DUSSELDORF, GERMANY — Toshiba Machine Co. Ltd. used K'98 to unveil its first all-electric injection press, and a new series of machines for thin-wall molding, the Turbo.
The all-electric presses are sold under Toshiba's EC brand name. At first, Toshiba is offering them in clamping forces from 60-250 tons. The machines use ball screws powered by alternating-current electric motors.
Toshiba's U.S. unit, Toshiba Machine Co. America will introduce the machine to a U.S. audience at Western Plastics Expo in Long Beach, Calif., Jan. 12-14.
Toshiba's Turbo Series, designated the ISG-NT, can mold thin-wall parts (defined as having wall thicknesses under 1 millimeter) at injection speeds of 4 feet per second and pressures up to 47,000 pounds per square inch. The company claims this injection speed is eight to 12 times faster than a standard machine.
``We have established a new industry benchmark for speeds and pressures,'' said Tim Glassburn, vice president of Toshiba Machine Co. America in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Toshiba is selling four clamping-force sizes of Turbos: 114, 143, 186 and 243 tons.
The company designed a special servo-valve with quick response times for the Turbo. Also, clamping pressure is applied to the platen's center instead of its outer dimensions to eliminate platen bowing.
Turbos are wide-platen models to hold larger molds on smaller-tonnage machines. Tie bar spacing ranges from 18.1 inch by 16.1 inches to 24 by 22 inches over the full series. Platen dimensions range from 26 inches by 24 inches to 34.2 inches by 32 inches.