More than 350 people attended an open house May 26-27 at Niigata Machine Techno Co. Ltd. at the injection press maker's headquarters in Niigata City, Japan, where they toured the newly expanded Technical Center.
Niigata previewed some equipment, including a two-platen hybrid machine, the Niigata JN1200H, with 1,200 tons of clamping force. The press has a servo hydraulic clamping unit, paired with Niigata's all-electric injection unit.
The JN1200H hybrid press is about the same length as Niigata's 720-ton all-electric, toggle-clamp machine.
“For large tonnage applications, this true hybrid machine, with its two-platen design providing significant floor-space savings, will be well received in the industry in the USA,” said Peter Gardner, vice president of sales and general manager of Daiichi Jitsugyo America, which distributes Niigata injection molding machines in the United States.
Gardner said the term “hybrid” is often misused in the plastics industry, as machinery makers use it to describe presses that are really fully hydraulic, but powered by a servo-driven variable-volume pump.
“While these types of machines may offer some energy savings over traditional fixed displacement pump technology, the precision and repeatability is still that of a hydraulic press,” Gardner said. “The Niigata two-platen hybrid design offers molders the best of both worlds, with the clamping unit being run by an efficient servo-hydraulic system, while the all-electric servo-controlled system is utilized where it counts, in the injection unit, giving the highly precise 0.01-millimeter-per-second speed control and repeatability that Niigata all-electrics are known for.”
Also at the open house in Japan, Niigata displayed its new MDV55S7000, a small-tonnage, C-frame vertical injection molding machine, for molding of long inserts such as cables or medical tubing. With 22 tons of clamping force, the all-electric press is equipped with a vertical injection unit.
The MDV55S7000 also can be used for automated reel-to-reel molding of electronic parts.
The company received the first U.S. order for the press in May.
Daiichi Jitsugyo America is based in Itasca, Ill.
Tel. 312-969-7383; email [email protected].