Injection molding: Netstal plans to expand electrics; offers new PET preform option
Injection molding machine manufacturer Netstal (Nafels, Switzerland) used the Fakuma trade show last week to again demonstrate its prowess at high-speed molding of thin-walled parts, running an Elion 1200-530 electric machine at speeds of 3 seconds on a 2-cavity PP cup mold with inmold labeling, and also had two other machines from its Elion electric press range in operation.
October 23, 2008
(Nafels, Switzerland) used the Fakuma trade show last week to again demonstrate its prowess at high-speed molding of thin-walled parts, running an Elion 1200-530 electric machine at speeds of 3 seconds on a 2-cavity PP cup mold with inmold labeling, and also had two other machines from its Elion electric press range in operation. The Elion, introduced by Netstal at the K Show in October 2004, has proven a runaway success, said Reto Morger, the firm’s marketing manager, so that Netstal intends in the near-term to expand the clamp force available on the range from the current limit of 175 tonnes higher up the scale; how high is not yet set.
The company also recently introduced its Calitec cooling technology for molding of PET performs; Netstal claims #2 placing in the market for PET perform molding equipment behind Canada’s Husky, with the two of them controlling fully 80+% of the market, said Morger. The Calitec system, patent pending, works by placing slight pressure via compressed air on a preform’s interior during the post-cooling phase. This prevents the perform from shrinking away, as it is uniformly pressed onto the cooling sleeve. Cooling is not interrupted, and the perform also enjoys a sort of calibration, much like a plastic profile. Because the entire circumference of the perform contacts the cooling sleeve, Calitec helps molders ensure perform uniformity and helps speed cooling cycles.
A field test customer (unidentified) using Calitec since September 2007 has told Netstal it saw productivity increases of more than 10%, in addition to improved perform geometry. The system now is available as an option for new PET perform molding systems or can be retrofitted to existing systems.
You May Also Like