At K 2019 this month, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will show two El-Exis SP injection molding machines that have been upgraded to improve energy consumption, including a new model that is bigger than the line’s previous largest press.
The new machine will be producing pails on a two-cavity mold with in-mold labeling, according to Arnaud Nomblot, director of business development packaging at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. The El-Exis SP line currently includes nine molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 165 to 882 tons. Nomblot did not specify the size of the new machine — the 10th in the line, which has entered its fourth generation with energy enhancements.
In addition to the new machine, a 330-ton El-Exis SP molding machine will be displayed. The machine is designed to produce 130,000 bottle caps per hour on a 72-cavity mold.
The two machines at the K show are part of the fourth generation of the El-Exis SP line. The fourth-generation machines are designed to achieve energy savings of as much as 20 percent, compared to the third-generation machines, Nomblot said. He attributed the energy savings to a new control valve.
The new control valve regulates the hydraulic pressure during the loading of the accumulator. Adjusting the accumulator charging to the injection pressure required for the molding process accounts for the energy savings, he said. The amount of energy saved depends on the application, cycle time and process parameters.
Like the third-generation machines, the fourth-generation El-Exis SP presses feature in-mold labeling capabilities, and can perform compression molding, as well as multi-component molding of premium packaging, pails and handle assemblies.
The fourth-generation El-Exis SP machines target the European packaging market, which is forecast to grow 1.9 percent annually between 2018 and 2023, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag said, citing a report by Smithers Pira, a research and testing firm that focuses on packaging, paper and print supply chains. All machines in the line are available worldwide.
“Aimed directly at high-volume manufacturers of polymer products, including caps and closures and thin-wall containers and lids, the EL-Exis SP range delivers greater process control, in addition to lowering operational costs and delivering energy savings,” Nomblot said. “The combination of speed with high-quality molding repeatability helps to minimize packaging production waste.”
Bruce Adams, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Strongsville, Ohio, 440-876-8960,
