SJ-210/SJ-410 testers (left) and MiSTAR CMM (right). Source | Mitutoyo America Corp.

Addressing the critical challenge of surface roughness in complex mold designs, which includes both flat and curved surfaces, Mitutoyo America Corp.’s surface roughness testers offer maximized portability. Enabling direct application to a large/heavy mold, the technology simplifies the measurement process with a user-friendly single-button operation that displays results instantly on a vivid color screen. Mitutoyo further supports users with an interactive online tutorial, ensuring that no detailed software training is necessary for effective utilization.

In addition, the company highlights the MiSTAR coordinate measuring machine (CMM), coupled with the MiCAT Planner, an efficient part programming software, for seamless conversion of intricate geometries from CAD models into actionable measurement plans. It is said to simplify the programming process, enabling users to bypass the learning curve typically associated with complex software. MiSTAR’s shopfloor-ready and cantilever design supports side loading of large workpieces and comes equipped with a touch panel with application-specific software tools. Integration-ready, MiSTAR is particularly useful as inline automation gains momentum, Mitutoyo notes, to ensure moldmakers can achieve high levels of precision, speed and efficiency.

Source | Ewikon

Through pro Edge VG, Ewikon is expanding its range of nozzles for direct side gating, with a valve gate version that sets new benchmarks in terms of ease of maintenance, gate quality and flexible use.

A key feature of the novel pro Edge VG nozzle is its easy maintenance, which adds to the high level of user-friendliness already offered by Ewikon’s open versions for side gating. All wear parts, such as the valve pin, valve pin guide and valve pin seal, are integrated into one assembly for each gate. This can be changed directly on the injection molding machine from the parting line without having to dismantle the mold. Downtime for routine maintenance can therefore be significantly reduced.

For demanding applications, Ewikon’s valve gate technology improves the quality of the injection point, and enabling new injection point positioning options. Additionally, the gating can now be carried out on geometries in which side gating was previously not possible due to insufficient shear surfaces. In general, an area corresponding to the gate diameter of the valve pin is sufficient.

In addition to standard polyolefins processing, the new nozzle also enables reliable side gating of articles made from soft plastics such as TPE — previously something only possible to a limited extent with open side gating.  

The pro Edge VG valve gate nozzle can be configured with up to eight tip inserts. The nozzle’s flow channel layout, combined with the naturally fully balanced Ewikon manifold technology, guarantees equal flow paths and therefore uniform filling of all cavities. The parts are arranged in a circle around the nozzle body. Since the mold inserts do not have to be split for the installation of the nozzle, greater mold stability can be achieved. At the same time, the integration of uniform cavity cooling is made possible.

A linear servomotor with advanced control technology ensures high-precision and synchronous actuation of the valve pins. The valve pin stroke and opening speed can be varied continuously and adapted to process requirements. Furthermore, the space-saving design of the drive mechanism enables minimal stack height.

ShopFloorTracker digital and analog inputs can be displayed in ShopFloorConnect software in different view formats. Source | Wintriss Controls Group

Wintriss Controls Group is demonstrating advanced features in its ShopFloorConnect overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and production tracking software. Through its latest functionalities, ShopFloorConnect is made scalable and robust, giving manufacturers easy-to-use software for increased efficiency and reduced downtime, including when remote monitoring is required. According to Wintriss, the software can significantly increase manufacturing capacity and profitability by identifying and quantifying excessive production losses and bottlenecks. ShopFloorConnect provides OEE calculations that accurately report OEE, providing machine downtime and manufacturing efficiency reports.

Wintriss is sharing its new ShopFloorTracker hardware solution which complements ShopFloorConnect. The cost-effective device is designed to simplify and maximize data collection, while minimizing operator involvement. For capturing and tracking process parameters, customers can choose from several pre-programmed digital inputs such as run/idle and counting, and analog inputs including temperature, pressure, flow, voltage and electrical current. Temperature and pressure data is especially helpful for monitoring injection molding operations. Inputs are viewable in different formats, depending on operator preference. For manufacturers that are using the Wintriss SMI 2 machine monitoring hardware interface, ShopFloorTracker is designed as a companion device, enabling even more machines to be tracked at a lower cost.

For example, an injection molding department using ShopFlooorConnect with the SMI 2 monitoring uptime, downtime and OEE can now add a ShopFloorTracker device to each machine with a temperature sensor connected to one analog input, and a pressure sensor connected to the other analog input.

