Sponsored By

Lens molding was taken to a new dimension of precision at the recent IPF Show in Japan by Fanuc (At the Foot of Mt. Fuji, Japan) with its Roboshot S-2000i30B press molding 3-mm-diameter lenses for smartphones from cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) resin. Nowadays, smartphones require up to eight such lenses.

November 17, 2011

1 Min Read
IPF show: Lenses, connectors get precision boosts through advances in clamping, injection

The press operating at IPF featured large linear guides on the clamp end as part of a high precision clamping option, while servo-driven nozzle touch was also employed to reduce platen bending. According to Fanuc Senior Development Engineering Satoshi Takatsugi, mold stability is advanced even further through the use of 30-mm-thick temperature control plates placed between the mold halves and the platens to smooth out the temperature gap between the tool (140°C) and the platens.

Fanuc also unveiled advances in precision metering control at IPF with its Roboshot S-2000i50B machine employing a software function that actively controls the open/close state of the injection unit check ring using screw rotation. Previously, Fanuc had no way of actually confirming the check ring state but its latest control technology now features a backflow monitor that enables this by measuring the load on the servomotor.

Another feature on the S-2000i50B was a servomotor-driven screw feed for metering resin precisely to the injection screw. Takatsugi says that by monitoring the main injection screw load and feeding this back to the feed screw, resin feed can be optimized and this reduces the quantity of gas that makes it into the barrel by 35%.-[email protected]

Sign up for the PlasticsToday NewsFeed newsletter.

You May Also Like