Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (HQ: 500 Green Street South Bolton, Ontario/Canada) has opened a new technical centre on a 10 hectare site in Novi (Michigan, USA). The DTC (Detroit Technical Center) covers an area of 9,000 sq.m. and has been set up for product developments on injection moulding machines with a clamping force up to 80,000 kN. A jumbo machine such as this can be used to produce parts weighing up to 66 kg. The first component – a complete half shell for the body of the “Composite Concept Vehicle” (CCV) from DaimlerChrysler – was produced in Summer 1999. This application weighs just under 15 kg, has a cycle time of 140 s and has so far been tested with prototypes of PET and PP, both glass-reinforced.

As reported by DaimlerChrysler in the US, the CCV project has been laid on ice for the time being. The Husky jumbo machine is currently being used to produce some 5,000 hard tops for the 2001 model of DaimlerChrysler´s Jeep Wrangler (see also Plasteurope.com 05, 1999). DaimlerChrysler´s supplier for this application is the Canadian company, Decoma International Inc. (50 Casimir Court, Concord, Ontario/Canada L4K 415), the “exterior” subsidiary of Magna International Inc. (Magham Ontario/Canada).

• Plasteurope.com Service:Detailed information (German) from Husky on the Detroit Technical Center and the E8000 jumbo machine with pictures: PIE-No. 44474.