Milacron has introduced a line of injection molding machines with a smaller footprint and other improvements compared to earlier series.
Offering tonnages ranging from 55 tons to 610 tons, the Q-Series of servo-hydraulic molding machines debuted at Indiaplast 2019.
Based on Milacron’s MT and F-Series injection molding machines, the new line features a servomotor with hydraulic components. The injection unit is similar to that of the MT line, but the company was able to reduce the machine footprint by changing the routing of the hose. Injection unit hoses are now routed along the base of the machine and no longer extend beyond the unit.
The barrel cover of Q-Series machines is perforated, which allows significantly more heat to vent off the machines, the company said. The Q-Series is equipped with a dual-channel emergency-stop, which will work with the Euro 67 robot interface that is standard on the machines. The robot interface plug is mounted on the non-operator side. Buyers of the Q-Series line also can purchase an adapter for the SPI 3.0 robot interface — the interface, positioned on the operator side, that the MT line used.
With the introduction of the Q-Series, the 140-ton, 225-ton and 310-ton MT machines will be discontinued.
The MT line limited the lower-tonnage setting to 50 percent of the machine’s maximum tonnage. However, improvements made to the clamp on the Q- Series mean that the lower-tonnage setting now can be set to 30 percent of the machine’s maximum setting. For example, a 260-ton machine now can perform as if it had a clamping force as low as 78 tons.
The new machine’s clamp was redesigned to allow for a more-even distribution of the mold load. The clamp travels on skates, for smoother travel. The tie-rod bushings found in the traversing platen of earlier machines have been replaced with grease-free rods, resulting in less friction.
The Q-Series has a faster dry-cycle time than the MT line, with some machine sizes experiencing as much as a 30 percent reduction in cycle times. This is the result of several specific changes. For example, the clamp’s toggle mechanism now features a 10-pin design with the traversing platen traveling on guides. Also, the clamp can open and close more quickly.
Another change makes the machine easier to maintain. The Q-Series has a butterfly valve installed on the main hydraulic tank hose that goes to the pump. This allows the operator to isolate the tank from the pump for easier maintenance. The valve is monitored by a switch; if the switch is not in the proper position, the motors and pump will not start.
The Q-Series, which features Endura Touch controllers, offers an enhanced core set-up selection for machine operators. The menu-driven core set-up process is designed to be easy to follow and to allow operators to select flexible core configurations that will accommodate a wide variety of molding applications.
Bruce Adams, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Milacron LLC Batavia, Ohio, 513-536-2000,
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