KraussMaffei plans to be part of the double-digit worldwide growth in silicone processing and is continuing to develop its SilcoSet technology.
At Fakuma, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, Munich, made a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) nasal ventilator for infants with its all-electric AX 50 SilcoSet.
KraussMaffei offers hydraulic, electric and hybrid molding machines with clamping forces of 35 tons to 650 tons to process LSR. It says SilcoSet machines are suitable for medical products, including those that have to be made in a clean room. Existing machines can be retrofitted with SilcoSet technology.
The all-electric AX with 50 tons of clamping force ran a four-cavity mold. KraussMaffei designed a nonreturn valve for this application that improves interaction between the plasticizing unit and the drive systems, which makes the shot weight more consistent.
KraussMaffei also premiered its Adaptive Process Control (APC) technology on silicone molding machines. The APC records viscosity of the material during the running process and adjusts the filling volume during the shot. This makes the process more precise, according to the company.
The viscosity of LSR material can range from honey to water, says Jochen Mitzler, head of strategic product management. This can lead to fluctuations in the filling of the cavities. APC can prevent this problem, even with 256 cavities, he said.
APC is offered on all of KraussMaffei's molding machines.
KraussMaffei also offers options for processing solid silicones. This includes the AZ automatic feed unit to handle rectangular solid silicone blocks. These materials are especially suited for electronics applications and others with high mechanical stress.
Ron Shinn, editor
Contact:
KraussMaffei Technologies Corp., 859-283-0200, www.kraussmaffeigroup.us
Ron Shinn | Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.