ShopFloorTracker is WiFi-enabled and pre-programmed to be easily integrated into existing and new ShopFloorConnect installations.

Source | M.R. Mold & Engineering

M.R. Mold & Engineering specializes in tight-tolerance, complex geometry, liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and plastic injection molds. It has a proprietary line of molding products which include valve gated cold runner systems, a pneumatic stuffer box, a universal base and a one-drop universal base, which has been designed for prototyping. M.R. Mold also offers customers end-of-arm tooling, robotics and vacuum seals.

The company is showcasing its abilities with four partners at NPE2024. Milacron, is running a four-cavity fully automatic LSR umbrella valve mold with a four-drop cold runner. Shibaura is showcasing a four-cavity, fully automatic LSR duckbill valve mold with a four-drop cold runner. Sumitomo Demag is running a 16-cavity fully automatic piston mold with an eight-drop valve gate cold runner. And Zeiger Industries is running a fully automated, four-cavity electrical connector using 30% glass fiber-reinforced Nylon 6/6.

Source | Husky Technologies

Husky Technologies debuts its Ultrashot hot runner injection system. This  technology is designed to increase overall part design freedom and speed to market with high scale and quality. 

Live at NPE2024, the Ultrashot team shows attendees:

• How to increase scale faster with lower risk and go to market faster
• How to increase yield by reducing scrap rates
• How to eliminate subsequent manufacturing steps
• How to enable new part designs and new resins use; parts can be manufactured based on function.

The UltraShot features a servo-controlled injection system that permits more precise melt control right in the gate. This is achieved by positioning the shooting pots in closer proximity to the gates and pressurizing the resin near the cavities, which reduces shear and thermal variations in part quality and performance. This enables part freedom, removing design barriers caused by injection molding process constraints.

According to Husky Technologies, the market continues to evolve with more demanding and technical molding applications, which is fueling the development of new, advanced hot runners and injection systems that focus on part quality with higher cavitation output. With Ultrashot technology, Husky states, parts that were once “unmoldable” can now be produced in highly efficient, injection molding production cells.

Victory 85. Source | Engel

Engel invites customers to visit its exhibits at NPE2024 where the company addresses challenges faced by plastic processors across automotive, teletronics, technical molding, packaging and medical sectors. Each exhibit features one of Engel’s injection molding machines — all-electric, servo-hydraulic and two-platen systems — available to the North American market.

Engel additionally highlights its training programs and digital automation solutions — designed to overcome challenges introduced by the industry’s shortage of skilled labor — as well as its commitment to sustainability and a circular plastics economy.

Engel’s seven solution showcases are detailed below:

1. E-Mac Slim Edition

Engel’s all-electric E-mac is available in slim execution, providing a compact footprint for utilizing production space. Engel says that this model saves up to 16% in overall machine width. The E-mac 1565/310 is producing a technical molding part, a bottle tray, on a single cavity mold supplied by its partner, Haidlmair.

Despite the reduction in footprint, the mold space reportedly remains unchanged, providing enough room for large molds. Another aspect of this exhibit is that the tray is produced using regrind instead of repelletized material. Engel claims that a recycling package consisting of a highly abrasion and corrosion-resistant screw and a melt filter ensures consistent high process and part quality.

2. E-Speed 610/90

The Engel E-speed 610/90 is an injection molding machine designed for high-speed and high-performance production of packaging applications in the plastics industry. Its hybrid drive concept enables extreme injection pressure and speed at short injection strokes, which Engel maintains enables it to be used for applications with high demands in injection performance. This machine features a 4+4 cavity, high-speed family stack mold designed for tamper-evident food containers and lids with in-mold labeling (IML) and two different shot sizes.

The asynchronous mold carrier system, along with an integrated water manifold, enables simultaneous molding of both containers and lids. According to Engel, this system enhances productivity and streamlines the manufacturing process. The company’s mold partner, Top Grade Molds, also supplies its modular mold change system, designed to enable swift product changeovers. Automation is provided by Campetella, vision inspection system by Mevisco, labels by MCC Verstraete, stack mold carrier system by Nexteco, material provided by Washington Penn and auxiliary equipment by Frigel.

