Engel partners with Hack Formenbau to ensure high-volume production of test swabs

As a result of Covid-19, there has been a surge in demand for test swabs for both nasal and throat swab tests.

Injection moulding machine manufacturer, Engel Austria, and manufacturer, Hack Formenbau, have partnered together to provide an integrated system solution, and process technology consulting, to help plastics processors launch the high-volume production of two-component test swabs with a short lead time.

The test swabs consist of a stable thermoplastic handle and a head made of a thermoplastic elastomer to make the examination less uncomfortable for the patient. The two-component design was developed by Hack Formenbau, who initially proposed three different head designs. Gunnar Hack, CEO and owner of Hack Formenbau, commented: "We adapt the handle length and shape, the design of the swab head and the materials individually to suit customer requirements."

When developing the swabs, the objective was to combine high product quality with high-volume output and great cost-effectiveness. With a 32-cavity mould and a cycle time of six to eight seconds, processors can reportedly achieve an output of up to 320 test swabs per minute and 460,000 test swabs per day with a single production unit.

Engel ensures high efficiency by adapting the mould solution which was developed by Hack Formenbau. The process is based on a tie-bar-less, hydraulic, two-component Engel victory injection moulding machine with an integrated Engel viper linear robot for fully automated removal and depositing of the swabs. The victory machine is equipped with iQ weight control for high process consistency. This smart assistance system from Engel's inject 4.0 programme detects fluctuations in the raw material and ambient conditions, and automatically compensates for them shot-by-shot by adapting the quality-relevant process parameters.

Engel and Hack Formenbau have collaborated closely on many projects, with a particular focus on high-precision applications for medical technology. Christoph Lhota, vice president, Engel medical, said: "We have had excellent collaboration for many years. And our customers benefit from this.

"Our customers receive a complete system that is precisely tailored to their individual requirements and can get started with series production in the shortest possible time".

It is hoped that in the future, the mould and system solution will be used for swabs testing for other medical conditions, in addition to Covid-19.