Electric injection molding machines use less energy, have greater precision and accuracy, are cleaner and produce less noise than hydraulic machines. All-electric injection molding machines are primarily meant for the lowest energy cost, extreme reproducibility, narrow processing window for thin walled component in engineering polymers, prolonged accuracy and instant repeatability, high uptime, smaller shot size utilization, low emission, water saving, noiseless environment need, clean room necessity. Most often, these arguments could offset the higher cost of the electric machine. An increasing number of processors of medical products have started to use electric injection moulding machines in clean room environment. Medical devices are subject to stringent and comprehensive regulations for their manufacture. For most device classes, contamination control is achieved through the use of a clean room facility. Clean rooms can be classified to a number of standards, the most common being ISO 14644, used as the classification standard in which the airborne particle concentration limits decrease from ISO Class 9 through ISO Class 1. Most medical molding is performed in a Class 8 environment (less than 3,520,000 particles at 0.5 µm and greater m3 of air). Recent times have seen an increasing trend toward Class 7, Class 6, and cleaner environments. Some of the developments in electric injection molding for clean rooms: IntElect performance 100 is an all-electric machine suitable for use in clean rooms and for medical engineering applications by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH. This all-electric injection moulding machine has been turned into a production unit through the attached lateral unloading device implemented jointly with Waldorf, and is particularly potent with medical engineering applications. This machine on a Demag platform has water-cooled direct drives for the core axes of plasticizing, injection and open mould, plus a highly dynamic direct ejector. The fast lateral unloading device turns this machine into a dynamic, efficient and precise production unit. As compared to drive axes with a gear box, direct drives provide higher energetic efficiencies, higher levels of precision or positioning accuracy. The province of this machine will foremost be mass-produced precision items and medical engineering applications. This is emphasized by the fact that the whole series of IntElect Performance machines has been optimized for clean room environments up to ISO Class 7. Other features of this machine include the proven powerful injection units, a 5-point twin toggle joint with optimal kinematics and computer-optimized braking or acceleration profiles for highest precision and energy efficiency as well as the linear slide as a standard feature to facilitate reproducible processes and the use of heavy moulds. It comes with the intuitive NC5 control system with a process-driven user interface (UI) that will support convenient adjustment, monitoring or logging of all functionalities. Active mould protection is provided via a high-resolution measuring system with piezoelectric transducers and fast process signal processing through high clock rates of the control system. As compared to its hydraulic counterpart, the higher efficiencies of the direct drives of this all-electric machine will facilitate a significant reduction in energy consumption. Thus, the IntElect will require significantly less energy for a similar application as compared to conventional systems. Plus, as electric drives convert less energy to heat, less cooling capacity is required as compared to conventional machines of a similar size. Cincinnati Milacron Powerline All-Electric injection molding machines give energy savings from 50-80% and optimize your process for the highest part productivity, quality and operational profitability. These All-Electric injection molding machines offers only clean, quiet, environmentally friendly injection molding, configured to suit production requirements and applications by combining a large range of clamp and injection units. Its features include: • Improved residence times by varying extruder diameter without affecting shot size, rate, or pressure. • Separate plasticizing and injection functions. Adds molding capability and flexibility. • Generates higher injection rates, pressures and volumes with smaller, more precise electromechanical drives. • Long stroke for improved resolution and repeatability • Improved melt quality: Consistent L/D; each pellet sees same heat and screw length. • Up to 1200 lb/hr throughput capability. • Adaptable extrusion-to-injection technology such as screen changers and compounding Ferromatik Milacron is to introduce the F-Series. Starting in 2011, the F-Series will gradually replace the existing series, including the all-electric machines (Elektra), hydraulic machines (K-Tec), and hybrid machines (Vitesse). Once the product launch is complete, the F-Series will be available in ten clamping force sizes from 500 to 6,500 kN, aimed at the packaging, consumer goods, and medical technology industries. Depending on a molder’s requirements and priorities, machine configurations can emphasize areas such as performance, energy consumption, dynamics, or precision. Molders also have a choice of electric or hydraulic drives, and can choose to mix and match for each machine axis. Thus molders are assured of the most efficient machine possible for every production task. Every machine in the new F-Series is: • Economical – save energy; produce more • User-friendly – MOSAIC controls to guide the operator • Practical – easy access and low maintenance • Personalized – easy to customize for real-world production work • High-value – quality production, quiet operations and high repeatability • Reliable – friendly expert service right from the start • State-of-the-art – built with the very latest technologies Models designed specifically for clean rooms have been added to the Canbel all-electric series from Negri Bossi, Inc. Canbel CR units of 120, 160, and 210 metric tons keep the molding and part-drop area free from any trace of lubricant. Minimal quantity of a special lubricant is used on the clamp toggle, and new graphite-infused bushings eliminate any lubricant discharge or buildup. The moving platen is fully supported on roller V-guides, said to ensure perfect clamp parallelism and zero side loading of the tiebars, which thus require no lubrication (nor do the platen guides). The injection-unit ballscrew is lubricated by an oil bath in a double-sealed casing. Closed-loop fluid cooling of all motors eliminates open-cooling fans. Machines have a special antistatic paint that minimizes dust attraction. Electric core pull is available. The “Full Electric” solution guarantees significant reductions in electricity consumption, even compared to the more innovative hydraulic solutions. Because all movements can be overlapped, cycle times can be reduced significantly. Moulding is cleaner thanks to the absence of hydraulic circuits and “hidden” lubrication. Operator comfort is maximised by very low noise levels and easy access to all machine parts. A bi-metallic cylinder on the IMM ensures outstanding resistance to wear while ceramic elements provide greater thermal efficiency. The IMM is equipped with absolute encoders, guaranteeing the very highest precision and recognition of the real position at every restart. Wittmann Battenfeld’s EM all-electric lines (55 to 300 tons) are very "clean" machines, with an enclosed lubrication system and direct drive with gears instead of belts. The company would have a prototype this fall of the redesigned Microsystem electric micromolding machine. Arburg’s Allrounders with central Selogica control system enables even complex sequences to be programmed and controlled with ease. For example, complex compression processes can be conveniently realised. The clean room solutions offered by Arburg are as flexible and customised as its injection moulding technology. Eyeglasses, lenses, LEDs, fibre optics, Syringes, infusion products, etc can be molded with ease. In the medical and optical sectors, precision and cleanliness are paramount. During the production of mass-produced and disposable items such as syringes, the machines must also display high-speed qualities. A wide variety of materials are used, including liquid silicone or metals and ceramics, which are processed using powder injection moulding technology. In order to comprehensively meet the high quality requirements, the process sequence is of great importance.