By Ron Shinn
Not everything at K 2022 was shiny and new.
Nissei displayed its first production injection molding press, the YD-2 Type, built in 1957 when the company made the transition from being a plastics processor to a machinery maker.
It had 30 tons of clamping force and a revolutionary hydraulic drive. Even though it was operated by a manual lever, Nissei said it was reputed to be a “nimble machine.” Fully automatic operation utilizing sequential control was introduced with the YD-50 Type, which was developed just after the YD-2 was released.
This YD-2 press was used by a customer in Japan for more than 40 years before being donated to the Nissei Museum. It was said to have processed a wide range of resins, including PS, poly methyl methacrylate, polyamide, PE and PVC.
Negri Bossi, now owned by Nissei, holds the distinction of building the first hydraulic injection molding machine in Italy in 1949.
This NB28 press used a Vickers hydraulic pump that was found in a camp after American forces left Italy after World War II.
It had 15 tons of clamping force, and the press was sold to an Italian company near Bergamo that made PS buttons weighing 28 grams each.
The sale price of the NB28 was the equivalent of about $232,000.
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.
