Improvements Enhance Value to Molders

BATAVIA, OHIO, June 3, 2009…As part of an ongoing quest to provide customers with ever-increasing reliability and productivity, Milacron has announced major new options and improvements to its industry-leading Roboshot S2000i-B Series of injection molding machines. The enhancements (itemized in the diagram below) are available immediately on machines of 55, 110 and 165 U.S. tons of clamping pressure, with the remainder of the line to be completed later this year.

Base Rigidity and Footprint
All new Roboshots have lower bases, enhanced with a new stronger design. The 110- and 165-ton machines have a more compact footprint with a reduction in both height and length and feature improvements to the part-removal area as well. The new base design is more rigid than conventional square tubing designs and delivers greater machine rigidity. Added stiffness in the molding process, in turn, results in higher part quality. In addition, improvements to the electrical system have allowed for a more streamlined footprint.

“The base has been enhanced with the more rigid design to enable a stronger and more stable rigid molding system,” said Kent Royer of Milacron. “Machines today must accommodate heavier tools and more automation applied between the tie bars, as processors seek ways to improve quality and increase productivity. We are responding to customer requests for stronger machines with smaller machinery footprints. We’ve shortened our 110-ton machine by eight inches and our 165-ton model by four inches, saving significant floor space,” adds Royer.

Decibel Levels
The Roboshot S2000i-B is well known for being a very quiet injection molding machine, but the updated Roboshots have enhancements that further reduce its decibel values. “Over 25 years ago when Milacron first introduced the all-electric machine to the market, customers were amazed to witness a machine running so quietly compared to conventional hydraulic machines,” said Bob Strickley, Director of Marketing for Milacron. “Today, while some machines seem to run as loud as ever, at Milacron we’re pushing the technology curve even further in this area” states Strickley.

"We had a very quiet machine to start with,” Royer explained. “Milacron now has an enhanced belt design to the point of a full 4 dBa improvement in noise reduction, which is most notable when running at full speed.” The new belts use a different improved composite material while maintaining the high-load transmission capacity. “The requirements today are to run faster, quieter and with high reliability and precision, which has always been the industry trademark of the Roboshot,” Royer added.

Clamp Design and Cycle Times
Further Roboshot advancements include a new clamp and ball screw design and as well as improvements to the clamp mechanics to boost the Roboshot’s performance and overall reliability. “As a result, the Roboshot has faster dry-cycle times with less vibration and lower maintenance costs,” Royer said. New optional software enhancements related to ejector operation and clamp operation and acceleration have also reduced cycle times, by as much as 13% in some cases.

“The risk with faster clamp speeds is tool and mold damage,” Royer explained. “Our patented Artificial Intelligence (AI-Mold Protect) clamp motor load sensory capabilities, however, monitors and regulates both the open and close at all speeds, we are able to maintain superior mold protection at these faster cycles” states Royer. The new clamp design will be a significant advantage for processors that have a need for high speeds in all-electric designs.

Anti-Vibration Package
Milacron engineering has also addressed this issue of higher machine vibration, which can occur when running a very quick cycle time. The new Roboshot can be ordered with a special optional anti-vibration package, which includes special mounting and cabinet support systems to minimize vibrations within the machine base as well as in the electronics. “The Roboshot is gaining a much larger market share in small-part, high-speed packaging applications, thanks to its stability enhancements and features, which rival much larger tonnage machines,” Royer added.

Lubrication Circuit
The Roboshot product line also features an enhanced multi-circuit lubrication system encompassing the injection unit and clamp, resulting in greater machine reliability as well as reduced use of grease and the associated costs. The grease supply lines have been designed to support faster cycle times, while grease usage can be cut as much as 50%. These lubrication improvements to the clamp toggle along with the mechanical design changes will greatly improve reliability for the higher demands that customers are placing on today’s equipment.

ServTek Injection Feedscrews
For over 25 years Milacron has led the industry in promoting energy-saving technologies such as the electric servomotor driven molding machine. The Barr™ VBET (Variable Barrier Energy Feedscrew), is available on all the Roboshot models using 36mm or larger feed screws. The VBET design provides measurable energy efficiencies by employing conductive melting rather than shearing. As a direct result of reducing the shearing action to the resin, the extruder motor torque has seen reductions as much as 40% resulting in significant energy reductions. The conductive melting has resulted in eliminating surface splay issues on many applications which results in less scrap. The screw design offers additional benefits of excellent color mixing and a very even and consistent temperature gradient across the melt pool.

Servtek TCS Heater Technology
At NPE 2009, Milacron plans to introduce a new energy-efficient heaterband technology called ServTek TCS for smaller diameter injection units. This technology can reduce energy consumption by 35 to 50% compared to conventional heaterbands. The insulating effects of the ServTek TCS system also save energy in air-conditioned facilities, as these bands do not emit the heat into the atmosphere as do conventional bands. The ServTek TCS system offers longer system life, further reducing costs to our customers. A significant value to molders that utilize the ServTek TCS system is processing temperature control to within one degree Fahrenheit. Unlike other ceramic or other insulated heater elements, the ServTek TCS system can be configured with a cooling circuit for fast change-over between different resins using large temperature gradients.

The Roboshot is just one example of the innovative “Earth Friendly Technologies.” used to squeeze every penny from production costs through reduced energy, scrap and higher production capabilities. Milacron will have Roboshot and ServTek technical representatives at the Milacron booth #24012 South Hall June 22 through June 25, 2009 to provide additional details and address any questions. In addition technical details will be presented at the Milacron Technology arena during the show. Visit www.milacron.com and click on the NPE 2009 section for additional details.

First incorporated in 1884, Milacron is a leading global supplier of plastics-processing technologies and industrial fluids, with major manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. Milacron knows what matters in manufacturing, and every day, puts this know how to work to help customers improve their productivity, cut costs, increase energy efficiency, eliminate scrap and reduce cycle times. This year, Milacron is celebrating 125 years of making a genuine impact on the industries it serves. Visit www.milacron.com for more information.

Contact Bob Starr, Milacron Marketing 248-544-5718 or bob_starr@milacron.com