The injection moulding of the future according Fanuc

Fanuc is responding to market demands with new Roboshot technical solutions for future-oriented injection moulding. The company will demonstrate several premieres in their product portfolio on Fanuc’s K 2019 stand. Apart from implementing industry-specific know-how Fanuc’s products are well known for their low power consumption, no hydraulic oil involved, low carbon footprint, low scrap rate and more. Furthermore, technical progress with ecological benefits leads to commercial advantages – short downtime i.e. long uptime, better product unit cost/price, high-end production quality and prevention of rejects and - last but not least - longevity of the Roboshot injection moulding machine.

Medical Package

Fanuc has now released an injection moulding machine specifically for the medical and pharmaceutical markets: the Roboshot α-S150iA Medical Package. Roboshot meets stringent user requirements for low energy consumption and flawless injection moulding quality combined with stability, repeatability and process reliability. The Roboshot α-S150iA Medical Package, which has now been presented for the first time, also has Class 7 cleanroom approval. This has been achieved through design features such as tie-bars without bearing bushes, Cr-coated linear guides, NI-coated plates, specially approved lubricants and an unpainted, brushed stainless steel cover. In the 32-cavity mould, needle caps made of PP are produced. Like all Fanuc injection moulding machines, the “Medical Package” also operates with these processing features: efficient energy recovery control function, reliable torque plasticise control - Precise Metering Control (PMC) 2&3 - as well as backflow monitor and highly efficient AI mould/ejector protection. The results are high-end process performance and product quality.

A larger standard injection unit

A new larger injection unit specially developed for high injection pressures and volumes has been developed. Fanuc thus extends the performance of its largest precision injection moulding machine to date - the all-electric Roboshot α-S450iA - by a further step. More cavities on larger moulds require larger platens, which in turn require a larger/stronger machine with higher clamping forces and powerful injection units. Beyond the automotive industry, medical and pharmaceutical markets, as well as other precision parts industries, are demanding more precise, faster output and higher production rates than ever before. What's more, complex geometries require absolute precision - especially in terms of surface quality, contour accuracy, weight stability and reproducibility. Fanuc was aware of this when the company decided to develop a larger machine with the same reliability as the previous six models with clamping forces between 150 and 3000 kN. Now we have 4500 kN clamping force, 920 mm x 920 mm tie bar spacing, a clamping stroke of 900 mm, 1300 mm x 1300 mm platens and a mould height of up to 1000 mm. The α-S450iA shows its impressive productivity potential: for lawn mowers, Polypropylene covers measuring 330 x 570 mm are produced in less than one minute cycle time: shot weight 725 cubic metres. A Fanuc Robot M-20iA, mounted on the IMM’s fixed platen, takes care of demoulding and depositing the hoods.

LSR processing

For products that need to be tightly protected against environmental influences, Fanuc presents its proprietary liquid silicone processing cell. The ROBOSHOT α-S50iA - 500kN clamping force - works with a Fanuc Robot LR Mate 200iD/7. It takes four rectangular (length approx. 8 mm) LSR electrical connector seals from the four-cavity mould and deposits them on a conveyor belt. The core of the system is the 18-mm diameter LSR screw/cylinder unit developed by Fanuc. Here, a Robot system called QSSR (Quick and Simple Start-up of Robotization) has been implemented.

Multicomponent injection moulding

Fanuc now offers a further development in multi-component injection moulding: a rotary table with one of the most reliable servo drives on the market. A production cell of Roboshot α-S150iA + vertical type 2nd injection unit SI-20A is automated with a Fanuc Robot LR Mate - also via QSSR. Useful during the cold season: the Fanuc Robot deposits two-colour ice scrapers moulded in a special hard PC/ABS blend combined with a soft TPE handle on the conveyor belt. Visitors are invited to take the product home.

Industry 4.0