Wifag-Polytype Holdings Ltd. has introduced the OMV RM77 Revolver thermoforming machine — a fully automatic, in-mold trimming thermoforming machine.
Like other OMV formers, the Revolver is designed to manufacture plastic cups and tubes. But it has a special “twist,” company officials said.
The RM in RM77 stands for “revolving mold.” The tools are made of three semi-molds, a negative and two positive molds, placed on the same vertical axis. The negative half operates at full cycle speed (start position to end position and back), while the two positive halves complete their cycle every two cycles of the negative half.
That design allows formed material to remain in the cavity for an additional cycle, which Polytype said improves part quality, at increased production speed.
Featuring a single delivery point, OMV integrated a simple stack and part-handling system into the new machine.
RM777 can turn out 174,000 polypropylene drink cups an hour, which the company claims is a world-record output. They say this is the first machine to break the barrier of 50 cycles per minute.
The forming area is 770 millimeters by 480 mm. The cutting force is 57 tons.
The mold movement is driven through a torque motor. All other movements — such as index, cutting and stacking — are controlled by a set of servomotors driven by an axis control system and programmable logic controller.
The RM77 machine can run a wide range of materials, such as polystyrene, PP, polylactic acid, PET and multilayer sheet. It is equipped with a quick mold changing system, fast air/water connections and a quick mold exit from the forming/cutting station. It takes less than six hours for a complete mold changeover, from stop to restart.
OMV Machinery in Verona, Italy, is part of the Swiss industrial group Wifag-Polytype Holdings Ltd.
Polytype America Corp. is based in Mahwah, N.J.
Tel. 201-995-1000, email [email protected]