PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2016

CAPPING / CLOSURES 45 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 06/16 www.petpla.net From machine builders to part & solution experts Change of orientation and strategy by Alexander Büchler Michael Feltes, Vice President Business Unit Packaging at Engel Austria GmbH To successfully sell injection moulding machines for volume production of closures and caps on the market, it requires more than just a good machine. The head of the BU pack- aging at Engel, Michael Feltes, calls it parts expertise, which is needed in order to precisely meet customer requirements such as reliable quality, output, performance and energy efficiency. Feltes: Sometimes custom- ers tell us what they want, not what they need. We have to listen very carefully to them to ensure we fully understand their requirements. In the past, customers came and bought a machine with such and such options and special features. Today, they want a good cap – the machine technol- ogy is just something that goes on in the background for them – and: it is a must-work expectation. Our job is to put together the right package and solution based on their specific appli- cation. PETplanet: Does this mean that it doesn’t matter to the customer whether they buy a hydraulic or all- electric machine? Feltes: If the performance data is the same, then they prefer nowadays the all-electric solution. Beverage clo- sures aren’t low-cost parts anymore; they are no-cost parts. They have to be produced with an extremely high repeatability and accuracy, so that they will run problem-free subse- quently at the bottling process. And here I see all-electric machines having a distinct advantage over hydraulic or hybride systems. All-electric machines can run the required process para- meters with a very high repeatability, resulting in a considerably smaller tolerance range on the part. We there- fore choose all-electric rather than hydraulic or hybride for the caps, even at 420t clamp tonnages and screw diameters of 70-80mm. We have also hybride variants of similar clamp tonnages in our machine portfolio available, but these are mainly used for other packaging solutions such as larger thin wall containers with extreme L/D ratios. PETplanet: But this is also true, in principle, for every all-electric machine type, even those of your competitors? Feltes: Not all competitors are offering all-electric machines up to 420t for caps production, but yes, in theory this applies to every all-electric type. You have to focus on the key aspects of performance, precision and energy efficiency in every single detail in the equipment, its components and its interfaces. PETplanet: How does it stand with the other classical arguments like speed and energy savings for the all- electric type? Feltes: Energy saving is clearly the big advantage for the all-electric machine type. We really do not need to argue any words on this today, it’s a given standard request from the market. But as for the speeds, espe- cially injection and clamp movements, you have to delve a little deeper into the technology for that. The electri- cal and hydraulic type machines are becoming very similar in performance, which defines in the production environment the overall cycle time. However, more important than speed is acceleration. The difference with a hydraulic drive is the acceleration curve. Especially in cycle-times below 3s, the reaction time of a hydraulic system (hoses, valves, pumps, accu- mulators) is loosing ground. When you set a defined starting point to accelerate, the system will require a fraction of a second to start the steep acceleration curve with the accu- mulator pressure, but then acceler- ates extremely fast. This fraction of a second can increase ultra short cycles up to 5-10%. With a high performance servo-electric motor, the torque and acceleration results in a uniformly high pressure and speed throughout the whole injection time. This is specifi- cally important on short screw strokes of <0,7 x D. PETplanet: With your 420t all- electric e-cap, you’re offering the biggest all-electric machine on the market. Your competitors on the market are at 280t.