Versatility, productivity and economy are to be showcased
at K 2004 in the plastic equipment sector
Every Kunstoff fair focuses on better and efficient equipment displaying
more versatility and reducing production costs to make the plastic
processors economically more competitive in a globalized economy.
K 2004 is no exception. K 2004 proposes to showcase newer innovations
in equipments from several segments, spread across more than 100,000
sq.mts. European machinery suppliers, with the largest share in
the global market, are major exhibitors at K 2004. They make the
Kunstoff fair the premier exhibition for plastics where the latest
and newer developments can be observed.
We take this opportunity to bring out some salient developments
to be exhibited at K 2004 that we have come across.
Injection Molding
Injection molded products have almost 40% share of plastics
consumption. In fact, the market for injection molding equipment
is possibly the largest due to higher cost factor coupled with relatively
lower output compared to the other processes such as extrusion or
blow molding.
1. Electric Machines
For the last 2 K exhibitions, the emphasis has been centered
on the all electric injection molding equipment. There is a general
feeling that the smaller (less than 300 tons) injection molding
machinery sector would switch over to all electric, possibly in
the next 5-6 years due to important factors of lower costs and energy
savings. Hydraulic machinery would continue to have a presence in
the larger molding equipment sector. The diversity of electric machines
will be the focus at this year's show, with several new all-electric
versions in direct-drive and belt-driven versions. Hybrid designs
that promise to have better precision and repeatability will be
presented.
Most of the major equipment suppliers such as Arburg, Milacron,
Negri Bossi, Nissei and Sandretto will display the all electric
injection molding equipment at the exhibition clearly illustrating
the shift that can be seen in the smaller injection molding sector.
2. Hybrid Systems
Demag or Engel will show several innovations in the "Hybrid"
type injection systems. For large sized moldings, Engel is also
providing tiebarless version in the hybrid system. For high speed
packaging products, hydraulic toggle systems will continue with
advancements. Engel, Krauss Maffei, Milacron and the leader Netstal
will exhibit new developments aimed to increase productivity. Krauss-Maffei
will show its C3 Sprinter two-platen press used in a multi-component
application for the first time to produce a thin-wall, 400 cc container.
3. Micro injection molding
New two-platen designs will also be featured by at least 4 major
suppliers. There will also be new choices in high-speed presses
for packaging as well as new entries for micro-molding. New multi-component
systems will debut to meet strong interest ranging from automotive
sector to medical markets.
For clean room applications (products for medical applications),
two-platen systems will be shown by Krauss-Maffei. Two platen system
would help in maintenance while removing the moulds.
Battenfeld will show a Microsystem 50 specially designed to manufacture
high-precision medical parts weighing less than 0.01 gm. It will
produce a vascular clamp with a diameter of about 4 mm and a wall
thickness of approximately 0.4 mm. Nissei will exhibit its Elject
EP5 Real Mini all-electric machine with a clamp force of 5 tons,
designed for shot weights under 3 gm.
Boy will present what it deems the "smallest shot" at
K, when its 15-ton Boy 12A produces miniature toothed wheels weighing
0.001gm. in a two-cavity mold. This application will show off the
shorter residence time and better thermal stability delivered by
the 12 mm dia. plasticating unit.
In other small-machine news, Arburg will introduce new models in
Allrounder U series of hydraulic machines. A new Allrounder U with
a 38.5 ton clamp will be the largest in the line (as compared to
the previous largest ranging from 13.5 to 20 tons) and feature a
swiveling injection unit that is interchangeable. It will make a
connector part.
4. PET Preforms
Several companies will roll out new PET preform machines with higher
cavities and/or multi-layer capability. There is also news in other
specialties such as structural foam, injection/compression and vertical
presses. K 2004 will also be a platform for launching new developments
in hot runners and robots.
Multi-layer PET preform production in high volumes will be on display
by Kortec, which is showing a new 144 cavity molding system called
the Ultra 144. The three-layer preform system (based on a Husky
press and Kortec tool) can make 576 preforms/min with neck diameters
of 28 mm. The unit is part of a turnkey system for carbonated soft-drink
or beer bottles.
Netstal says its PET-Line 3500 (385 ton) and 6000 (660 ton) PET
perform machines will have an optimized plasticating system for
shorter cycle times. A 96-cavity system will produce 20.5-gm. preforms
in 9.6 sec, demonstrating for the first time hydraulic slides for
thread release.
Boy Machinery will demonstrate preform molding on its Boy 90A, which
is reportedly capable of running up to 1100 preforms/hr. It can
handle preforms for bottles up to 2.5 litres.
In addition, Husky along with Cold Jet will jointly display the
dry-ice blast cleaning systems from Cold Jet.. Husky says this non-abrasive
cleaning method is fast, easy, safe, and economical for cleaning
PET preform molds. Dry ice reportedly does not damage the mold and
evaporates on contact, so there is no runoff, rinsing, or drying.
Both Husky and Cold Jet will exhibit at K 2004 exhibition.
5.Water injection molding technology
Engel will promote 2 new developments in multi-cavity production.
It will demonstrate the latest developments in its watermelt water-injection
technology, which has now been adapted for multi-point injection
and multi-cavity moulds. At the show, the process will be used to
mould a collapsible crate in which 4 of the 5 parts produced in
each shot will be hollowed out through water injection. Although
the different parts are cored out to different degrees, all 4 parts
will be fed from one watermelt unit.
