From the early information we have about the new EcoPower series of all-electric injection molding machines that Wittmann Battenfeld is set to launch at the Fakuma Show in Germany (October 13-17, 2009), the two companies of the Wittmann Group are pooling their expertise as they intended.

The two companies will be sharing a unified exhibit space at Fakuma, and proclaiming a unified philosophy: “Everything from a single source.” Both companies bring a long track record with them to this approach. For example, before the global peripherals and automation supplier Wittmann acquired it, Battenfeld had over 20 years of experience with all-electric machines. Its Microsystem 50 self-contained molding production cell for parts weighing as little as single-digit milligrams, is fully electric.

The EcoPower machines will feature a beltless injection unit and direct drives on the clamp. Braking energy of the drives, which the company says is usually either wasted or recovered by an elaborate process, is used efficiently. Modularity allows the machine to be configured for various application types. High-precision molding is the base standard, and an EcoPower system also can be configured specifically for cleanroom or high-speed production.

One feature that would seem to reflect the marriage of a peripherals supplier and a molding machine maker is that temperature-control devices and material dryers for an EcoPower can be integrated into the machine frame to conserve floorspace. Moreover, the peripheral equipment can be controlled, visualized, and have its data stored by the machine’s control system.

At Fakuma, an EcoPower 110/350 will be producing a housing cover. The molded parts will be removed and placed on a conveyor by a Wittmann W821 Series robot, which also is fully integrated into the machine’s Unilog B6 control system. —Rob Neilley