Friedrichshafen, Germany — Neustadt-Fernthal, Germany-based Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG has rolled out three injection molding machines for a new fully-electric series designed to occupy as little production space as possible.
The new presses have clamping forces of 35 tons, 50 tons and 80 tons.
"Just one machine would've been boring," Michael Kley, head of mechanical design, said of the triple-press launch at Fakuma 2024 in Friedrichshafen, where the company had 12 presses on display, including six at its booth.
Standing next to a Boy 35 electric with a 2.29-square-meter footprint and a Boy LR5 linear robot overhead, Kley said, "Compact machines are a unique selling point of Boy. It's our niche. This is a compact automated production cell. We think it's the future for Boy to go into."
The market still asks for hydraulic machines, Kley added.
"They're very robust, but it's not possible to synchronize more motions than two axis hydraulically, while electrically it's possible," Kley said.
The electric presses feature a new type of injection and dynamic pressure measurement that has been granted a patent, according to Carlo Gessert, the head of international export sales.
"The injection unit design achieves direct and very precise force detection, which enables faster control of the injection force and consequently precise pressure ratios during injection and dosing," Gessert said. "We use special strain sensors that are suitable for static and dynamic measurements. The solution also enables extremely compact mechanical dimensions."
The Boy electric series is efficient due to its parallel moving axis, speed profiles and servodrives, Gessert added.
"With nearly 60 percent of the competitor's footprint, they are built most compact. In combination with the highly integrated LR5 handling system, Boy offers also a very compact, automated, highly efficient automatic production cell," Gessert said.
With the electric presses, processors also have the option to actively brake the screw movement, which recovers energy for subsequent movements.
"This option is mainly used where complex part geometries are encountered," Gessert said. "In addition, this technology enables better reproducibility of the process, as the speed reduction via the screw does not increase the injection pressure. Low-viscosity materials, such as LSR, can therefore be produced even better. The energy recovery system works independently without the user having to intervene. Braking energy is temporarily stored in the motor controller system and is automatically used in subsequent movements, improving energy efficiency."