Cordula Regensburger, a product and technology management specialist at injection molding machinery producer KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH in Munich, Germany, described selection and development of a production cell to mold two‑component LSR/glass-fiber-reinforced nylon automotive engine compartment housings, such as one carrying a circuit board.
One such part that KM features is a fuse cover-box. The part represents a trend toward replacement of thermoplastic elastomer molded-on seals with LSR seals, which stand up better to rising engine compartment temperatures.
Regensburger reviewed means of producing such two-component parts, including using two molding machines, before showing the final preferred minimum footprint customer solution: using a reversibly rotating turntable table mold and two injection units mounted “piggyback” on KM's CXZ160‑750/180 Multinject 2-platen hydraulic drive molding machine.
The cell was also fitted with a KM LRX250 linear handling robot. Thermal separation of the injection units with insulation sleeves prevents premature LSR cure before the material reaches the mold cavity, Regensburger revealed.