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Toshiba Machine Co. (Tokyo) views production cells and system-based solutions as the way ahead amid an increasingly competitive market for injection molding machines. "The number of machines we ship is declining while simultaneously, more of our customers are asking for complete systems," explains Hideo Tanaka, a Toshiba advisor.

November 4, 2011

2 Min Read
IPF show: Toshiba opts for systems approach as differentiator

Toshiba Machine Co. (Tokyo) views production cells and system-based solutions as the way ahead amid an increasingly competitive market for injection molding machines. "The number of machines we ship is declining while simultaneously, more of our customers are asking for complete systems," explains Hideo Tanaka, a Toshiba advisor.

Toshiba's approach is to employ its injection machines mated with the best available peripheral equipment, no matter where these may emerge from globally. One such system solution on show at IPF was the 180-tonne EC180S-6A demonstrating molding of PP tubs with in-mold labels in a 5.3 second cycle using a two-cavity mold. The 20-g shot weight tubs were 0.5-mm thick. Toshiba tied up with Israeli company Imdecol (Rosh Ha'ain) to develop the system.

Another cell centered on the 180-tonne EC180SX-6A injection press, which was seen demonstrating molding of a 70-g PP cover. Demolding was via a traverse robot, and the part was then picked up by a multi-axis robot, and positoned under a second robot traverse robot for atmospheric plasma treatment and application of a polyurethane foam gasket using a KraussMaffei Technologies (Munich, Germany) dosing system. The final step was placement on a conveyor by the multi-axis robot. Toshiba and KraussMaffei maintain a cooperation agreement to develop leading edge machinery for plastics processing.

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Metallizing, packaging, inspection and labeling all part of Toshiba candy container production cell.

This neat production cell was matched in the complexity stakes by a cell (shown above) centered on an EC180SX-4A all-electric press that molded polycarbonate caps under a clean box and robotically transferred these to a batch plating unit from Shibaura Mechatronics (Tokyo). After plating, these plated caps were placed on a conveyor and passed through a visual inspection system. The caps were then screwed onto jars containing candy, these then passed through an X-ray inspection system to confirm the candy count, and if the fix of sweets tallied, a label was automatically applied to the underside of the container.

"The clean box generates laminar air flow while there is an option for side flow at the top of the box to minimize contamination from entry of the take-out robot," says Toshiba Machine advisor Hideo Tanaka, who is also president of subsidiary Toshiba Machine Engineering, previously an after sales service and machine refurbishing concern. The subsidiary now intends to shift its focus to being a system integrator and solution provider.-[email protected]

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