Machine makers show their might at Fakuma

ERJ staff report (PRW)

By David Vink, Crain news (PRW)

London -- At Fakuma, Arburg (A3 3101) celebrates 50 years of Allrounder machines, displaying the first machine developed by Karl Hehl in 1961. A main focus is the recently introduced all-electric 60-200 tonnes toggle clamping Edrive, available with 170-800 size injection units and recovering energy from machine deceleration (braking). The first Edrive machines are already in use, says managing partner Michael Hehl.

Hehl says highest performance comes from the electric Alldrive and hybrid Hidrive machines. Nine horizontal and vertical machines run live at Fakuma, moulding multi-component, liquid silicon rubber (LSR), medical, hybrid component, automotive and packaging applications.

50 years of Billion (B3 3207) multi-component moulding expertise is shown by 50-600 tonne electric drive Select machines. A Select H780-200T demonstrates a packaging application, and a Select H260/780-200T is doing two-component automotive moulding. A medical application runs on a Select H80-50T using a Sepro S5-25 linear robot.

Jörg Wittgrebe, managing director at the French company's Weilheim based German sales subsidiary, stresses the importance of multi-component rubber and LSR processes, especially for high temperatures, as well as in-mould-assembly (IMA).

Engel (A5 5204) shows five production cells. Clearmelt polyurethane overmoulding is done on a Duo 2-platen Ecodrive machine equipped with Viper 20 and 40 liner robots. Insert moulding of glass fibre reinforced PA sensor housings runs with a Stäubli 6-axis articulated robot integrated into an Engel CC 200 control system. Another 6-axis robot is handling PP overmoulding of hollow disposable insulin pen needles, produced in a 3-cavity Zahoransky mould on an e-Motion.

From PRW.com (A Crain publication)