In alignment with the AdvanTech Plastics Sustainability Mission Statement, “we are committed to manufacturing products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environment impacts”.
To help achieve that mission, AdvanTech has proudly moved towards “greener” plastic injection molding machines with the latest commissioning of a Sumitomo 112 ton and a larger Sumitomo 320 ton. Even though we only have three ALL-electric plastic injection molding machines, (we have several hybrid hydraulic/electric models), AdvanTech Plastics is expecting more of these “green” e-machines in the near future.
Our latest machines are manufactured by the Sumitomo Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. We actually purchased two: the Sumitomo 112T (“T” stands for “ton”) and the much larger Sumitomo 320T.
Business Development Manager Brian Jimenez is excited about the possibilities of the new “e-machines. He sees a day coming when the last all-hydraulic press will be retired and AdvanTech Plastics will be an “all-electric” facility.
“The new Sumitomo press is engineered for precision & consistency, all in a compact space,” Jimenez says. “As AdvanTech continues to make strides in the medical & pharmaceutical markets, going green with an all-electric press is a giant step in the right direction.”
In a nutshell, here the major advantages of all-electric plastic injection molding machines:
- Considerable energy savings due to exceptionally energy-efficient, low-inertia motors and low-friction design elements
- Reduced grease and water use
- Quicker start-up
- Reduced scrap
- Speedier cycle times
- Lower downtime
- Faster mold change
- Minimal preventive maintenance
In general, these new all-electric machines are perfect for smaller medical devices/pharmaceutical components, dental components, and beverage closures. Because they don’t use hydraulic fluid, they run cleaner, (no worries about fluid leaks) and are ideal for clean room operations. They also doesn’t require hydraulic pumps so they’re very quiet.
For example, our Engel All-Electric press has been running production almost constantly but very quietly. In fact, our other plastic injection molding machines — all-hydraulic and hybrid — are fairly noisy, the Engel is practically silent. (If you stood next to it, the only noise you would hear is the ejector plate from the mold pushing the finished piece out at the very end of the cycle.)
Green… quiet… cost-effective. What’s not to like?