7/29/2022
Delta’s Plastic Molding Machine Solution Saves up to 50% of Energy with High Efficiency and Stability
A plastic molding machine, also known as a plastic forming machine, is an important piece of equipment in the rubber and plastic industry. It leverages a vacuum pump to produce suction and further heats and softens thermoplastic materials, such as PVC, PE, PP, PET, and HIPS. With different molds, the machine is capable of producing diverse shapes of plastic containers, clamshells, blisters, trays, and more. Moreover, in the food, electronics, printing, and packaging industry, plastic molding machines play an important role in manufacturing common plastics and blister packs for supporting ingredients, fruit, and electronic devices.
In the continuous process of a plastic molding machine, the coiled plastic material is loaded through rolls, hot melted by 120 heaters, and filled into specific molds. To avoid forming uneven plasticized material, the positive/negative pressure is then pumped in. The machine adopts water/air cooling methods to cool down the temperature of the plasticized material. A top/bottom cutter cuts the formed plastic into products and packs them in order. After cutting, the coiling mechanism collects and organizes the remaining waste.
However, traditional plastic molding machines with pneumatic motors fail to meet customer needs and present three main issues to manufacturers, including high energy consumption, low efficiency, and difficulties in maintenance. In addition, traditional machines not only lack network communication but also work without remote monitoring, which merely relies on manual operation to transfer products or dispatch lists. With Delta’s Plastic Molding Machine Solution, Delta helps customers overcome the pain points from previous generation machines, brings manufacturers closer to smart manufacturing, and further enhances the user experience.
With notable achievements and extensive experience in the industrial automation field, Delta Electronics has developed the Plastic Molding Machine Solution with its high-performance industrial automation products Compact Modular Mid-range PLC AS200 and AC Servo Drive & Motor ASDA-A2 Series. This core system enables the high-speed response function to substantially boost equipment efficiency and simultaneously reduce energy consumption. The EtherCAT/CANopen protocol then transmits the production information to the Modular Mid-range PLC AS200 and Advanced Ethernet HMI DOP-100. With the support of the Industrial 4G Cloud Router DX-2100L1B, it solves the problems of manual operation by remote control and the adjustment in the production parameter. In terms of the plasticizing process, the Multi-Loop Modular Temperature Controller DTM Series controls the heating status and receives real-time data for precise temperature control to enhance quality. Based on users’ needs, Delta’s Plastic Molding Machine provides customers with multiple unloading methods, and most importantly, it optimizes cycle time, precision, and efficiency.
Delta’s Plastic Molding Machine Solution brings the following benefits:
- Enhances production quality, reduces energy consumption, and saves energy up to 50%
Employs Delta’s high-performance control systems and high-efficiency synchronous motor to upgrade production stability, as well as reduce defect rates and save up to 50% of energy compared to previous plastic molding machines.
- Increases productivity and commissioning efficiency by approximately 30%
For the on-site production line, four automatic packing and unloading approaches are designed on the basis of the thickness calculation which can effectively lessen waiting time. With the high-speed response function of the servo drive systems, it shortens the cycle time and increases productivity by around 30%.
- One-stop production parameter adjustment for automated and diverse recipes
By integrating the operation with remote control or HMI, the equipment can help set the production parameters, store multiple recipes and failure records, and automatically switch to the corresponding mode for different products or dispatch lists. The integration can reduce the commissioning time from the operators.
Delta's Plastic Molding Machine Solution has several features, including high integration, stability and reliability optimization, and high-level quality and productivity. By means of equipment networking, users can achieve remote monitoring effortlessly, upgrade production management through transparency, digitization, and convenience, and further increase business competitiveness.