Injection Molding

Industries & Applications

For generations, hydraulic cylinders were the core pull devices selected by mold makers. But today, when it comes to creating the core pull actuation, the ideal electromechanical solution is provided by Exlar. Exlar’s GS and Tritex actuators are all-electric; and in the form factor of a hydraulic cylinder they offer a robust, precise electromechanical actuator ideal for core pulling and all types of linear and rotary actuation for applications within the plastics industry.

Most plastic parts have a void. That void houses the electronics of a lap top computer or cell phone; on a plastic plate that void creates separate places for baked beans and potato salad. But, cycle time is where the money gets made. After the molded product is competed, the mold still has be to be cycled, the core removed, the product ejected; and how fast those actions can be moved in and out impacts production.

Traditional hydraulic cylinders are fast, but Exlar's GSX actuator can enhance cycle rates by letting related operations get started sooner. Exlar’s actuators and associated servo amplifiers can monitor their own position as well as the status of the rest of the machine, and allow processes to begin as early as possible, and work in conjunction with other processes to maximize throughput. Traditional limit switch controlled hydraulics don’t offer this flexibility.

Other benefits of using Exlar actuators in plastics industry applications include:

• Longer tool life because the actuator allows the core to get inserted faster without slamming the mold together. Less stress means longer life.
• Retasking the same actuator on different projects is easy. With a new motion profile, you can retask the same actuator for another assembly.
• Electric actuators operate more cleanly by the elimination of oil.
• Electric actuators are less expensive to operate. Customers have reported a 50-90% power reduction with the use of electro-mechanical actuators in comparison with less efficient hydraulic solutions.
• Noise levels are reduced by replacing hydraulics with electro-mechanical motion controls, customers report noise reductions of 30%.
• Set-up precision is easy to achieve with digital control, and allow for tighter position tolerances than hydraulic cylinders offer.