New Robots & Automation Solutions Coming to K 2016 Show

摘要

In addition to other injection molding news at K 2016, previewed on p. 52, several new robots and sprue pickers will debut in Dusseldorf next month. Modular automation will be a recurring theme. ? Engel (U.S. office in York, Pa.; engelglobai com/us) and automation supplier Hekuma of Germany (hefcoma.com) will team up to present a particularly tricky application: molding eight interdental brushes, each having up to 500 integrally molded bristles (photo), with a total shot weight of only 1.93 g. Up to now, these brushes consisted of three parts produced separately—the grip, a wire mesh, and the filaments. Now, it's all one shot with no metal insert. Instead, the compound contains glass fibers that stiffen the grip and core but do not penetrate the very delicate bristle areas. The mold comes from Hack Formenbau in Germany (hack-formenbau.de).