Plastic injection moulding technology reduces energy consumption and cuts emissions
Technews Industry Guide: Sustainable Manufacturing 2023
Motion Control & Drives
With energy prices rising steeply, plastic injection moulding companies like automotive component, technical and packaging manufacturers, have had to relook at the sustainability of their operations and introduce energy efficiency wherever possible. Marcus Visser, strategy and operations executive at GreenTech Plastics Machinery, says that traditionally, the power consumption of a typical injection moulding machine is less than 50% of the total consumption of the entire plant. “When we look at energy efficiency, we need to consider the entire injection moulding system. Our aim is to find the most efficient solution for our customers’ requirements.” Combined with integrated temperature control solutions and intelligent device communication, ENGEL technology from GreenTech can save up to 67% in electricity costs and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
ENGEL engineers and developers have greatly reduced the power consumption of its injection moulding machines in recent years. Servo-hydraulic machines already consume less than 60% of a hydraulic injection moulding machine with a variable pump. On average, power consumption can be more than halved thanks to all-electric injection moulding machines.
“When it comes supplying our customers with injection moulding machines, we have defined efficiency packages,” explains Visser. “These packages consist of integrated temperature control and smart assistance systems to reduce power consumption by an additional 20% on average. In addition, there are other technical constraints such as accessibility, precision requirements or available space that must be considered. An overall view is necessary to find the best solution and to reduce the power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of injection moulding machines,” says Visser.
GreenTech holds various agencies for all ancillaries related to injection moulding to ensure all production lines run smoothly and optimally. “We enhance the injection moulding value stream within any factory. Our clients have peace of mind that they have access to the best technology and service and can focus on their core business,” says Visser.
The major market for GreenTech in South Africa is the automotive industry, one of the most advanced of its kind in the world, with major OEMs manufacturing vehicles locally for export. “The demands in terms of automotive injection moulding solutions are particularly stringent due to the global standards that all the major OEMs have to adhere to,” says Visser. These relate to high quality of all components, maximum availability of the production systems involved and stable processes.
Apart from the automotive industry, GreenTech also supplies solutions to the technical and packaging industry. Here the latest trends in plastic injection moulding focus on recycled material or the percentage of recycled material in components or manufactured products, in addition to reducing energy consumption and the impact of digitalisation. “The automotive industry is also looking at boosting recycled content within their processes,” adds JC Jonker, head of sales and projects at GreenTech.
“Energy efficiency and digitalisation go hand in hand,” notes Jonker. ENGEL is a global leader in AI developments in plastic injection moulding to cut costs and reduce energy consumption. Another aspect of the drive to incorporate AI is to generate sufficient data that can be used to optimise production processes and iron out any teething problems.
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