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A must view at K2004 - New developments and innovations in equipments

Versatility, productivity and economy are to be showcased at K 2004 in the plastic equipment sector
Every Kunstoff fair focuses on better and efficient equipment displaying more versatility and reducing production costs to
make the plastic processors economically more competitive in a globalized economy.
K 2004 is no exception. K 2004 proposes to showcase newer innovations in equipments from several segments, spread
across more than 100,000 sq.mts. European machinery suppliers, with the largest share in the global market, are major
exhibitors at K 2004. They make the Kunstoff fair the premier exhibition for plastics where the latest and newer
developments can be observed.
We take this opportunity to bring out some salient developments to be exhibited at K 2004 that we have come across.

Injection Molding
Injection molded products have almost 40% share of plastics consumption. In fact, the market for injection molding
equipment is possibly the largest due to higher cost factor coupled with relatively lower output compared to the other
processes such as extrusion or blow molding.
1. Electric Machines
For the last 2 K exhibitions, the emphasis has been centered on the all electric injection molding equipment. There is
a general feeling that the smaller (less than 300 tons) injection molding machinery sector would switch over to all
electric, possibly in the next 5-6 years due to important factors of lower costs and energy savings. Hydraulic machinery
would continue to have a presence in the larger molding equipment sector. The diversity of electric machines will be
the focus at this year's show, with several new all-electric versions in direct-drive and belt-driven versions. Hybrid
designs that promise to have better precision and repeatability will be presented.
Most of the major equipment suppliers such as Arburg, Milacron, Negri Bossi, Nissei and Sandretto will display the all
electric injection molding equipment at the exhibition clearly illustrating the shift that can be seen in the smaller injection
molding sector.
2. Hybrid Systems
Demag or Engel will show several innovations in the "Hybrid" type injection systems. For large sized moldings, Engel is
also providing tiebarless version in the hybrid system. For high speed packaging products, hydraulic toggle systems will
continue with advancements. Engel, Krauss Maffei, Milacron and the leader Netstal will exhibit new developments aimed
to increase productivity. Krauss-Maffei will show its C3 Sprinter two-platen press used in a multi-component application
for the first time to produce a thin-wall, 400 cc container.
3. Micro injection molding
New two-platen designs will also be featured by at least 4 major suppliers. There will also be new choices in highspeed presses for packaging as well as new entries for micro-molding. New multi-component systems will debut to meet
strong interest ranging from automotive sector to medical markets.
For clean room applications (products for medical applications), two-platen systems will be shown by Krauss-Maffei. Two
platen system would help in maintenance while removing the moulds.
Battenfeld will show a Microsystem 50 specially designed to manufacture high-precision medical parts weighing less than
0.01 gm. It will produce a vascular clamp with a diameter of about 4 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 0.4
mm. Nissei will exhibit its Elject EP5 Real Mini all-electric machine with a clamp force of 5 tons, designed for shot
weights under 3 gm.
Boy will present what it deems the "smallest shot" at K, when its 15-ton Boy 12A produces miniature toothed wheels
weighing 0.001gm. in a two-cavity mold. This application will show off the shorter residence time and better thermal
stability delivered by the 12 mm dia. plasticating unit.
In other small-machine news, Arburg will introduce new models in Allrounder U series of hydraulic machines. A new
Allrounder U with a 38.5 ton clamp will be the largest in the line (as compared to the previous largest ranging from
13.5 to 20 tons) and feature a swiveling injection unit that is interchangeable. It will make a connector part.
4. PET Preforms

