Source: Netstal.
At K 2013 Swiss manufacturer of injection moulding machines Netstal will be producing polycarbonate infusion devices from a 16-cavity mould on an ELION 1750-530 injection moulding machine with a cycle time of approximately 16 seconds. The polycarbonate material is being provided by Sabic Europe. The mould is courtesy of Italian mould maker RB/HRS.
Materials handling equipment and cooling equipment is being supplied by Italian manufacturer Piovan.
Dr Patrick Blessing, head of the business unit MED, said: "The ELION features encapsulated joint, closed drag chains, water-cooled electric motors and cleanroom cleading so that virtually emission-free operation is guaranteed. Moreover, the processor benefits from the machine's extremely low energy consumption. Thanks to the principle of energy recovery, braking energy is fed back into the internal electrical circuit to supply additional consumers. When used efficiently, it is possible to save up to 70 percent of energy consumption compared to conventional drive systems. As a result of this saving, our customers can verifiable manufacture their products more cost-effectively in the long term."
Commenting on the ELION's suitability in cleanrooms, Patrick said: "The all-electric ELION is ideal for use in cleanrooms. It guarantees the high-precision manufacture of sterile parts in a very clean environment while achieving very short cycle times in compliance with all applicable legal regulations. The customer benefits from excellent mechanical engineering and a highly cost-effective solution thanks to our system and application expertise."
Netstal is owned by the KrausMaffei Group, the German manufacturer of injection moulding, extrusion and other types of plastics processing machinery. In medical moulding, Krauss supply its CX and AX series, which are rounded off with a wide selection of robots which the company says is designed to improve process and production efficiency.
K is the largest plastics trade show in the world. It will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 16-23, 2013. The next event will not be until around the same time in 2016.