CHINAPLAS 2016: Arburg to present complete plastic parts production range

At CHINAPLAS 2016, the Arburg exhibit covers a complete range of plastic parts production - from one-off parts through to high-volume production. A Freeformer is set to demonstrate the efficient additive manufacture of design samples and prototypes based on the example of a "pill splitter". The same product will be manufactured in high volumes on an electric injection molding machine. A high-speed IML thin-walled application is also set to show a "Packaging" version of a hybrid Allrounder that will produce four IML containers in a cycle time of around 3.2 seconds.

 

CHINAPLAS is extremely important to Arburg, which has been  growing in the Chinese market because demand for top quality injection molding companies is on the rise and high-end technology is becoming more preferred, according to Zhao Tong, Managing Director of the Arburg organizations in China. 

 

Working in cooperation with Chinese partners, will show this year a high-performance hybrid machine that produces IML tubs for the packaging sector.   The "Packaging" version of a hybrid Allrounder is specifically designed for thin-walled applications in the packaging industry. This high-speed, high-performance injection molding machine from the Hidrive series offers high productivity while at the same time reducing energy requirements. 

 

 

A 2+2-cavity stack mold will be used in the IML application. Compared to a conventional 4-cavity mold, the stack mold technology allows smaller-sized machines to be used: the hybrid Allrounder 570 H with a clamping force of 1,800 kN produces four 200 ml IML butter tubs in a cycle time of around 3.2 seconds. Automation is handled by a two-axis robotic system. This inserts two so-called butterfly labels (printed on both sides) on the fixed and moving mold platen and removes the finished parts from the centre block.

 

An electric Allrounder 470 E will be used to produce pill splitters for medical use made from PC on an 8-cavity mold in Shanghai. The cycle time is around 25 seconds and the part weigh is 18 grams. With its precision and speed, as well as its low emissions, the electric injection molding machine is ideally suited to the production of medical technology articles. A Multilift Select robotic system from Arburg is used for demolding.

 

The Freeformer on exhibit will produce pill splitters for medical technology use from PC – not in large volumes, like the Allrounder, but in small unit volumes without a mold. Once the supporting structures have been removed in a water bath, the two-piece articulated part can be used as a design prototype or for functional tests, for example. This means that expensive aluminum molds can be dispensed with and new products can reach series maturity much faster.

 

Using the Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) process, the Freeformer additively manufactures functional parts on the basis of 3D CAD data. It processes inexpensive, qualified plastic granulates and is equipped with two stationary discharge units as standard. This enables the Freeformer to process an additional component in order, for example, to manufacture a part in different colors, with special tactile qualities or as a hard/soft combination. Alternatively, it can be used to build structures from a water-soluble support material, enabling complex part geometries to be realized.

 

This pioneering system is also suitable for use in combination with injection molding and Industry 4.0 technologies for the customer-specific individualization of high-volume parts. This is a topic that will also be discussed by Gerhard Böhm, Managing Director Sales at Arburg, in a presentation to the Industry 4.0 Conference to be held on 27 April 2016 as part of the Chinaplas trade fair.

 

ARBURG (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86-21 5488 8866

Fax: +86-21 6268 9210

E-mail: shanghai@arburg.com

Website: www.arburg.cn

Booth:  E1G01