KraussMaffei premieres all-electric PX IMM series and Netstal ELIOS 7500-4200 at K 2016
There were rumours of a machine launch ahead of the KraussMaffei Group's press conference at K 2016 and the company did not disappoint, welcoming the new, all-electric PX series into its growing range and unveiling Netstal's new ELIOS 7500-4200.v
The announcements followed a positive overview of the business from CEO Dr Frank Steiler, who stated that KraussMaffei is working in earnest to bring more sustainability to plastics processing and to offer something very different from its competitors.
Power Meets Passion: Presenting PX
Dr. Hans Ulrich Golz, Managing Director of KraussMaffei and President of the Injection Moulding Machinery segment at the KraussMaffei Group, then took to the stage to present KraussMaffei's new slogan 'Power Meets Passion', under which, he launched the new PX series of all-electric injection moulding machines.
"It is a universal machine. We now cover the marketplace as no other competitor can do," he stated.
"Until now, customers have most often been forced to decide between low-budget and high-end designs. KraussMaffei is now presenting the first all-electric machines on the market, which the customer may tailor to its specific manufacturing needs in the modular principle in the hydraulic area. This includes, for example, larger platens, faster injection speeds, more ejector force or the ability to be operated with food-grade NSF H1 lubricants."
The new series features a combination of the advantages of an all-electric injection moulding machine with maximum modularity.
Processors benefit from high precision, productivity and flexibility in all production phases. Visitors to K 2016 can experience the new PX live with applications from a variety of industries and with many equipment options. Flexibility is the key Electric injection moulding machines are known for precision and efficiency – and for admittedly limited equipment options.
Fastest in class, Netstal unveils ELIOS 7500-4200
After much hype in the media that even before the machine had been presented to the public, Netstal had already taken its first order for the new ELIOS, Markus Dal Pian, Netstal's Vice President Sales & Marketing had the pleasure of unveiling the machine once and for all at K 2016.
"What is special about this machine? I am proud of this machine. It's the fastest machine in this dimension in the world with an injection speed up to 2,200 mm/s for thin wall thicknesses," he stated.
True to our motto 'Engineering Excellence' we did not merely want to build a very fast machine. Instead, we also wanted to offer the high precision, reliability and cost effectiveness that the Netstal brand is known for and that is valued by our customers."
The new ELIOS launch underscores Netstal's leading position in the high-performance injection moulding of thin-wall packaging and technical components for constructive lightweight design. The demonstration machine at K 2016 is equipped with a 24+24 stack mould for 2.8 g domed lids. The cycle time is 3.9 seconds.High-performance injection moulding in a clamping force range of 7,500 kN.
When developing the new series, Netstal focused on the high standards of users in the field of thin-wall packaging.The ELIOS 7500-4200 will run in continuous operation at K 2016 in Düsseldorf: With acycle time of 3.9 seconds, 2.8-gram polypropylene domed lids will be manufactured in a 24+24 stack mould made by the company StackTeck. The exhibit includes an automation solution from CBW Automation with integrated sorter and stacker.
More about the new PX Series from KraussMaffei
K 2016 sees the launch of the all-electric toggle machine with clamping forces from 500 to 2000 kN. It was conceived and designed with flexibility in mind, and this extends over the entire service life from the purchase to everyday production to retrofitting. The tried-and-tested modular concept of the KraussMaffei hydraulic series was thus transferred successfully to the all-electric PX.
Wide variety of variants
The great adaptability is demonstrated by two essential features of the series. First, the injection and clamping unit can be combined individually from a wide range of variants. Secondly, versions of the PX come standard with the larger platens of the respective next higher clamping force. These intermediate models are identified using odd numbers, i.e. PX 51 to PX 161. The larger clearance corresponds to an increased maximum mould weight, approximately 750 kilograms for the PX 51 compared to 450 kilograms for the PX 50. Since the machine bed of the PX is split, clamping and injection units can also be combined as necessary. Large clamping units, small injection units – in production, this means that no more space is taken up than what is absolutely necessary for the production order. There are five high-performance injection units available for each clamping unit. Each injection unit has its own performance level and can be fitted with one of three to four different screw diameters.
All-electric with some servo hydraulics
The basic properties of all-electric machines have been set up to meet the desire for flexibility, since electric motors function independently of each other. This allows for any number of processes to run in parallel, ensuring high speeds. The three main axes of the PX for the injection unit, plasticizing unit and clamping unit are driven by air-cooled servomotors, making the PX exceptionally economical in terms of energy and water consumption. All servomotors also work in what is called "recuperative mode," where brake energy is converted back into electricity. As a result, up to 60 percent of the brake energy can be temporarily stored and used by the machine itself or fed back into the power supply.
The slave axes of the PX, meaning each axis for the injection unit and ejector movements, operate using servohydraulics in the default version. The initial movement takes place via two parallel injection unit barrels because this enables nozzle contact forces to be built up very quickly and free of lateral forces, unlike the movements carried out with only one electric barrel. For particularly high material throughput, for example in the case of thin wall injection moulding, there is an option for increasing the injection speed for the PX to more than twice the normal speed, thereby increasing the plasticizing output significantly. The injection unit can be set up to swivel in order to make it easier to change the nonreturn valve or replace the screw.For the ejectors, the reason behind the servo hydraulics relates to durability. Electric drives are sensitive to the mechanical impacts that occur when plastic parts are demoulded using a vibrating platen. Any customer that does not do this during production and requires even more precision has the option to equip the PX with an electric ejector drive.
