PLAST 2023: ENGEL makes injection molding greener, smarter, and more efficient

Control with smart machines and assistant systems

The all-electric drives of the e‑mac machine contribute to this high degree of energy efficiency, further enhanced by the e-flomo and e-temp temperature control technology integrated with the smart iQ flow control assistant system, which saves 4,000 kWh in one year of operation at full capacity.

The ENGEL e-flomo temperature-control water manifold system monitors and regulates the flow rate, pressure, temperature and temperature differences.

Based on these parameters, iQ flow control assistance actively regulates the temperature difference in the individual circuits. This means that the thermal conditions in the mold remain constant at all times, even if there are fluctuations in the system. The result is very high repeatability and minimum cooling water and energy consumption.

The integration of e-temp temperature control units into the CC300 control unit of the injection molding machine via OPC UA delivers an additional energy saving. 

In the integrated ENGEL solution, the flow rate of the temperature control water pumps is automatically adapted to match the actual process demand.

Works to meet the needs of the packaging industry

In addition to saving energy, ENGEL said that the processing of recyclate is another important pillar of the sustainability strategy that it pursues for the benefit of its customers.

An example is the application developed in collaboration with Alpla Group, Brink and IPB Printing. This allows post-consumer rPET containers to be produced in a single injection molding process step, i.e. without the need to use preforms.

Featuring a wall thickness of 0.32, the transparent, round 125-ml containers are representative of a whole genus of packaging, especially in the food industry. Thanks to integrated in-mold labelling (ILM), the containers are ready for filling as soon as they leave the production cell.

Works to meet the needs of the packaging industry

An ENGEL e-speed 280/50 injection molding machine is the heart of the production cell. ENGEL specifically developed this hybrid machine with its electrical clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit for the high performance requirements of thin-wall injection molding.

The high-performance injection unit achieves injection speeds up 1400 mm per second at a maximum injection pressure of up to 2600 bar when processing small shot weights with an extreme wall-thickness to flow path ratio. 

To process rPET, ENGEL combines the new injection unit with a plasticizing unit from in-house development and production specifically designed for processing recycled material. During plasticizing and injection, the viscosity of the PET is configured for thin-wall injection molding.

The new ENGEL e-speed supports the processing of arbitrary recycled materials up to 100% rPET. Moreover, the mold is able to process different types of IML labels in order to allow customers to adapt to global trends and comply with different standards and recommendations.

Precision and efficiency for liquid silicone rubber

On a fully automated high-end production cell ENGEL produces blade valves made of liquid silicone rubber (LSR). A seamless integration of tiebarless injection molding machine, peripherals, automation and digital solutions ensures quality and at the same time high efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The production cell at the ENGEL stand leverages the quality and efficiency potential for the production of blade valves with a blade diameter of 7 mm in the best possible way. 

Precision and efficiency for liquid silicone rubber

It combines an e-victory injection molding machine and smart digital assistance with NEXUS's innovative mold and plasticizing technology. Production is fully automated in a 64-cavity mold with an ENGEL easix articulated robot and an integrated vision control system for 100% quality control.

Featuring tie-bar-less servo-hydraulic clamping and electric injection units, the injection molding machines from the ENGEL e-victory series are predestined for precision applications with LSR. The electric ENGEL injection unit ensures high-precision injection.

The accessibility and the space available in the mold area are unique on this tie-bar-less injection molding machine. Where multiple-cavity molds are used, smaller machines than the mold size would normally dictate can be used in many cases. This keeps both investment outlay and operating costs low.

The moving platen follows the mold precisely while clamping force is being built up, which results in excellent platen parallelism. Patented force dividers ensure that the clamping force is distributed evenly over the entire platen face.

Even for large multiple-cavity molds, the cavities near the outer edge of the platen are kept closed with exactly the same clamping force as those nearer the center.

Precision and efficiency for liquid silicone rubber

The ENGEL easix articulated robot ensures optimum space utilization on the automation side and also requires very little headroom.

It connects the injection molding machine with camera-based quality control and the discharge station and adapts flexibly if additional process units need to be retroactively integrated upstream or downstream of the injection molding process.

It is in cases of batch fluctuations in the raw material, or environmental conditions, for example, due to weather conditions, that digitalization comes into its own.

Equipped with the iQ weight control smart assistance system from ENGEL's inject 4.0 portfolio, the injection molding machine continuously analyses the injection profile and readjusts quality-relevant process parameters in the same cycle whenever deviations from the reference cycle occur.