production cell

turns out ready-for-use caps. ENGEL's system partner for IML automation is Star Automation

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from Caselle di Santa Maria di Sala/Italy. The mould was built by Schöttli,

Diessenhofen/Switzerland and the labels are supplied by Viappiani Printing, Segrate/Italy.

"All-electric machines are increasingly finding their way into high performance and fast

running applications in the packaging industry", says Matteo Ghiglia, packaging specialist

with ENGEL ITALIA. Injection speeds of up to 460 mm per second, and cycle times of less

than three seconds, can now also be achieved by cost-effective all-electric injection moulding

machines.

A second exhibit for the packaging industry sets new standards in terms of process

integration. A tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 330/90 tech injection moulding machine will be

producing cosmetics jars using an injection blow-moulding process (IBMP). The patented

IBMP method, which was developed by mould maker Cantoni in Abbadia Lariana/Italy in

cooperation with ENGEL, combines the injection moulding and blow moulding processes in a

standard injection molding machine, thus saving a complete production step in the

production of small containers. In a cycle time of 19 seconds, ready-for-filling jars will be

produced on a 2-cavity mould at Plast.

Technical Moulding: Large moulds on small machines

When it comes to manufacturing technical parts, the ENGEL victory machines utilise their tie-

bar-less advantage to the full. An ENGEL victory 330H/200V/120 combi will be

demonstrating this on the five days of the fair. The machine will be producing bottle openers

in two-component injection moulding and insert technology with in-mould labelling. An

ENGEL viper 12 type linear robot – the fastest robot in its load-bearing class in

international comparisons – inserts both the metal part and the decorative foil into the

mould. The first shot initially injects the body of the bottle opener in polycarbonate, while

the second applies a covering of TPE to the edges to provide a better grip.

Thanks to the ENGEL victory machines' tie-bar-less design, the robot can access the

mould from the side, thus supporting automation on a very tight footprint. Both the robot

and the magazine for the metal inserts and foils are inside the machine's safety guarding.

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Space is also saved by the fact that the tie-bar-less machine design enables smaller

injection moulding machines to be deployed than the mould size would normally dictate,

because the mould mounting platens can be used right up to the edges. This benefit is felt

in particular in multi-component applications, where the moulds are typically relatively

large, but a comparatively low clamping force is required on account of the fairly small

projected part surfaces. Another benefit: smaller machines are cheaper to buy and use less

energy.

Medical: fully integrated multiple axis robot

The highlight by ENGEL medical at Plast is the production of syringe barrels including

needles in a single production step. An all-electric ENGEL e-motion 200/100 T injection

moulding machine featuring a clean room design is used for this. To allow this to happen,

the needles are separated and inserted into the 4-cavity pilot mould by ZAHORANSKY,

Freiburg/Germany, by a linear robot driven by a servomotor. After overmoulding with a

COC/COP, the syringe barrels are taken off the mould by an ENGEL easix multiple axis

industrial robot. Because the take-off step occurs in parallel to insert-placing of a new set of

needles, the plant achieves extremely short cycle times. The integrated process is an

innovation compared with legacy multiple step processes, which first manufacture the

needle holder in an injection moulding step and then glue in the hollow needles.

This trade fair exhibit sees ENGEL not just setting standards in terms of economy, but also

with respect to ease of operation of the production plant. The multiple-axis robot control

unit is fully integrated into the CC 200 control unit on the ENGEL injection moulding

machine; in other words, there is no need for a Euromap 67 interface. This means that the

robot can be controlled using the injection moulding machine control unit's familiar simple

instructions. Tasks that previously involved calling in a programmer can now be handled by

machine operating staff. The fact that the machine and the robot share data storage is

another advantage of control unit integration which both improves efficiency and ensures a

greater degree of process reliability.

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In practical applications, follow-up stations could be integrated into the production cell

through to packaging of the ready-for-use syringes. Because there is no need for glue, and

the COC/COP acts as a barrier, the application presented at Plast is also suitable for

manufacturing prefilled syringes, which have previously only been made of glass.