Clamping unit: Geometry, force and speed
“Three things matter when it comes to the clamping unit: geometry, force and speed. In all three areas, the PX offers options for coordinating the machine to meet individual requirements”, said Dr. Golz.
The size of the platens can be increased with the odd-numbered intermediate models, meaning that the entire machine bed of the machine that is next in size is then used. This ensures that the high mould weight receives the necessary linear support. Thanks to the extremely wide support of the moving platens on linear guides, a precise parallel movement is always achieved.
The tiebars are released and thus are always free of lubricant and clean. The clamping unit bed has been designed so that the entire area under the clamping unit, lengthwise and crosswise and all the way to the floor, remains free for failure and parts logistics. As a result, parts containers or conveyor belts can be rolled under the machine very easily and practically, without any cross-beams getting in the way. The maximum mould height can, if desired, be increased to 100 millimeters more than the respective standard version. For instance, it can be increased from 450 to 550 millimeters for the PX 120. The mould height adjustment itself takes place automatically.
Regardless of whether they use hydraulic or electric power, ejectors need plenty of force for parts that shrink onto the cores. This is why the product range provides an option to increase the ejector force by 50 percent. For projects with aggressive cycle times, there is an ejector speed of 700 millimeters per second as opposed to 350.In continuous operation, the PX features an ergonomically favorable working height of 130 cm, which remains the same for all clamping forces, ensuring perfect accessibility of the mould and nozzle for setup or during production. The resource consumption of energy and water is extremely low. Precision and availability, on the other hand, are high.
More about the Netstal ELIOS 7500-4200
A high-performance clamping unit with a 5-point dual toggle lever is the main component of the new series.
A particularly innovative and patented design for the actuation of the toggle lever is being used. "Due to the clever combination of a dynamic electro drive and a powerful hydro-mechanic assistance system, a high movement speed can be reached even with high clamping forces," explained Marcel Christen, Netstal Head of Product Management. As a result, the performance data of the new clamping unit is impressive: the dry cycle time is merely 1.9 seconds according to the Euromap standard.
"That makes the ELIOS 7500 the fastest machine in its size class," emphasized Christen. "At the same time, ELIOS is just as precise and reliable as all other Netstal machines."
The centrally aligned toggle lever ensures an optimum introduction of force into the center of the mould installation space, and hence uniform distribution of the clamping force. The extremely stable and strength-optimized design effectively prevents any deformation of the mould plates. In addition to its high speed, the new clamping unit offers an opening stroke of 1,000 mm as well as a widely spaced column distance of 1,050 mm x 1,050 mm. However, it also has another key advantage because it is able to recoup kinetic energy. The energy generated during braking processes flows into the electric motor of the main drive where it is converted into hydraulic energy and stored. "Because the energy generated in this way can be re-used in the overall system immediately, energy savings of up to 50 per cent can be achieved compared to a fully hydraulic machine even during full-load operation," Christen emphasises.
Continued development of the hybrid drive technology
"In order to find the optimal solution with regard to performance and energy consumption for each actuation axis, Netstal is using state-of-the-art hybrid drive technology. In doing so, the energy-technology related advantages of electric drives are combined with the high performance density of hydro- mechanical drive concepts," explained Adrian Angst, Netstal's Head of Research and Development.
This basic idea was consistently refined during the development of ELIOS. The clamping movement of the clamping unit can generally be divided into the two phases of movement and clamping force build up with the locking of the toggle lever. These two phases, due to their completely different characteristics, place contrasting demands on the driving actuating element. While a high dynamic and a high moving speed are required for the movement, building up the clamping force requires a great force in a very short time. For this reason, a servo-electric drive with double toothed rack design was combined with a hydro-mechanical actuation for the ELIOS.
"While the electric drive guarantees a high dynamic and drive speed, the two parallel-aligned synchronized cylinders ensure the required power assistance for building up the clamping force," explained Angst further. Since the two phases of the clamping process do not take place sequentially when using a 5-point toggle lever but are synchronous instead, an incredibly precise and quickly operating controller is needed. The digital high-performance controllers that are used in the highly flexible and high-performance aXos machine control system are assuming this task.
Precisely configured integration into Netstal's modular portfolio
The clamping unit is complemented by proven high-performance injection units, which guarantee extreme accelerations of up to 20 G and maximum injection speeds of up to 2,200 mm/s thanks to their clever two-valve technology. The intelligent, adaptive drive modules ensure a sufficient hydraulic performance and optimal energy efficiency throughout the entire system.
The ELIOS series is seamlessly integrated into Netstal's modular product portfolio. At K 2016, Netstal will introduce the series with the sizes 7500 and 6500. In 2017, additional models with clamping forces of 550 and 450 tons will follow. In total, customers will be able to choose from 33 combinations of clamping unit, injection unit and screw diameter. Due to the high flexibility of the media and the optimal accessibility of air valves, connections for hydraulic mould auxiliary controllers, cooling water distributors and sockets for the connection of peripheral devices, ELIOS can be adapted perfectly to the respective application with little effort. Due to the consistent modular design, just about any application can be implemented with this equipment toolkit. With a wide range of additional options, each machine can also be adapted to the various needs of users.