Wittmann Battenfeld with Optimised EcoPower UNILOG B8
At the Fakuma 2017 from 17 to 21 October, Wittmann Battenfeld presented under the motto “be smart” its proven all-electric machine from the EcoPower series, with numerous new and improved features – which make the EcoPower B8 even more efficient and productive.
The EcoPower shown for the first time at the Fakuma 2009 was the very first machine of a completely new machine series developed by Wittmann Battenfeld, known by the name of PowerSeries. With the EcoPower, available with clamping forces ranging from 550 to 3,000 kN, the company has rolled out an all-electric machine which stands out by its high precision, repeatability, cleanness, low noise level and extreme energy efficiency. The latter is partly due to the use of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology patented by Wittmann Battenfeld, which makes it possible to transform the kinetic energy released by braking into electrical energy, which can be used inside the machine, for example for barrel heating.
The EcoPower has now been further improved with additional features which have made it even more powerful and efficient than before. For instance, the maximum closing speed has been increased to 1400 mm/s by using a highly dynamic rack-and-pinion drive for the clamping unit. This rack-and-pinion drive system also offers minimal transmission loss, zero maintenance requirements and a harmonious motion sequence.
The automatic, servo-driven mould height adjustment device ensures short adjustment times by its high speed, as well as high-precision clamping force control. The minimised play of the bronze bar nut provides highly accurate mould height adjustment.
Another contribution to precise control and ultimate repeatability of the injection process is made by the new, high-resolution digital absolute value encoder. It thus promotes an extremely accurate changeover to holding pressure.
The machine’s low-noise injection spindle has been fitted with a modern ball screw drive featuring “spacer” technology. The new spindle also requires less grease and consequently helps to minimise the consumption of lubrication grease.
In developing the new EcoPower UNILOG B8, special attention was also paid to user-friendliness of the machine. As a result, the sliding safety gate, which runs on rails, provides easier access to the auger clutch and facilitates screw change. The barrel heater plugs are integrated in the machine frame. As an option, hot runner control boxes can be mounted inside the mould space, and shockproof sockets as well as interfaces for the metering device directly on the injection unit. The efficient servo-hydraulics for the ejector, nozzle movements and core pulls is also easily accessible thanks to integration at the rear of the machine frame. And last, but not least, the UNILOG B8 control system is worth mentioning under the aspect of user-friendliness – running under Windows® 10 IoT, with a 21.5” Full-HD multi-touch screen and capable of easy integration of Wittmann robots and peripheral appliances via Wittmann 4.0.
At the Fakuma, the functionality of the new EcoPower UNILOG B8 will be demonstrated by an EcoPower 160/750 with an insider cell. On this machine, a coat hanger will be manufactured with a single-cavity mould from Haidlmair, Austria, using the Wittmann Battenfeld AIRMOULD® internal gas pressure process. The AIRMOULD® interface is integrated in the UNILOG B8 control system. The parts will be removed and deposited on the conveyor belt integrated in the production cell by a W918 robot from Wittmann with the new R9 robot control system.
Contact Wittmann Battenfeld for more information
