What Can You Expect to See at Plastics Technology Expo 2022?

Thank you to our sponsor, Hasco!

Guide System Offers Precise Positioning in One System

Photo Credit: Agathon Machine Tools

Agathon Machine Tools now offers its new Guide System Plus, which performs guiding and centering tasks for the precise positioning of mold halves/mold component using only one system.       

The guide system bushing is equipped with precision heavy-duty rollers, which Agathon says allow for higher travel speeds compared to conventional slide guides. With minimal line contact by the rollers, serviceable life is said to be increased by 5-12 times. The high-precision rollers also provide consistent, accurate movement of mold halves/plates, ensuring alignment repeatability and consistent part quality. The Agathon Guide System Plus comes in 15/25/32/40-mm sizes.

Booth 1532

High-Penetration Drilling System Performs at Optimized Speeds

Photo Credit: Allied Machine and Engineering

Allied Machine and Engineering’s T-A Pro high-penetration drilling system is said to offer enhanced tool life at high penetration rates, especially in situations where the balance of chip formation at high penetration is critical. The system is designed to increase productivity across multiple industries, including automotive, heavy equipment, firearms, defense and agriculture.

The TA-Pro features a new coolant design that enables the tool to consistently perform at fast speeds. Allied Machine and Engineering’s in-house testing shows a 25% decrease in cost per hole against competitive product lines.

Booth 1336

Enhanced CAD/CAM Software for Faster Design Process

Photo Credit: Cimatron

Cimatron 16 CAD/CAM for toolmaking is said to improve the quality of extended faces with the new skin tangent extension function and a new option in extend faces. The skin tangent extension extends faces tangentially while keeping a user-defined direction. The extend faces option replaces the surface created along user-defined segments with one continuous patch. The new capabilities reportedly speed the design process by eliminating the need for manual local modeling operations.

Booth 1312

Mold Component Enables Fast Localization of Injection Molds

Photo Credit: Hasco

The Hasco Loc Check A5900 component enables GSM tracking of injection molding tools at any time and location where the GSM network is available. This is especially useful, the company notes, when tools are used at different locations, or when they’re loaned to different injection molders.

With a magnet attachment, the Loc Check A5900 can be easily and flexibly mounted directly on the mold, Hasco says, as the transmitter can be used up to a temperature of 120°C. The Loc Check has a battery charge that lasts for more than 3,000 transmission cycles, which, depending on the transmission frequency, corresponds to an operation period of up to three years.

Booth 1525

Direct-Gated Mold Decorating With Pin Control Technology

Photo Credit: INCOE Corp.

INCOE Corp.’s SoftGate Velocity VG pin control technology enables mold decorating applications to be direct gated. SoftGate enables the melt to stream over the decorative film without damaging it. INCOE says there are additional application and processing benefits of this technology, which the company is available to discuss at its booth.

Booth 1026

Virtual Reality Training for Injection Molding

Kruse Training Inc. will launch what it says is the first virtual reality (VR) training program for the injection molding industry at PTXPO. The new VR program, which is a component of Kruse’s molding process development training, will reportedly enable process engineers to walk and work through individual molding set-ups and processing tasks.

PTXPO show attendees can try out the new virtual reality product, and Kruse will offer giveaways and hold a raffle for three Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets.

Booth 1515

Precision Laser Technology Utilizes Laser Texturing for Plastic Injection Molds

Photo Credit: Precision Laser Technology

Precision Laser Technology’s (PLT) five-axis laser technology enables the company to replicate Charmilles EDM finishes and chemically induced matte finishes for the purpose of producing a surface roughness or gloss reduction on a molded part. PLT also works with gray scale imagery in order to custom design patterns, or generate them from a high-resolution scan. Scans of flat swatches are processed at 1,700 dpi resolution and extended by digital stitching for expanded mold coverage.

Booth 1414

Automated Job Tracking and Operations Analysis

Photo Credit: R.E.R. Software Inc.

R.E.R. Software Inc.’s InFocus AutoTrack automated job tracking and operations analysis component allows for optimized visibility of shop operations such as job machining durations and accurate job costing, tool usage analysis, maintenance and machining methods and more.

Booth 1314

Precision Surface Grinding Machines

Photo Credit: Rey Technologies

Rey Technologies’ Ziersch Z4080 double-column precision surface grinding machine is said to offer the highest quality and precision. The machine is available in various sizes and options, including programmable electro-permanent magnetic chuck with air purge function, auto-wheel balancing and gap control, wheel profile grinding capabilities, constant wheel surface speed and more.

Rey Technologies will also showcase its Ziersch Z816 single-column surface grinding machine, which features programmable electro-permanent magnetic chuck with air purge function, auto-wheel balancing, wheel profile grinding capabilities, constant wheel surface speed and more. 

Booth 1037

Compact, Mobile Industrial Workbench Equipment

RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG will showcase its line of Tecdos industrial workbench equipment, which feature a both workbench and a turnover device.

RUD’s Tecdos TMB is capable of moving and maintaining molding forms and objects with up to 2.5 tons with only a cordless screwdriver. It comes in a low-weight, compact form.

The Tecdos TM turning table is designed to be used anywhere in the plant. It can be moved with a hoist or lift truck, and since the Tecdos TM table has a very low supporting surface, the open tool can be cleaned while on the table itself. The Tecdos TM can reportedly handle tools and objects weighing up to 64 tons.

Lastly, RUD’s Tecdos TS tool separator is said to handle massive and heavy injection molding, stamping or pressing tools with ease. The Tecdos TS can be used with the RUD Tecdos TM, which the company says offers an ideal combination of turning and opening of tools.

Booth 1434