For Injection Molding
Moog is participating in a landmark project with Ube Machinery Corporation to develop an injection molding machine, which incorporates Moog's new PowerShot Injection System technology. The PowerShot Injection System is a sealed, closed-loop actuator that combines electrical and hydraulic technology in an energy efficient assembly, which requires no external power unit. This unit is ideal for demanding injection control applications that require high speed and/or high forces on medium and large tonnage plastic machinery, while providing superior closed-loop injection control. It provides the best of both hydraulic and electric technologies by offering the high power, high speed, and accuracy commonly found with hydraulic technology, as well as the low energy consumption, clean environment, low maintenance costs, and modular flexibility of electric technology. As the PowerShot is a new, revolutionary design, the close collaboration between Moog and Ube was critical to the successful implementation of this innovation.
Background of the Ube Machinery Corporation
The Ube Machinery Corporation, based in Ube City in Yamaguchi prefecture, is one of the leading machinery manufacturers in Japan. Ube is a global leader in the manufacture of large injection molding machines, which are greater than 1,000 tons, and use both hydraulic and electric technologies. Ube has made some of the largest injection molding machines in the world, and has been a customer of Moog for a number of years for high performance servovalves.
The Customer's Requirement
Ube is always working in the forefront of technology by working with new customers and advanced materials to continue to make larger, faster, and more efficient machines. About three years ago a global engineering company based in Japan came to Ube with a request for a new machine. This machine was to use a new kind of plastic that had very different properties from conventional plastics and required a performance level that was not possible using a machine based on all-electric technology. The machine needed to be much faster and much more compact than conventional hydraulic machines. For example, the machine needed to reach injection velocities of 800 mm/sec, [31.5 in/sec] and a torque of 3000 N-m [2212 lb-ft].
When Ube came to Moog with this requirement our engineers introduced them to the newly patented, revolutionary technology called the PowerShot Injection System. The PowerShot is a hybrid technology combining the best features and advantages of hydraulic and electric technologies that is ideally designed for large injection molding machines that need high power and energy efficiency. Ube understood that this technology was unique, and it was almost the only way to meet the demanding specifications given to them by the customer.
Author
David Geiger, Market Manager, Plastics, Americas, East Aurora, New York, USA; and Kenneth Kauppila, Senior Project Engineer, Moog ICD, East Aurora, New York, USA