Six of one Engel medical moulding event for Europe
ERJ staff report (PR)
Injection moulding machine maker Engel has launched its med.con 2014 medical technology conference, which will be staged between June and November at six venues in Europe*.
The programme of lectures, panel discussions, live demonstrations, partner fair and networking has been integral part of the company’s event calendar since its introduction four years ago.
"Our customers and partners use this platform to exchange ideas and to keep informed about current trends and strategies, as well as innovative products and methods,” said Christoph Lhota, head of Engel’s medical business unit in Schwertberg. “Participants often tell us that many of these ideas can be implemented straightaway."
This year’s med.con focuses on these two topics with two live exhibits. ENGEL will produce drip chambers for transfusions with an integrated filter on its e-victory 160 combi injection moulding machine, with an integrated multi-axis robot, in a single work step.
The integrated manufacturing process, which was developed by in cooperation with Hack Formenbau, was introduced at K 2013. Engel med.con offers the opportunity for more detailed analysis of the efficiencies and potential for reducing contamination risks, the company said.
"We expect this process to revolutionise the production of multi-component hollow bodies with or without inlay," said Lhota. "We receive ready-to-use drip chambers within 12 seconds. In the past, several independent work steps and at least two machines were necessary for this."
In a second automated manufacturing cell, needle holders for pens will be produced on an all-electric ENGEL e-motion 160 injection moulding machine. Together with partner companies, Braunform and Hekuma, Engel aims to demonstrate how cavity numbers can be increased also in medical technology without risking process stability and component quality.
*Engel med.con 2014 will take place in: Stuttgart, Germany, 2 June; Lyon, France, 18 June; Hannover, Germany, September (date tba); Mirandola, Italy, 17-18 Sept; Copenhagen, November (date tba); and Warwick, UK, November (date tba).
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