Engel North America (York, PA), the U.S. division of the Austrian parent, has extended its duo pico series of compact, twin-platen, injection molding machines, adding 400- and 440-ton models. At their global premier during NPE2009, Engel's duo pico line ranged from 500 to 770 tons. In a release, Engel said the duo pico machines have been engineered and built from the ground up to satisfy specific customer requests, including high-speed operation, smaller tonnages, smaller footprints, and lighter weights.

In addition, just as in the larger models, the new duo pico's offer variable platen distances that allow the machine to accommodate a variety of special manufacturing applications, including inmold labeling and the use of stack molds.

Engel’s duo pico adds 400- and 440-ton models

The new models come with Engel's ecodrive: a variable-drive system that incorporates speed-controlled servo pumps to increase energy efficiency. The machines' plasticizing units also allow its hydraulic pumps to idle during plasticizing, for greater power savings. Engel says that on average, ecodrive-equipped machines consume 45-60% less energy than similarly sized hydraulic machines. Similar to fully hydraulic machines, however, the ecodrive-equipped machines can power hot-runner needles, mold-mounting systems, and hydraulic corepulls.

The new duo pico machines can also be equipped with an integrated precision-coining package and are adaptable to special manufacturing technologies, like Engel's combi M system for the two-component molding of large surface-area parts. Engel says that like the larger-tonnage models, the machines are fast, dry cycling at just 2.5 seconds at a 22-inch opening stroke. —[email protected]