From the Small EOS to the Giant Bi-Power
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The full Negri Bossi range will be on show at Plast 2012 in Milan. Here, the focus will be on extensive personalisation of solutions as a function of application and on the SE (smart energy) brand, set to become a key feature of this Sacmi Group company, one of Europe's leading designers and builders of thermoplastic injection moulding presses
Negri Bossi is getting ready for Plast 2012, the international plastic and rubber fair to be held in Milan from 15th to 18th May. The company will be showcasing a wide range of machines and applications, from small tonnages - the field of application covered by the all-new EOS units - to the powerful Bi-Power series capable of producing large one-step items.
Already the key element of the renewed Negri Bossi range for some months now, the EOS series stands out not just on account of extreme compactness but also because of the advanced technology that eliminates lubrication, ensuring absolute mould zone cleanliness and perfect product integrity. The ideal application, then, for the bio-medical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Given such versatility, two distinct versions of the press will be on show at Plast: an EOS 65 with a cap-making mould and an EOS 80 LSR (liquid silicone) for the moulding of feeding bottle teats. Both these EOS units also boast the SE (smart energy) suffix, a real trademark used across the entire Negri Bossi range to denote the use of extremely effective energy consumption containment solutions.
From the 'small' EOS, then, to the VESTA full electric series. At the fair the Sacmi Group, one of Europe's leading producers of thermoplastic injection moulding presses, will be showcasing a 170 ton model equipped with a 3-axis SY 100 Cartesian robot, made by SYTRAMA; the latter was recently incorporated into Negri Bossi and is a strategic partner for the development of process automation solutions. The VESTA will be equipped with a 52-cavity mould for the production of impact-resistant PS (polystyrene) cappuccino spoons that, thanks to the robot, are then automatically picked and packed in sachets at the rear of the press.
Also on show will be the JANUS 220 SE, a hybrid press with outstandingly competitive consumption levels, shown at the fair in a 'pure' packaging configuration for the production of disposable polystyrene cups - of the sort used on board aircraft - with a four-cavity mould. Once again, a SYTRAMA robot plays a key role: the SY 811 'side entry' model picks the pieces in the moulding zone and deposits them beyond the press. Accumulators ensure excellent production performance - especially the high injection speeds that are particularly recommended with thin articles like cups - while the inverter optimises energy consumption.
Consumption containment is an unswerving policy at Negri Bossi and one that provides advantages even in the most traditional applications. That's why the company will also be bringing a CANBIO 430 SE to the fair. A traditional hydraulic machine with a 'long cycle' lasting about 75 seconds, the press allows savings of up to 45% with respect to currently available hydraulic solutions. Proposed here with a single-cavity mould for flower vase production, the press features gas-assisted moulding technology which offers the dual advantages of an excellent product finish and a generally more efficient production process. Once again, the press enjoys the presence of a reliable 'partner', the SY 190 automated piece handling robot.
Pressing tonnages rise again with the VECTOR 650 SE, on show in Milan with a cutting-edge application for the automotive sector. Equipped with a two-cavity mould, this powerful press makes polycarbonate-ABS car headlight bodies of the kind used on sports-style racing cars. The press runs according to a 60-second cycle and works in conjunction with the SY 200 robot.
At the top of the range lies the BI-POWER series: designed in Imola, it makes full use of decades of experience in the large press sector in which the brand is market leader. On show at Plast will be a VH 1300, a 1300 ton pallet-making press equipped with a 3-axis Cartesian SYTRAMA robot. Distinguishing features include an extremely reduced cycle time of just over half a minute: a high performance solution that is, as on the other large presses in the BI-POWER series, combined with excellent consumption containment and exceptional flexibility. Presses, then, able to meet the technological needs of the major Italian and international industrial groups: these include FIAT, which enjoys long standing relations with this Sacmi Group business unit and recently purchased its tenth BI-POWER unit, a VH press with a clamping force of 3500 tons for the production of car and industrial vehicle instrument panels and dashboards. The range of industries to which BI-POWER currently provides presses is vast: in addition to automotive and white-brown home appliances, they are used to make TV frames, washing machine drums and special pieces for the world's major manufacturing companies.
A special occasion, Plast, that Sacmi aims to make the most of by showcasing some of the products made with the aid of innovative technology for closures, a field in which Sacmi has led the world with process and product innovations that have gone on to become industry standards. Here, the star of the show is the CCM (continuous compression moulding) series. These presses offer outstanding production performance - with output as high as 2.200 caps per minute - thanks to exceptionally short cycle times and extremely contained energy consumption. High per-cavity output makes them the ideal solution for the production of lightweight single-piece mineral water caps (printable diameter up to 33 mm), yet equally versatile when it comes to mono and two-piece CSD (Carbonated Soft Drink) caps. On the energy front CCM consumption is just 0.75 kWh/kg at maximum output, a level unlikely to be equalled even by the best competition technology.
And it is thanks to this union between know-how developed by Sacmi over the last twenty years in closure-related continuous compression technology and preform blow-moulding innovation that Sacmi is also able to offer CBF (Compression Blow Forming), currently the world's most competitive technology for passing directly from resin to bottle, from raw material to container. All thanks to an innovative thermoplastic transformation process that allows for the production of a "one-step" container starting from the grain or pellet. A reliable, flexible and high-performance solution suitable for processing all commercially available resins such as HDPE, PS, PET and PP.
The fair will also offer an opportunity to see the innovative IPS, a new-concept press for the injection moulding of PET preforms that makes full use of the Sacmi Group's decades of experience in the industry.
Every day a SACMI shuttle service will link the fair to the parent company in Imola where a working 48-cavity model of the machine with a 220 ton clamping force will be on display.
In a special area that will also host a CCM - a compression machine for the manufacture of caps, an area in which SACMI is the undisputed leader - visitors will be able to enjoy a hands-on look at innovative solutions for personalised, integrated cap-preform solutions that combine high performance with reduced energy costs, lower raw material consumption and lower running costs.
These themes will form the focus of the Sacmi-organised conference on 8th May at the head offices in Imola.
