Engel at Chinaplas 2023

Compact and extremely energy efficient

In Shenzhen, Engel will present two applications on all-electric Engel e-mac injection moulding machines to demonstrate how productivity gains can be achieved in a highly cost-effective manner. In both examples, the space and energy requirements of the production cell remain low as the mould cavities are scaled up.

An e-mac 465/180 with a 128-cavity mould will be used to produce the kind of connector seals needed in automotive electronics. The series mould, manufactured by Austrian firm Nexus Elastomer Systems, is used by the automotive supplier Waexim based in Xiamen, China. The special design of e-mac machines, which feature enlarged tie-bar spacing, makes it possible to install this large mould on the relatively small 1800 kN machine. Moreover, the new generation of e-mac machines are extremely short. This means that processing firms benefit from space savings in their production facilities as well as additional energy savings resulting from the deployment of a relatively small machine. Regardless of the mould used, e‑mac machines from Engel are among the most energy efficient all-electric machines on the market.

While liquid silicone rubber (LSR) continues to gain significance as a material for complex injection moulded parts, its specific properties mean that highly precise injection moulding machines are required. This is another point in which Engel’s all-electric e-mac performs strongly. Complex functional components of liquid silicone rubber can only achieve competitive unit costs where production is rework-free and waste-free.

The second Engel e-mac in Shenzhen will showcase a medical application: in the medical sector too, there is a distinct trend towards raising productivity through higher cavity numbers. An e-mac 1340/280 injection moulding machine will be used to produce blood collection tubes of PET from a 64-cavity mould supplied by NCM of Suzhou, China. The machine footprint is a relevant cost factor, especially in clean rooms.

Ample flexibility for insertion processes

The issue of surface area productivity will also set the tone for the teletronics exhibit on the Engel stand. Battery housings will be produced from fibreglass-reinforced PC-ABS on an insert 500V/100 rotary vertical machine, with metal rings inserted into the mould and overmoulded. For this purpose, the insert machine will be fitted with a large rotary table and a compact integrated Engel easix articulated robot. The Engel vertical machine offers ample flexibility in connection with insert processes. A clamping unit that is freely accessible from three sides makes process automation simplicity itself while the low construction height is highly ergonomic in the case of manual insertion processes. This exhibit was also made by a local mould producer: Suzhou Herui Technologies based in Suzhou, China.

Determining ideal holding pressure times automatically

To underline the strong potential of digitalisation in terms of enhanced product quality and production efficiency, the injection moulding machines on the ENGEL stand will operate with smart assistance. In similar fashion to the driving assistants used in cars, ENGEL’s iQ systems serve to ensure stable injection moulding processes. Among other things, they automatically detect fluctuations in raw materials, ambient conditions and mould temperature control and compensate for such fluctuations in the same cycle; iQ systems can also determine the ideal set values for specific applications.

iQ hold control, which belongs to the group of smart assistants for nominal values, will be celebrating its Asian première at Chinaplas 2023. By automatically determining optimum holding pressure times, the smart assistant for nominal values accelerates mould setup times while enhancing component quality. The holding pressure time is determined objectively, meaning that even relatively inexperienced process technicians can adjust the process parameters at the push of a button in case of a product change. Further efficiency gains result where the automatically determined optimum holding pressure time is lower than the time set by the machine operator. In such cases, cycle times are reduced and the amount of energy needed also decreases.

ENGEL at Chinaplas 2023: Hall 11, stand J41