Dusseldorf, Germany, will become the center of the universe for injection molding aficionados from Oct. 5-12, during K'95. What to expect at the world's largest plastics trade show? Based on pre-show announcements, visitors will see an emphasis on speedy molding and part removal, smaller footprints, electric machines and plenty of multicolor molding and co-injection molding. Another trend is modular design, which enables buyers to mix and match features.
Here is a preview:
Ferromatik Milacron, the Germany subsidiary of Cincinnati Milacron Inc. (Hall 13, Stand B01), will show the largest all-electric machine ever built -a 725-ton Elektra - plus a new pint-size Elektra with 50 tons of clamping force. The company also will show a third Elektra, an update of the Ferromatik E-100 first shown at K'92.
Cincinnati Milacron, the biggest U.S. plastics machinery maker, acquired the Ferromatik press business, including a factory in Malterdingen, Germany, in 1993 from Klockner Desma GmbH. At K'95, the company will show nine injection molding machines, all of them molding parts. K'95 attendees will see the first Vista hydraulic press made in Germany: a 725-tonner.
Milacron also will show a new European version of the vertical K-60-V press.
Swiss machine maker Net (Hall 13, Stand A21) will present its new Synergy line of machines. Netstal's HP (for high performance) line will be phased out and replaced by the Synergy.
The new machines boast a smaller footprint than the HP presses, plus the ability to hold bigger molds. Controls are the same as the HP: Netstal's DSP system.
Netstal has made the machine easier to use and maintain. For example, nozzle heaters have easily connected electrical plugs.
Also, the machine auto-matically alerts the operator when the pressure filter, oil level and central lubrication system needs tending.
Synergy machines will be available in the United States in 1996. Prices for the first two sizes are $130,000 for the 66-ton press and $145,000 for the 88-ton press.
Ultimately, the full line will run from 66-385 tons.
Hettinga Technologies Inc. (Hall 11, Stand B06) will demonstrate low-pressure molding of uncleaned, unsorted plastic waste into 8-foot-long panels, then build a houselike structure.
Different color textiles will be molded onto the interior side of the panels in a single-step process.
Windows, doors and rafters also will be molded from recycled plastic. The U.S. press maker will use the ``controlled density'' panels to build its booth.
Booth visitors will see a pallet made using Hettinga equipment, by Retroplast AS, which began production in Skien, Norway, in June. The pallets use plastic waste.
Hettinga also will show auxiliary packages that can be used with non-Hettinga machines, including a temperature controller, hydraulics package, valve gate controller and gas-assisted control program.
Battenfeld GmbH (Hall 14, Stand F19) will introduce a new series of presses, the HM, for hydraulic modular, in clamping forces of 550-1,430 tons.
The German press builder said the HM Series is an evolution of its BA-T machines, with improvements to the mold clamping and injection units. The mold opens more quickly and smoothly, Battenfeld said.
A two-stage hydraulic clamping system applies the clamping force centrally to the mold using a pressure column. Two pressure columns are used on machines with 1,330 tons or more of clamping force.
Parts can be discharged in three directions.
Battenfeld also will display its improved line of energy-saving BK-T machines.
For coinjection, Battenfeld will show a two-component nozzle that allows the two melts to be brought closer to the injection point than earlier versions. Independent shutoffs allow simultaneous injection of the skin and core materials. Another benefit is quick changeover between colors and materials.
An extension of the CDC series, this one with 220 tons of clamping force, also will be shown. Battenfeld will demonstrate a high-speed robot on the press. In addition, the company will show a larger version of its all-electric press, with 220 tons of clamping force.
Other products will include the new Airmold Monomodule, an improved, lower-cost pressure control module for gas-assisted molding. Until now, Battenfeld's Airmold system was set up for four gas injection points in the mold. The new module provides just one gas-injection
point, designed for use on a single machine. A hand-held ACT-01 controller can be disconnected and plugged into the next machine.
Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (Hall 11, Stand A09) of Canada will mold rear automotive lights on a 1,250-ton horizontal press with a rotary platen and four injection units. The machine, which requires only 365 square feet of floor space, has been sold to a British processor.
In closure molds, Husky will show a 96-cavity PET preform mold capable of making more than 21,000 preforms for soft drink bottles an hour. Another unscrewing mold, called a 3R, makes closures for rotating ratchet rings. Arburg will mold HDPE dairy caps with 20
percent regrind at its booth on a 12-cavity 3R mold. Husky also will mold containers and show hot runner systems with the company's new standard manifold, which boasts delivery in six weeks.
Mannesmann Demag Kunststofftechnik GmbH (Hall 13, Stand A01) and its U.S. unit, Van Dorn Demag Corp., will show a number of machines. New larger-tonnage additions to the Demag Ergotech line, which had been available from 132-363 tons. New models will include machines of 462, 550, 715 and 880 tons.
The Ergotech 150 S high-speed machine for multicolor, multicomponent molding will be equipped with a vertical injection unit. An Ergotech 50 machine, known in the United States as the Van Dorn ET press, will show injection along the parting line. Another machine
will mold compact disc jewel boxes.
A Van Dorn Demag 500 HT machine, configured in metrics, is aimed at global markets, particularly the United Kingdom, Italy and Southeast Asia.
Arburg GmbH (Hall 11, Stand A35), the German small-press specialist, will show a fully modular machine that allows molders to pick specific hydraulics, controls, tie bar spacing, clamp and injection units. Arburg will run a modular 28-ton Allrounder 220S
machine.
Arburg also will show an Allrounder 2221M with an easier-to-use Multronics controller; the biggest Arburg, with 220 tons of clamping force, bigger platens and almost 2 inches more tie bar clearance; the Selogica controller with a new feature showing problems before mold
opening; a rotary table system molding a two-color part, and gas-assisted molding.
Nissei Plastic Industrial Co. Ltd. (Hall 11, Stand D58) will show a high-speed 88-ton machine molding thin-wall filters from engineering resins.
The one-piece plastic filter replaces an earlier filter insert molded with a wire mesh.
Nissei said a digital servo control system provides an injection speed 10 times faster than conventional machines by limiting the skin layer of the melt. The machines, Nissei's UH series, includes machines with clamping force tonnages of 22, 44, 66, 132 and 176. The
Japanese press maker will show a tabletop machine, preform molding and a screw preplasticizing injection press. A new machine, model FN, will demonstrate general-purpose molding.
Italian press supplier MIR SpA (Hall 13, Stand C35) will show seven presses, two designed to mold elastomers, including: a 1,212-ton press a big tonnage expansion of MIR's energy-saving Exologica line; a 66-ton MPO press, part of MIR's recent serice of small machines with a direct hypraulic cl& and a 209 ton HTMC machine that molds bulk moling compound.
On the elastomers side, a 209-ton michine will show a special intermediate for automatic part ejection. The other part ejection. The other elastomer press is an 198 ton vertical manine with a shuttle table.
Dutch press maker Stork Plastics Machinery BV (Hall 12, Stand A51) will show the SX 1250-425, the first in a new line of hydraulic-clamp packaging macines with clamping froces under 200 tons. The injection unit is equipped wit a fast running direct hydraulic screw drive that boasts a very low moise and vibration level.
Another packaging press, SX 2500-2100, has a parallel hydraulic drive system to produce small plastic buckets with a cycle time of less than five seconds. Mounted under the machine is a servo driven takeout sytem with a precise air ejecting system to speed up molded items that fal too slowly.
