Engel Installs Massive Injection Molding Machine for Trials, Testing

Engel Austria GmbH has expanded its technical center in St. Valentin, Austria, with one of the largest injection molding machines from its standard portfolio: the duo 5500 combi M. Featuring a clamping force of nearly 6,200 tons and weighing in at 545 tons, the duo 5500 combi M measures 105 ft. long, 43 ft. wide and 22 ft. high. Engel will use the large, fully equipped machine to collaborate with customers and partners. Those collaborations are not likely to be limited by tool size, with the duo 5500 combi M’s mold space able to accommodate molds weighing up to 150 tons. The duo 5500 is the largest machine listed in the duo fleet, with a distance of more than 8 ft. between the tiebars. The company has built and delivered larger machines, however, including two 8,000-ton machines built in St. Valentin and delivered to Infiltrator Water Technologies in Winchester, Kentucky.

Citing a mega trend of mega parts in automotive manufacturing, Engel says vehicles are increasingly using larger plastic parts to reduce vehicle weight, improve fuel efficiency and lower production costs. In addition to its size, the new technical center machine also features a range of Engel technologies that can combine materials and other features, including clearmelt polyurethane (PUR) coating; foammelt foam injection molding; organomelt long-glass-fiber or tape-reinforcement molding; coinmelt compression injection molding; optimelt optical-part molding; combimelt multicolor injection molding; and foilmelt back injection of decorative and/or functional films.

The press features three injection units: two movable individually operable horizontal injection units and a combi M injection unit, with two of the units on one side of the platens, and the third on the opposite side. An Engel spokesperson noted for Plastics Technology that the machine could easily accommodate a fourth injection unit.

The spinning center platen supports Engel’s combi process for multimaterial molding where one material is injected from one side of the press, the platen spins and the mold can receive material from the other side. In this instance, Engel notes the combi setup saves space compared to two large molds installed side by side. Alternatively, this design can support two identical molds on both sides, doubling output if there is sufficient clamping force.

The machine is also equipped with two six-axis Engel easix articulated robots on a track for various automation functions, including insert placement and part removal.

For PUR applications, two Cannon systems are available, including a small-volume application unit and a high-volume application setup. A dosing unit enables coloring the polyurethanes. All of Engel’s extensive digital assistance systems are integrated into the machine control.

Engel says the introduction of the duo 5500 combi M helps make Engel’s technical center a leading hub for testing new technologies and collaborating closely with the industry to promote new injection molding possibilities, including testing and development of existing and new customer projects under real conditions and on neutral ground. This includes tool and material tests as well as the development of new manufacturing technologies. Initial customer trials are already scheduled to begin “shortly,” according to Engel.