Sumitomo (SHI) Demag
At Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s newly kitted out showroom in Limerick, a high-speed IntElect S 100 medical-specification production cell has just been unveiled.
The machine is particularly suited to medical moulders producing pipette tips, vials, drug delivery devices and injector pens, says the firm.
It was shipped to Limerick direct from the Fakuma trade show in Germany, having been used there as a demo machine.
One key feature is the controlled acceleration and deceleration injection speed. The company’s Medical Business Development Director Anatol Sattel said: “When there is no margin for error, the IntElect’s highly dynamic direct drive technology can react quicker to the injection speed changes. This not only delivers a faster cycle time but ensures the optimal product quality. All of this results in a faster ROI.”
In medical production, the difference between overfilling, a full part or a short shot can be very small. The IntElect’s maximum injection speed of 350mm per second can be reached in 0.14 seconds, opening up a more flexible process window.
The drive system can be tailored to the application, so Irish customers operating in the medical space can benefit from lower energy consumption and reduced heat dissipation in air conditioned environments.
Tests on these machines and their components have shown no signs of visible wear on the spindles, even after millions of cycles.
“Having our very own medical machine in Ireland now gives customers a high-spec package to support validations, run tool trials and provide valuable process optimisation training to technicians. We are anticipating this machine will generate a lot of interest from medical moulders in Ireland. Combined with the IntElect S 180 machine already installed at our new Limerick facility, we now have the ability to demonstrate a range of AI and connectivity features to customers in all sectors. Critically, customers can benefit from the convenience of running tests and trials on site, without having to travel overseas. We look forward to welcoming customers from the first week of January 2024,” said UK & Ireland Director Dave Raine.