Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH, a Japanese/German manufacturer of injection molding machines, is about to launch its IntElect all-electric injection molding machine of the new “Smart” configuration level.
The “Smart” configuration package includes the drive technology with energy-efficient direct drives developed by Sumitomo that has been especially tailored to the requirements of injection molding machines, and is built in-house. With this all-electric design, Sumitomo-Demag meets the requirements made on the injection molding of precision mass-produced items. The IntElect “Smart” configuration level is available in three clamping force sizes, viz. 500, 1,000 or 1,600 kN.
For its IntElect Smart machines, Sumitomo-Demag uses direct drives on all major rotational axes. High-torque synchronous hollow shaft motors provide fast, powerful and precise translation of all the movements of the clamping unit, the dosing unit and the injection unit. As opposed to indirect electric drives such as through synchronous motors plus belt drive, direct drives have a higher energetic efficiency, and offer enhanced precision, repeatability, and better cycle time owing to their increased capacity of reaction.
The nozzle system is based on a servo-hydraulic system. This energy-efficient and encapsulated design combines the benefits of a servo-hydraulic system (high force density) with those of an electric system (improved controllability). The high-precision Japanese drive technology turns out to be specifically tool protective in combination with the German machine platform, which offers a rigid machine bed, smooth operation owing to linear slides and free-standing columns as well as active tool protection.
The “Smart” configuration level may be combined with the “Performance” configuration level of the IntElect, which uses water-cooled motors and thus also direct drives, and which is specifically tailored to producing precision items under cleanroom conditions.
Source: plastics.2456.com
