Husky’s all-electric makes North American debut at PLASTEC West

Husky's all-electric injection molding machine stopped off in Southern California at the PLASTEC West (booth 4167) show for its North American debut after being launched last fall at Germany's K show. The 100-ton H-Med AE (all-electric) machine is running a 32-cavity mold and shooting 0.18g breather caps in a sub 4-second cycle for a medical device application for ICU Medical.

The cold-half of the mold was created by Tech Mold, with a Husky hot runner system and Altanium control, including Ultra Sync E plate-actuated valve gate. That system runs with a servomotor and ball screw, removing any hydraulic motions from the machine. "We see a trend to move to all-electric actuation, even in the mold," Fred Humbert, Husky's director of business development, medical told PlasticsToday.

Setting above the machine's platens is a fan filter unit that boosts the cleanliness of the air within the molding area. The system blows ambient air through a hepa filter, creating laminar air flow over the mold face, and taking surrounding air that would satisfy Class 9 clean room standards down to a Class 8 within the machine.

Humbert said ICU Medical (see more on ICU Medical) approached Husky with the part they needed to make, and Husky built this full system, including ShotScope to track part quality, around the breather cap component. ICU Medical will take delivery of an identical system, while the machine on the PLASTEC floor heads to São Paulo for BrasilPlast this spring. —Tony Deligio