Uniloy has introduced the third generation of all-electric reciprocating blow molding machines, which are designed for versatility and data connectivity, ready to meet the needs of Industry 4.0 applications.
Uniloy's third-generation all-electric UCS-E reciprocating blow molding machine provides clamping forces of up to 30t with up to 12 stations on one side
Uniloy introduces the all-electric UCS-E continuous extrusion reciprocating blow molding machine for the production of bottles, containers and technical components from 50 ml to 30 L. This is the company's third-generation electric reciprocating machine and uniloy's most advanced reciprocating machine to date. Daniel Horecica-Csiki, the company's product manager, said that the main purposes of developing the machine were to reduce turnaround time, reduce maintenance requirements, reduce energy consumption and reduce the machine's footprint.
According to reports, the electric drive device of the machine is 40% more energy-efficient than the standard hydraulic press, and the energy consumption of each 1kg of plastic extruded is 0.27 kWh, which is in line with Euromap's ten-level energy efficiency level. According to current standards, its latest generation of zero-backlash precision gearboxes are driven by AC brushless drives with absolute encoders, ensuring very high repeatability.
The completely redesigned user interface provides intuitive guidance for operator and SPC monitoring. A 21.5in. touchscreen that can accept gesture commands like smartphones and tablets, which is said to allow for faster parameter setting as well as customizing a large number of parameters. Connectivity and data were the primary factors in the development of this machine, making it ready to meet the needs of Industry 4.0 applications and to exchange data with the plant's management system. The machine contains the OPC UA communication protocol, which is currently considered the backbone of the Industry 4.0 system, which allows the molding machine to manage downstream equipment such as trimmers and leak detectors. Uniloy's newly developed controller also provides remote assistance and diagnostics, and preventive maintenance and self-diagnostic functions under development will also be introduced.
The new control interface accepts gesture commands and features OPC UA connectivity for data transmission and integration with downstream devices
The UCS-E double-sided reciprocating blow molding machine can currently provide a maximum clamping force of 30t and a maximum of 12 stations per side. "We are constantly developing new models." Corrado Zanga, Uniloy's director of European sales, said. The modular machine structure allows for a variety of configurations and the addition of side workstations without space constraints. The user can choose from a variety of clamping forces, strokes and neck cutting forces. The overall design of the machine is very compact, but it does not affect the ease of maintenance, even more convenient than before, requiring fewer spare parts. These electric motors are considered machines for cleanroom applications and offer a sterile upgrade option.
Like the previous generation of Uniloy reciprocating machines, the new UCS-E machines can quickly replace the blow needle holder. Another new feature is that by operating the lever mechanism, the mold base plate can be quickly removed without the need for tools to disassemble the mold.
Quick-change features include a special blow needle holder as well as a new quick-removable mold base plate
Uniloy manufactures its own dies for single-layer applications, providing optimization for rapid discoloration. At the same time, the company will be W. Dies from Müller are used for co-extrusion of up to 7 layers. "We're also developing our own multilayer dies." Brian Marston, President and CEO of Uniloy, added, "We are also developing dies that can improve the processing of post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) and biomaterials that are more sensitive to processing than ordinary resins and need to benefit from equipment designs that provide a wider processing window. ”
"We've developed more products in recent years." Marston said that the new control interface now used on the UCS-E has become standard on all Uniloy machines, while a new generation of injection blowing and reciprocating screw machinery with major new technologies will also be unveiled at the end of 2021.
Marston also mentioned the Uniloy University laboratory, which will be completed by the end of 2021, and will be the only laboratory in the world that can test and train three different blow molding processes, including injection blow blow, reciprocating screw and continuous extrusion reciprocating.
In summary, the new UCS-E reciprocating machines can be demonstrated and tested in Tecumseh and Magenta, Italy.