Ferromatik Milacron (Malterdingen / Germany; www.ferromatik.com) will be displaying and demonstrating a wide range of its injection moulding machinery at “K 2010” (www.k-online.de) in Düsseldorf / Germany in late October – see Plasteurope.com of 22.06.2010. The company’s centrepiece will be the new, modular “F-Series”, which will be introduced in 2011 and will gradually replace existing Ferromatik Milacron ranges, including the “Elektra” all-electric machines, “K-Tec” hydraulic machines, and “Vitesse” hybrid machines.

The “F-Series” will be available in 10 clamping force sizes from 500 to 6,500 kN and will be aimed at the packaging, consumer goods, and medical technology industries. The flexible design of the range makes it easy to combine individual modules, so that each machine is fully customised. Depending on the customer’s requirements and priorities, machine configurations can emphasise areas such as performance, energy consumption, dynamics, or precision. Moulders also have a choice of electric or hydraulic drives, and can choose to mix and match for each machine axis.

Ferromatik Milacron will present an F 160 with a clamping force of 1,600 kN and a GP (General Purpose) size 50 injection unit with a screw diameter of 50 mm at “K 2010”. The F 160 will demonstrate production of PP packaging on a two-cavity mould from Italian mould maker Incos in a cycle time of six seconds. The Ferromatik Milacron “Robot FMR 8-5 Advanced”, which will remove and stack the parts, is also making its debut at “K 2010”. Produced by Swedish automation specialist Wemo, controls for the robot are fully integrated with the mosaic machine controls. The robot is available in six sizes, each of which comes in basic and advanced versions.

Also on display will be the high-performance “Vitesse” series, which was first introduced in 2009. The “Vitesse” is available in 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 kN sizes. The original selection of international size injection units – 1,000, 1,650, 2,650 und 4,400 – has been expanded to include larger sizes and is now offered with international size 6,610 and 10,100 injection units, which means that a total of 13 configurations are available.

A “Vitesse” 300 will be demonstrated at “K 2010” as part of a complete production cell, including in-mould-labelling, quality control, part stacking and packaging. The production cell was created together with the Swiss partner Müller IML. The 3,000 kN machine will be fitted with an international size 2,650 injection unit and will demonstrate production of labelled rectangular lids with a 4+4 cavity stack-mould and a cycle time of five seconds. In one parting line in the stack-mould four PP labels will be produced, while in the second four lids with paper labels will be produced.

The “Elektron” machine is based on the technologies used in the all-electric “Elektra” series. An Indian affiliate contributed to the engineering of the new machine, and assembly for the “Elektron” is carried out by Milacron China. It is now available through Ferromatik Milacron as an economy model in eight clamping force sizes ranging from 500 to 3,300 kN, with a selection of seven injection units from international size 55 to 1,540. A total of 23 combinations is possible, each with a choice of three screw diameter sizes.

At “K 2010” an “Elektron” 75, with a clamping force of 750 kN and an international size 300 injection unit, will produce PP business card cases in a cycle time of 12 seconds. The single cavity mould and hot runner technology is from Milacron affiliate DME. The machine employs “quick strip” ejection, in which part ejection occurs automatically with the mould opening, without requiring the use of the machine ejector.