Cube Machine Portfolio Completed

Working in collaboration with Foboha, Arburg has expanded its cube machine portfolio, adding the Allrounder Cube 1800 with 180 tons of clamp force. Creating four surfaces to mold from, the cube doubles the number of cavities the mold can feature, boosting output without impacting cycle time. Arburg said this latest machine and the full range brings cube technology to industries beyond packaging and into sectors like technical and medical products, as well as personal care goods.

The distance between the hybrid Allrounder Cube 1800’s tie-bars measures 570 by 570 mm (22 by 22 in.), and it can be equipped with horizontal injection units in sizes from 400 to 1300 and moving injection units in sizes from 70 to 800.

The cube is supplied from partner company Foboha. Its rotation is powered servo-electrically and the horizontal movement relies on rack-and-pinion mechanisms. Fitted with an 8+8-cavity mold, the Allrounder Cube 1800 is capable of more than double the output of a conventionally sized 570 Allrounder with a 4+4-cavity rotary tool utilizing the same mold-mounting surface. Alternatively, the cube would have the same output as at least two Allrounders with comparable tie-bar spacing or a single press three times larger, which drastically reduces the installation area.

Arburg points out that just using the passive sides of the cube as a cooling station can reduce cooling time by 30%. Beyond cooling, the passive sides can be used for everything from loading inserts, unscrewing, and assembly of components to integrated checks and automated parts removal, with no cycle-time penalty.

In terms of heightened productivity, one Allrounder Cube can replace several conventional injection molding machines, reducing shop floor footprints by up to 75%. The machine’s energy requirement is up to 45% lower than that of conventional cube machines.

Arburg demonstrated the system’s capabilities on an Allrounder Cube 1800 with two injection units in sizes 400 and 170. The 4-cavity pilot tool from Foboha molds four bichrome sealing caps from chemically recycled Borealis PP in a 8.7-sec cycle time. Station one molds four frames weighing 0.85 g then rotates 90 degrees for cooling at station two. After a second rotation, the second component—weighing 2.10 g—is injected at station three. After a final rotation, finished parts are removed automatically at station four by a six-axis robot integrated into the machine controller.