6.Other developments
Engel will show that its X-Melt process, in which melt is pre-pressurized
(compressed) in front of the screw and then expands into the mold
with explosive speed, now can be applied to multi-cavity molds.
The process, which can fill small, thin-walled parts in a few hundredths
of a second, will be used to produce a battery casing in a four-cavity
hot-runner mold in a cycle time of 5 sec. The part will have a thickness
of only 0.15 mm and a flow length of 30 mm, which Engel says would
be impossible with any other process. The application will demonstrate
a special hot-runner valve-gate system from Moldmasters. The melt
is compressed inside the manifold, and then the machine shutoff
nozzle valve is actuated, so that the screw is totally isolated
from the filling process. Also, a single plate actuates all four
valve gates to produce perfectly simultaneous cavity filling, which
is necessary for the X-Melt process to work properly.
Engel has developed a new injection-compression system for its Optimelt
process for ultra-high-precision optical components. The new module
is mounted on the moving side of the clamping unit and works with
a hydraulic pancake cylinder and closed-loop control to produce
lenses with a "moth's-eye" surface microstructure that
eliminates the need for non-reflective coatings.
Wilmington Machinery will display two new machines for structural
foam parts. Its new Lumina 1600h is designed for multi-nozzle gas-assist
injection molding structural parts. It has a clamp force of 355
tons and features a shot capacity of 12 kgs using a single or dual
accumulator system and can accommodate up to 64 nozzles.
Blow Molding
The developments of all electric systems of the injection molding
will now be translated in the blow molding sector as well. This
system will expect to show the energy saving of about 10-20% compared
to the conventional systems.
Bekum is expected to display a tandem blow molding machine where
the blowing will be simultaneously carried out by top and bottom
blowing. This will double the productivity. This new tandem machine
is designed for smaller sized containers in the range of about 100-300ml
that are required for packaging of milk based products, sport drinks
and juices. With a focus on increased productivity, Plastimac SpA,
Italy has developed a new machine that would produce 5 litre detergent
bottle at 2400/hour.
Graham will focus on reciprocating-screw technology and will introduce
a proportionally controlled, high-speed hydraulic clamping system
for high-cavities moulding of gallon HDPE dairy containers. The
company will show a cutaway of an air-cooled reciprocating extruder,
a standard feature on its newer machines. Graham has developed a
reciprocating screw blow moulding machine and will also highlight
its latest high-throughput extrusion heads for polycarbonate water
bottle production and other applications on its Hesta-Graham linear
shuttle machines.
PET
PET machinery has always remained in the forefront with newer developments
at all previous K exhibitions. This exhibition will also feature
improving flexibility and economy of production.
SIPA of Italy, will demonstrate a machine with 9 blowing stations,
three-cavity molds for single-serve bottles or single-cavity molds
for family-size containers. The machine has an output of 40,000
bottles/hr at 0.6 litres and 15,000/hr for a 3L size. This machine
has a simple mechanical set-up, and a preform heating and stabilizing
system that allows a wide processing window.
Automa of Italy will unveil a one-stage injection stretch-blow moulding
machine for wide-mouth PET containers.
Extrusion
At K 2004, at least a half-dozen European machine builders will
show new direct-drive extruders running gearless-or nearly gearless-drives
with substantially higher rpm and output rates than conventional
extruders of the same size. Direct-drive extruders also require
less energy and maintenance and are eerily silent in operation.
Extruders with direct drives will employ several motor configurations,
primarily the rapidly evolving rare-earth permanent-magnet synchronous
motors, which first appeared on a prototype extruder only 3 years
ago. The first users are finding energy savings of 10% to 20% versus
the same size extruder with gears. At this year's show, you'll see
synchronous motors in blown and cast film, as well as in other processes.
These drives are also likely to appear at the exhibition on other
equipments such as injection and blow molding machines and even
in some downstream equipments like rewinders.
Battenfeld has installed more than 20 gearless BEX extruders in
Europe after only 8 months presence in the market. Sizes range from
1 in. with a 5-hp motor and 500 Nm of torque up to an 8-in. extruder
with up to 330 hp and 3000 Nm.
At the K 2004 exhibition, Reifenhauser will run
a three-layer blown film line with REI torque motors on all 3 extruders-the
world's first demonstration of this type of motor for blown film.
(Reifenhauser's first REItorque installation in 2003 was on a pipe
line.) Earlier this year, Reifenhauser delivered the first REItorque
blown film line to a beta test site in Germany, where it is running
heavy-duty polyethylene sacks. The three-layer coex production line
has three 70-mm diam. screws and makes film with a 1-meter layflat
width. The line at K exhibition will have two 60-mm extruders and
one 80-mm and will make film with 1.7-meter layflat width.
Extruders will also be introduced at K 2004 exhibition that can
achieve higher speeds, lower torque, and higher output by more conventional
means. Maillefer SA will show a new high-speed MEH model with an
AC motor.
Davis-Standard will introduce a compact 3.5-in. extruder with a
high-torque Siemens motor. The variable-speed motor runs with 7000
Nm of torque at 200 to 300 rpm and is directly coupled to the drive
shaft.
Plastimac SpA in Italy will show 35-mm and 40-mm extruders with
AC motors directly coupled to the screw for higher speeds and throughput.
Both have bimetallic barrels to withstand the higher rotation speeds.
Maillefer SA will display its new patented cross linking system
with infra red heating system in place of the conventional heating
system.
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