ENGEL is presenting this exhibit in cooperation with system partners. Besides supplying

the mould, ZAHORANSKY is also responsible for the system that separates and feeds in

the needles. The ENGEL easix robot is based on a TX 90 by Stäubli Tec-Systems,

Bayreuth/Germany. Transcoject, Neumünster/Germany is involved in the project as the

plastics processor.

LSR injection moulding at ENGEL partner booth

Another ENGEL machine will be presenting an exciting application at Plast 2012. Wacker

Chemie, Burghausen/Germany, Hall 11 (Booth B 36), will be exhibiting the manufacturing of

babies' dummies made of LSR on an ENGEL e-victory 200/50 injection moulding machine.

The e-victory hybrid machines with electrical injection units and servo-hydraulic clamping

units are equipped with the ecodrive energy saving option as a factory standard. ENGEL

provides the whole production cell including a Silkomix 200 LSR dosing unit from Dopag

Italia, Turin/Italy.

Own subsidiary in Italy for more than 22 years

Injection moulding machine maker and automation expert ENGEL, with headquarters in

Schwertberg/Austria, has been locally represented with its own sales and service subsidiary

in Vimercate, Northern Italy, for more than 22 years. Other sales offices and representatives

are located in middle and Southern Italy, thus allowing ENGEL to offer customer proximity.

ENGEL at Plast 2012 in Milan: Hall 24, stand A33/B3 2

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ENGEL ecodrive inside: the energy saving option dramatically reduces the energy consumption of hydraulic ENGEL injection moulding machines. At Plast, an ENGEL duo 500 pico machine with ecodrive will be producing oil sumps in MuCell technology. (Fig.: ENGEL)

The ENGEL viper robots impress with excellent stability and highly dynamic action. Two sizes will be in action at Plast, a viper 20 and a viper 12. (Fig.: ENGEL)

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Fit for high performance: all-electric ENGEL e-motion injection moulding machines. (Fig.: ENGEL)

In the injection blow-moulding process, the preforms are completed directly in the mould to create the finished product. Process integration substantially reduces the time and cost overheads in the production of small containers. (Fig.: Cantoni)

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At Plast, cosmetics jars will be produced on a 2-cavity mould using the injection blow-moulding method. (Fig.: Cantoni)

The ENGEL victory machines' tie-bar-less design saves space on the one hand because the robot can reach into the mould cavity from the side, and on the other because large, multiple-component moulds will fit on a comparatively small machine. (Fig.: ENGEL)

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An ENGEL viper 12 linear robot takes the multiple component bottle openers out of the mould and deposits them on a conveyor belt. (Fig.: ENGEL)

The bottle openers are produced in two-component injection moulding with in-mould labelling and insert technology. (Fig.: ENGEL)

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The all-electric ENGEL e-motion injection moulding machine series is predestined for applications in clean rooms with encapsulated drives, an encapsulated toggle lever, smooth surfaces and an encapsulated barrel. (Picture: ENGEL)

Instead of following the legacy approach of gluing the needles into the syringe barrel, the new production solution overmoulds them directly with plastic. (Fig.: ZAHORANSKY)

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Fully integrated: ENGEL easix guarantees quick and simple programming and operation of multiple-axis industrial robots. (Fig.: ENGEL)

ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH ENGEL is one of the world’s leading plastics processing machine manufacturers. Today, the ENGEL Group offers its customers a single-source for a full range of plastics processing technology modules for: injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers as far as automation, with the assurance that individual components are competitive and successful in world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea), subsidiaries and representatives for more than 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the comprehensive, global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies, and leading-edge production systems.

Contact address for inquiries:

Gerd Liebig, Group Marketing Director, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg/Austria, Tel.: +43 (0)50/620-3800, Fax: -3009 E-Mail: [email protected] Susanne Zinckgraf, Manager Public Relations, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg/Austria, PR-Office: Theodor-Heuss-Str. 85, D-67435 Neustadt/Germany, Tel.: +49 (0)6327/97699-02, Fax: -03 E-mail: [email protected]

welcome to engel at plast 2012

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