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Several companies will roll out new PET preform machines with higher cavities and/or multi-layer capability. There is
also news in other specialties such as structural foam, injection/compression and vertical presses. K 2004 will also be a
platform for launching new developments in hot runners and robots.
Multi-layer PET preform production in high volumes will be on display by Kortec, which is showing a new 144 cavity
molding system called the Ultra 144. The three-layer preform system (based on a Husky press and Kortec tool) can
make 576 preforms/min with neck diameters of 28 mm. The unit is part of a turnkey system for carbonated soft-drink
or beer bottles.
Netstal says its PET-Line 3500 (385 ton) and 6000 (660 ton) PET perform machines will have an optimized plasticating
system for shorter cycle times. A 96-cavity system will produce 20.5-gm. preforms in 9.6 sec, demonstrating for the first
time hydraulic slides for thread release.
Boy Machinery will demonstrate preform molding on its Boy 90A, which is reportedly capable of running up to 1100
preforms/hr. It can handle preforms for bottles up to 2.5 litres.
In addition, Husky along with Cold Jet will jointly display the dry-ice blast cleaning systems from Cold Jet.. Husky says
this non-abrasive cleaning method is fast, easy, safe, and economical for cleaning PET preform molds. Dry ice
reportedly does not damage the mold and evaporates on contact, so there is no runoff, rinsing, or drying. Both Husky
and Cold Jet will exhibit at K 2004 exhibition.
5.Water injection molding technology
Engel will promote 2 new developments in multi-cavity production. It will demonstrate the latest developments in its
watermelt water-injection technology, which has now been adapted for multi-point injection and multi-cavity moulds. At the
show, the process will be used to mould a collapsible crate in which 4 of the 5 parts produced in each shot will be
hollowed out through water injection. Although the different parts are cored out to different degrees, all 4 parts will be
fed from one watermelt unit.
6.Other developments
Engel will show that its X-Melt process, in which melt is pre-pressurized (compressed) in front of the screw and then
expands into the mold with explosive speed, now can be applied to multi-cavity molds. The process, which can fill
small, thin-walled parts in a few hundredths of a second, will be used to produce a battery casing in a four-cavity
hot-runner mold in a cycle time of 5 sec. The part will have a thickness of only 0.15 mm and a flow length of 30
mm, which Engel says would be impossible with any other process. The application will demonstrate a special hotrunner valve-gate system from Moldmasters. The melt is compressed inside the manifold, and then the machine shutoff
nozzle valve is actuated, so that the screw is totally isolated from the filling process. Also, a single plate actuates all
four valve gates to produce perfectly simultaneous cavity filling, which is necessary for the X-Melt process to work
properly.
Engel has developed a new injection-compression system for its Optimelt process for ultra-high-precision optical
components. The new module is mounted on the moving side of the clamping unit and works with a hydraulic pancake
cylinder and closed-loop control to produce lenses with a "moth's-eye" surface microstructure that eliminates the need for
non-reflective coatings.
Wilmington Machinery will display two new machines for structural foam parts. Its new Lumina 1600h is designed for
multi-nozzle gas-assist injection molding structural parts. It has a clamp force of 355 tons and features a shot capacity
of 12 kgs using a single or dual accumulator system and can accommodate up to 64 nozzles.
Blow Molding
Blow Molding
The developments of all electric systems of the injection molding will now be translated in the blow molding
sector as well. This system will expect to show the energy saving of about 10-20% compared to the
conventional systems.
Bekum is expected to display a tandem blow molding machine where the blowing will be simultaneously carried
out by top and bottom blowing. This will double the productivity. This new tandem machine is designed for
smaller sized containers in the range of about 100-300ml that are required for packaging of milk based
products, sport drinks and juices. With a focus on increased productivity, Plastimac SpA, Italy has developed a
new machine that would produce 5 litre detergent bottle at 2400/hour.
Graham will focus on reciprocating-screw technology and will introduce a proportionally controlled, high-speed
hydraulic clamping system for high-cavities moulding of gallon HDPE dairy containers. The company will show a
cutaway of an air-cooled reciprocating extruder, a standard feature on its newer machines. Graham has
developed a reciprocating screw blow moulding machine and will also highlight its latest high-throughput
extrusion heads for polycarbonate water bottle production and other applications on its Hesta-Graham linear
shuttle machines.
PET

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PET machinery has always remained in the forefront with newer developments at all previous K exhibitions. This
exhibition will also feature improving flexibility and economy of production.
SIPA of Italy, will demonstrate a machine with 9 blowing stations, three-cavity molds for single-serve bottles or
single-cavity molds for family-size containers. The machine has an output of 40,000 bottles/hr at 0.6 litres and
15,000/hr for a 3L size. This machine has a simple mechanical set-up, and a preform heating and stabilizing
system that allows a wide processing window.
Automa of Italy will unveil a one-stage injection stretch-blow moulding machine for wide-mouth PET containers.
Extrusion
At K 2004, at least a half-dozen European machine builders will show new direct-drive extruders running
gearless-or nearly gearless-drives with substantially higher rpm and output rates than conventional extruders of
the same size. Direct-drive extruders also require less energy and maintenance and are eerily silent in operation.
Extruders with direct drives will employ several motor configurations, primarily the rapidly evolving rare-earth
permanent-magnet synchronous motors, which first appeared on a prototype extruder only 3 years ago. The first
users are finding energy savings of 10% to 20% versus the same size extruder with gears. At this year's show,
you'll see synchronous motors in blown and cast film, as well as in other processes. These drives are also
likely to appear at the exhibition on other equipments such as injection and blow molding machines and even
in some downstream equipments like rewinders.
Battenfeld has installed more than 20 gearless BEX extruders in Europe after only 8 months presence in the
market. Sizes range from 1 in. with a 5-hp motor and 500 Nm of torque up to an 8-in. extruder with up to
330 hp and 3000 Nm.
At the K 2004 exhibition, Reifenhauser will run a three-layer blown film line with REI torque motors on all 3
extruders-the world's first demonstration of this type of motor for blown film. (Reifenhauser's first REItorque
installation in 2003 was on a pipe line.) Earlier this year, Reifenhauser delivered the first REItorque blown film
line to a beta test site in Germany, where it is running heavy-duty polyethylene sacks. The three-layer coex
production line has three 70-mm diam. screws and makes film with a 1-meter layflat width. The line at K
exhibition will have two 60-mm extruders and one 80-mm and will make film with 1.7-meter layflat width.
Extruders will also be introduced at K 2004 exhibition that can achieve higher speeds, lower torque, and higher
output by more conventional means. Maillefer SA will show a new high-speed MEH model with an AC motor.
Davis-Standard will introduce a compact 3.5-in. extruder with a high-torque Siemens motor. The variable-speed
motor runs with 6500 high-torque Siemens motor. The variable-speed motor runs with 7000 Nm of torque at 200
to 300 rpm and is directly coupled to the drive shaft.
Plastimac SpA in Italy will show 35-mm and 40-mm extruders with AC motors directly coupled to the screw for
higher speeds and throughput. Both have bimetallic barrels to withstand the higher rotation speeds.
Maillefer SA will display its new patented cross linking system with infra red heating system in place of the
conventional heating system.

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