Medical Demonstrations at NPE 2012 Will Be Molding of Components in a Multi-Cavity Mold

One of the interesting medical demonstrations at NPE 2012 will be molding of components in a multi-cavity mold for SHL, a major Swedish producer of drug delivery devices. It will be representative of one of the medical market trends to look for at this year’s NPE: An increasing emphasis on technologies that help reduce costs. Higher tooling cavitation is one approach; Another is integrated, highly productive systems. An all-electric Engel e-motion 80H/80W/200 T WP US combi will be producing components for auto-injectors in a two-component injection molding process with a servo-electrical 16+16-cavity index platen mold. The mold is provided by Hack Mold Making, Kirchheim and Teck, Germany. The manufacturing cell at the show will run fully automated. Multiple-axis robot will remove the parts and deposit them in trays. Engel easix, the multiple-axis industry robot which is completely integrated in the CC 200-control of the injection molding machine, will be on exhibit for the first time in North America. 16-cavity polystyrene mold In a second manufacturing cell for the medical industry at NPE 2012, an all-electric Engel e-motion 310/110 T US injection molding machine will produce polystyrene needle holders for safety syringes using a 16-cavity precision mold from Fostag, Stein am Rhein, Switzerland. The finished parts will be removed from the mold and deposited based on their cavity-orientation. Defective mold cavities can be turned off individually without disturbing the balance of the system. The automation partner for the exhibit is Hekuma (Eching, Germany). Another trend in medical processing is a broad range of capabilities, such as liquid silicone rubber (LSR) molding. That will also be on display at the Engel booth. Medical membranes will be molded on an e-victory 310/130 LSR US. “The hybrid ENGEL e-victory machines with hydraulic, tie-bar-less clamp and all-electric injection unit are the future in the area of liquid silicone processing”, maintains Leopold Praher, sales manager elast/LIM-machines at Engel Austria. “Precision is gaining in importance in this application area. A production free of post-processing, with low-grade flash, is required. ” The membranes will be made out of LSR 50 Shore (A) from Shin-Etsu Silicones (Akron, OH) in a 64-cavity mold with a cold runner block and a needle valve from ACH Solution (Fischlham, Austria). The system also runs fully automated. NPE 2012 will be held in Orlando, FL April 1-5. Engel will be in booth 943 located in West Hall, level two. Engel North America is based in York, PA. Source: plasticsinfomart.com