Sumitomo Demag expands injection moulding portfolio

Comprised of its new concept PAC-E, an El-Exis SP Servo range, plus a new IntElect S – all available in a variety of clamp forces . The company claims the collection gives manufacturers of caps, closures, thin-walled and high performance moulded containers a fusion of the company’s very best technology, productivity and energy-enhancing features.

Rolling out to UK packaging converters and moulding firms during 2023, the company says that the expanded range reinforces the Group’s wider commitment to the circular packaging agenda and its delivery of sustainable value aligned to the key packaging market trends. Worth an estimated £4.6bn this year and anticipated to grow by 4.2% in 2023 the UK Plastics Packaging Goods Manufacturing industry is anticipated to return to growth. 

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag says two critical innovations differentiate PAC-E from the company’s popular El-Exis hybrid packaging series. According to the company the solely electric-driven axes deliver up to 50 percent in energy savings when measured against a high-speed hybrid packaging machine.

Additionally, the company believes the lubrication of the toggle lever no longer causes cleanliness issues; being a completely closed-circuit design it is leak free. Oil is instead extracted, filtered and recycled. This eliminates the need to clean the toggle lever. Providing the added benefit of reducing oil consumption for customers. 

With injection speed capabilities of up to 550 mm/s, the PAC-E packaging machine will initially be available in mid-tonnage clamping forces of 250 tons, 300 tons, 350 tons and 420 tons. Designed for thin-walled packaging applications, including food packaging with IML.

The high-speed El-Exis SP, is a new ‘servo pump’ variant is available in the medium and high clamping force range and is designed for thin-wall pails and containers. 

UK Packaging Expert Ashlee Gough said: “With hybrid machines, the pump that charges the accumulator consumes approximately 50 percent of the overall energy used to power every injection cycle. By replacing the conventional pump with a servo pump, we can now maintain the same performance but consume significantly less power."

Initially, the El-Exis SP Servo series will be expanded in the medium clamping force range, comprising  250 to 420 tons. Larger clamp force machines will subsequently follow.  

Filling a critical gap in the mass-packaging market, the release of an IntElect S all-electric mid clamp force range now means moulders requiring cycle time speeds of between three to 12 seconds don’t need to compromise on any aspect of productivity, energy efficiency and processing speed and stability.

Positioned squarely between the conventional IntElect all-electric series and the new high-speed packaging injection moulding machine PAC-E, the IntElect S is aimed specifically towards plastic processors and mass-manufacturing at the fastest speeds.

Gough added: “Cycle times of between three and twelve seconds and injection speeds of up to 350 mm/s are the typical range of this machine.”

All three ranges within the Group’s expansive ‘precision and speed’ packaging portfolio are designed to incorporate future digital product passport technology. This aims to ensure detailed transparency on machinery performance and the measurement of carbon footprints.