3. Victory 330/85

Engel demonstrates quick mold changes (QMC) on the hydraulic Victory 330/85 with a clamping force of 800 kN. Roembke Mfg. & Design Inc. provides this cell with the two molds for the application: salad tongs and a fruit bowl. The mechanical quick clamping system QMC from Stäubli is used for QMCs. Mold identification is carried out by means of RFID. The material used for this exhibit is HDPE, provided by Shell.

The iQ weight control machine software automatically adjusts the process parameters to batch fluctuations and changes in ambient conditions. This not only improves part quality during ongoing production, says the company, but also helps customers get parts faster after a mold change. An Engel Viper 12 linear robot removes the parts and places them on a conveyor belt. The end-of-arm tooling is also identified using RFID and exchanged with a quick coupling.

4. E-Motion 440H/160TWP Combi M

E-motion 160. Source | Engel

This compact injection molding machine with a horizontal rotary table is designed to boost shopfloor productivity. With a minimal footprint, two-component diagnostics cartridges are produced in cleanroom conditions on an all-electric E-motion injection molding machine 440H/160TWP combi M. This exhibit is an example of a customized, fully integrated production cell designed for minimal space requirements. The dual face mold, with 32 cavities each, come from Hack Formenbau.

In the Combi M design, the indexing table divides the injection molding machine’s mold closing area in the center to operate two mold faces in parallel. Engel maintains that this makes Combi M technology useful for integrating two-component injection molding and doubling the output. One injection unit is fitted on the stationary platen and the second is on the moving platen.

Two robots work in parallel to manufacture diagnostic cartridges. An Engel Viper 20 linear robot removes the two-component parts and deposits them in trays. Finally, an Engel E-pic pick-and-place robot covers the fully populated trays with an intermediate layer to stack them in boxes and then discharge them via a tray server, which is also integrated.

5. E-Motion 50/30 TL

Precision components with an individual weight of less than 0.001g. Source | ACH Solution

With a 32-cavity precision mold and a micro injection unit, the all-electric, tie-bar-less E-motion 50/30 TL injection molding machine produces silicone valves with a part weight of 0.001g. The E-motion TL is designed for applications with high demands in precision on both the injection and clamping sides. In addition, a Viper 12 linear robot by Engel, in combination with an optical testing unit by ACH Solution, enables precise handling and control of the micro components. Engel’s smart software solution, iQ weight control, plays a key role in the production process — according to the company, the self-optimizing program ensures consistent shot weights despite viscosity differences of the two-component liquid silicone rubber (LSR) material from Wacker.

6. Duo 5160/770 WP Tech US 

Engel runs a servo-hydraulic, two-platen Duo 5160/770 WP Tech US machine showcasing the production and decoration of components with high surface quality. Engel claims that the large mold area, equipped with a sliding table mold provided by Schöfer, offers possibilities for automation and technologies. The entire production operation is done with one machine and in one cycle using the two Engel application technologies, Foilmelt and Clearmelt, which the company says results in an efficient process for producing an automotive front panel.

This exhibit endeavors to address current trends in the automotive industry. It combines bio-renewable and translucent polypropylene from SABIC with polyurethane from Ruehl, which according to Engel, results in cost, weight and sustainability advantages. Additionally, an in-mold decorating (IMD) film from Kurz, simultaneously provides design and adhesion between the material partners, making surface treatment unnecessary. Furthermore, Engel introduces Cannon as an additional partner for dosing units.

This process is designed to merge decoration and scratch-resistant surface creation through IMD coupled with a polyurethane (PUR) coating. The part is ready for electromagnetic transparency, near-field screening with RADAR or LiDAR systems and option to integrate defrosting or capacitive films for additional features. It is a fully integrated production cell with Easix automation, PUR dosing and a temperature control unit.

7. T-Win 750/7800

Wintec, a member of the Engel Group, showcases a T-win 750/7800 (830 U.S. tons), which is uses to produces garage floor tiles molded from 100% recycled ocean waste. An integrated Engel Viper 40 linear robot completes the part takeout.

The servo-hydraulic Wintec T-win is equipped with an electric screw drive for parallel movements and energy efficiency. Since its release, Engel claims, the machine has been used across the market, particularly in technical and automotive applications. The company maintains that the T-win offers reliable performance, shot consistency and energy efficiency at a compact footprint.

IQ weight control is meant to demonstrate how a software can enhance the profitability of using recycled materials. By ensuring consistent quality and minimizing rejects, iQ weight control dynamically adjusts the injection profile within each cycle to maintain a constant fill.

