Twenty gives plenty for Sumitomo to celebrate with new advances in El-Elxis SP hybrid machines
Injection moulding machinery manufacturer Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is celebrating 20 years of its El-Exis SP hybrid concept.
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag launched its hybrid El-Exis SP twenty years ago - now in its fourth generation, it is the quickest and most advanced machine on the market.
Located in Schwaig near Nuremberg, the injection moulding machine manufacturer has adapted the highspeed machine from version to version to meet the increasingly exacting demands of packaging producers. The fourth generation was introduced in 2016 and is primarily distinguished by its optimised use of energy and resources – one of the most pressing challenges in engineering given the global increase of production volumes.
Depending on production parameters, it requires up to 20 per cent less energy compared to its predecessor. The hydraulic accumulator enables the achievement of injection speeds of up to 1,000 mm/s and accelerations of up to 4g. Intelligent accumulator control simultaneously ensures process-dependent, variable accumulator allocation.
Machine with clamping force of 8,000 kN broadens the spectrum
The hybrid concept combines the high speed demanded by the customer with availability and reliability in a single machine – characteristics which are particularly indispensable during typical packaging applications involving high quantities and a low part weight.
Arnaud Nomblot, Director of Business Development Packaging at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, said: “Right from the outset, development of the ElExis focused on the demand that performance, service life and energy consumption should play equally important roles and that no sacrifices should be made in this respect.”
The dynamic hybrid drive ensures a maximum level of performance and excellent process consistency and accuracy, both during acceleration and braking.
Nomblot added: “In packaging, we primarily benefit from two facts. First of these is our specific experience in this sector, for example during the design of mould clamping plates which, thanks to finite element analysis, exhibit considerably superior rigidity to conventional plates and, secondly, the high vertical range of manufacturing in our company. Crucial machine elements such as screws, plates or columns are manufactured by us rather than being purchased outside. This direct control of manufacturing precision is a decisive factor in ensuring that the machine meets all requirements in the high-speed range and works reliably and accurately over the years.”