German plastics machinery manufacturer Arburg is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Hehl family company in style. To commemorate the event, the company is launching a new injection moulding machine range: the hybrid Allrounder 470 H.
Available in three versions - Comfort, Premium, and Ultimate - the machines meet the requirements and demands of today’s efficiency-driven moulding operations while incorporating technology allowing for customisation and overall sustainability. These new machines mark the start of a new generation of machines, said Arburg.
The new concept will be gradually implemented in other Allrounders in the hybrid Hidrive series.
The hybrid Allrounder 470 H models, combining an electric clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit, offer ‘significantly enhanced’ proven technology to optimise the energy footprint and reduce cycle times, said Guido Frohnhaus, managing director technology & engineering. Compared to a similar hydraulic machine, the energy footprint of the Allrounder 470 H is up to 50 per cent better, and depending on the application, up to 12,000 kilogram of CO2 can be saved each year. Contributing factors include the patent-pending oil management concept, flow rate splitting for simultaneous movements of hydraulic secondary axes and the extended use of the Arburg servo hydraulic system.
The new oil management concept, which includes predictive maintenance for filter changes and oil pump inspection, helps to conserve resources, not only a reduction in oil use of around 35%, but also by using waste machine heat to pre-heat the oil. The required cooling water capacity is between 50 and 70% lower than previous models and dry cycle time has been reduced by up to 33%.
The Arburg servo hydraulic system featured in current hydraulic and electric Allrounders has also been built into the Allrounder 470 H Comfort and Premium machines. The system enables particularly energy-efficient and low-emission operation, as the servo motor continuously adjusts the drive system to the actual power requirement: when the machine stops moving, the pump drive also stops, which means no more idling losses. According to Arburg, this yields energy savings of up to 50%, especially in processes with long cooling times.
Splitting the flow rate of the hydraulic pump makes it possible to drive an additional secondary axis at the same time, leading to a lower overall energy consumption and shorter cycle times.
The user-friendliness of the machines was also thoroughly re-examined, said Gerhard Böhm, managing director of sales and service. The new machines' design incorporates experiences and suggestions from both customers and service technicians.
The Comfort and performance models of the new Allrounder 470 H machines will have their world premiere during the anniversary events at Arburg's headquarters in Lossburg in February 2023. The machines will also be on display live at the company’s Anniversary Days from 8 to 11 March.
History
Arthur Hehl, a trained precision mechanic founded the company in Lossburg in 1923. He started out by manufacturing surgical instruments in the cellar of his home, later growing into a small factory that produced everyday goods during the post-war crisis years. Arthur Hehl had meanwhile been joined by his sons, Eugen and Karl Hehl, whose talents proved invaluable for the further growth of the family enterprise. Karl developed the first injection moulding machine in 1954, while Eugen focussed on sales. The development of the Allrounder principle in 1961 - an injection moulding machine designed with a pivoting clamping unit and interchangeable injection unit - set the company on the course it continues to pursue today.