By Ron Shinn
Haitian, which sells more general-purpose injection molding machines worldwide than any other company, has developed a version of one of its electric presses especially for molding medical parts in clean rooms.
At K 2022, he China-based manufacturer rolled out a Zhafir Zeres equipped with plenty of special features. The fully integrated medical package, available on Zeres presses from 45 tons of clamping force to 506 tons of clamping force with shot sizes from .38 ounce to 75.56 ounces, is a departure for Haitian and one expected to be well-received in the U.S. market.
“The medical package will be important for the U.S.,” said Glenn Frohring, co-owner of Absolute Haitian, the U.S. distributor for Haitian molding machines. “A lot of our customers have been overpaying for medical processing equipment.”
The Zeres press features integrated hydraulics and is well-suited for molds with core pulls.
Haitian said the medical version of the Zeres is designed to eliminate contamination of products from particles and bacteria. It is economical and eliminates much of the risk of bad products.
The medical package comes in basic and advanced versions. Both versions include the same hardware, but the advanced version includes additional software and documentation capabilities.
Some of the hardware features include a protective cover without mesh around the barrel; an oil plate under the moving platen; stainless steel hopper and hopper slider; fuselage beams wrapped in stainless steel with holes on the operator and non-operator sides; stainless steel wrapped around the fixed platen to prevent dust accumulation; inlaid barrel seat with stainless steel to prevent rust and pollution of raw materials; and a water divider wrapped with a steel cover.
Also, Haitian said the press is painted white. Its feet have a smooth surface, and its base is raised about 4 inches.
The software package included with the advanced medical package has an automatic daily backup of production data; full audit trail; and reports on alarms and trends, with documentation that can be printed or exported in non-modifiable formats.
The certification documentation package included with the advanced option offers dated and signed verification forms; calibration status of instruments; an audit table to track the start of production; validated methods of measurements; and a relative testing procedure, acceptance criteria and data-collection table. Document requirements have been approved by the PQE Group, an international organization that certifies compliance standards.
Starting in 2023, Haitian said all its injection molding machines will have as standard the EnergyControl 1.0 tool. It provides real-time display, monitoring and analysis of energy consumption, so processors can have a better picture of each machine’s energy use.
In addition to announcing the new medical package for injection molding, Haitian said in October it opened a 290,000-square-foot production facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. Much of the production from the facility is earmarked for Haitian’s growing South American market.
The company said it plans to start construction in early 2023 on a new production facility in Serbia. It will be Haitian’s second European production plant.
Ron Shinn, editor
Contact:
Absolute Haitian Corp., Parma, Ohio, 216-452-1000, www.absolutehaitian.com
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.
