Tailor-made for elastomer processing

At the German Rubber Conference DKT 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany, from July 2 to 5, ENGEL will present three applications to demonstrate its high expertise in systems solutions for elastomer processing. On show: horizontal, vertical, hydraulic and all-electric injection moulding machines that underline how quality and efficiency potentials can be tapped effectively with tailor-made manufacturing concepts.

Engel flexseal: efficient precision for multi-component processes

Producing flat seals and O-rings competitively – that is the strength of the ENGEL flexseal. At the DKT, the particularly compact servohydraulic injection moulding machine will show that it combines top efficiency with performance and precision also in multi-component processes using elastomers and thermoplastics. In an ENGEL flexseal 500/300 with a clamping force of 3000 kN, PBT inserts will be sheathed in solid silicone (HTV) and the two-component membranes tested for quality inline immediately after production with the help of a vision control system. ENGEL supplies the complete integrated systems solution necessary for this process, partnering with the material supplier Mesgo (Gorlago, Italy), the mould makers ORP Stampi (Viadanica, Italy) and Giasini (Grassobbio, Italy) as well as Proplast Plastic Innovation Pole (Rivalta Scrivia, Italy), who are responsible for the CAD design.

The roto feeder developed and produced by Engel is used for material feed. Its rotating hopper with counter-rotating screw transports the solid silicone continuously at a constant pressure and free from bubbles, thereby ensuring a very high level of process security and stability.

An Engel easix articulated robot equipped with an anyfeeder from Asyril (Villaz-St-Pierre, Switzerland) sees to parts handling. If Engel supplies both the injection moulding machine and the robot, the robot control unit is fully integrated into the machine's CC300 control unit. In the integrated version, the machine and robot have a common control logic and the manufacturing cell can be controlled as a whole from the injection moulding machine's operating panel. This reduces the complexity immensely. Experience with a linear robot already suffices to commission and operate the articulated robot safely. A further advantage is that the manufacturing cell is planned right from the start taking the robot's interference areas into account, resulting in especially compact overall solutions.

The flexseal injection moulding machine was adapted specifically to the requirements of manufacturers of O-rings and flat seals. It is suitable for all standard rubber mixtures and silicones and, thanks to the horizontal machine concept with screw injection unit, ensures very high manufacturing precision with the small to mid-sized shot volumes these applications require. The flexseal enables fully automatic processing with conventional brushing devices.

The series is equipped by default with the Engel servohydraulic ecodrive which, due to the longer heating times, pays off particularly in processing of elastomers. With ecodrive, the motors are only active when the machine is moving. During the heating phases, however, the motors stand still and do not use any energy.