Wintec’s customer, CH3 Solutions, supplies the mold for this cell. The raw material is provided by its partner, Atando Cabos. ExxonMobil provides material and additives for processing and part properties.

Source | Ellwood Specialty Metals

Ellwood Specialty Metals showcases its EllCast 2 aluminum plate. This modified Alloy 2618 is designed for high-temperature applications up to 300°C (575°F).

EllCast 2 offers machinability properties with dimensional stability, which Ellwood claims makes it suitable for a wide range of industries. Its high strength at elevated temperatures, combined with high thermal fatigue resistance, hardness and polishability, reportedly makes EllCast 2 a good choice for critical applications.

EllCast 2 aluminum plate offers strength at elevated temperatures and dimensional stability during machining. It maintains an equiaxial fine grain structure and consistent properties throughout the entire plate, making it suitable for polished surface applications. EllCast accepts anodized, nickel and other coatings, as well as mold finishes and textures. Moreover, it provides good welding characteristics.

EllCast 2 aluminum plate is suitable for a variety of applications, including injection molding, structural foam, composite tooling, reaction injection molding (RIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), rubber molds, blow molding, rotational molding, automotive, aerospace and thermoforming.

Source | High Tech Laser & Polishing

High Tech Laser & Polishing Inc. has been serving the mold and plastics industry since 1985. It provides multiple services, including mold polishing, laser engraving, laser texturing, laser welding and more. The company’s polishing department offers finishes from mirror diamond, paper, stone and blasted according to the Plastics Industry Assn. (PLASTICS, formerly the Society of the Plastics Industry) standards. Many of High Tech’s projects require the polishers to work under a microscope for small and complex jobs — with the company’s many years of experience, it claims that its polishers are able to manage orders that require such attention to specific details. 

The laser department offers engraving, part marking, texturing, cutting and welding. High Tech’s lasers create detail with depths ranging from 0.0005" to 0.075" or deeper. It engraves on tool steels, aluminum, copper and graphite for electrodes. Logos, cavity ID, tool identification or text can be accomplished on a contoured surface, a sidewall or down in a deep pocket. In addition, the welding department offers laser welding and TIG welding services on various tool steels, aluminum and copper materials. After welding, High Tech states that it is able to blend down the weld to match existing surface finishes. 

New automation equipment installed at MSI Mold Builder’s facility. Source | MSI Mold Builder

Moldmaker MSI Mold Builders is showcasing its ability to develop a full range of injection molds and structural foam molds domestically, meeting the needs of U.S.-based molders. The company’s experience and operational stability enables an innovative approach to providing best-in-class solutions with short lead times and a low total cost of ownership. The company is featuring a number of products across industries where it has produced the molds.

MSI builds a variety of steel and aluminum molds, the latter for limited production runs, serving customers in the automotive, power sport, agriculture, lawn and garden, medical equipment, heavy truck, material handling, recreational vehicle, construction and office furniture industries.

Its capabilities cover early supplier involvement for part and production development, new mold construction, in-house sampling, design services and tooling revision, repair and maintenance. As industry trends evolve toward new automation technology, MSI Mold Builders has invested in new equipment, including five-axis machines, and improved processes to further automate its operations and maximize machine utilization and throughput.  

The TrueShape 3D technology, which incorporates fused deposition modeling and CNC machining, enables rapid toolmaking with reduced or even, in some cases, no postprocessing. The process begins with a metal paste which is added in layers. Periodic drying and CNC steps build up the shape of the tool, which is ultimately transferred to an oven for sintering.

An injection mold insert printed in Mantle’s 420 Stainless Steel. Source | Mantle

According to Mantle, the pursuit of the new material was driven by customer requests. TrueShape 3D was launched with P20 steel, with the later addition of harder H13 steel. The new material will offer similar hardness to the H13, adding superior corrosion resistance.

The availability of stainless is expected to be beneficial to customers in corrosive environments, such as manufacturing locations in tropical climates. Corrosion is particularly of concern with conformal cooling channels, enabled by additive manufacturing technologies, which offer more efficient cooling than linear channels, thus enabling faster cycle times. 

At NPE 2024, Mantle plans to display examples of printed steel tooling from the Trueshape 3D technology, along with the metal paste the process begins with, setting up a stark comparison: from a mixture of metal particles, adhesive and solvent that is described as having the consistency of toothpaste, to a dense, heavy, stainless-steel tool ready for industrial injection molding.