Arburg demonstrates LSR processing at Medtec Europe 2015

Der auf der Medtec Europe 2015 präsentierte elektrische Allrounder 470 A ist speziell für die Verarbeitung von LSR und für den Einsatz in der Medizintechnik ausgestattet. (Foto: Arburg) / The electric Allrounder 470 A presented at the Medtec Europe 2015 is specially equipped for processing LSR and use in the medical technology sector. (Photo: Arburg)

- Clean production: injection moulded parts from electric Allrounder directly in docked clean room
- Flexible material: LSR offers multiple advantages for medical technology products
- Extensive range of products: many years of expert know-how and coordinated machine technology

Arburg will present an application for processing liquid silicone (LSR) on its exhibition stand at the Medtec Europe to be held in Stuttgart from 21 to 23 April 2015. An electric Allrounder will produce bellows used as a valve in medical test devices. This application is designed to showcase Arburg’s expertise and demonstrate the potential of the LSR material in medical technology, as well as to demonstrate that the clean room connection to the machine via an encapsulated conveyor belt is a cost-effective production solution.

The Medtec Europe is an important meeting point for all the leading companies in the industry. The focus will be on the manufacture of medical technology products. The Medtec Europe is the perfect platform for presenting our range of products and services and expertise, as well as maintaining contacts,” says Sven Kitzlinger, who is responsible for application technology consulting in the medical technology sector at Arburg. “We have extensive specialist know-how in the processing of liquid silicone (LSR): Arburg has been developing special injection moulding solutions for processing this liquid material for more than 35 years. The properties of this material make it perfect for medical technology”, explains the expert.

Versatile material

LSR is extremely heat resistant, flexible and offers excellent resilience. For medical technology, a good degree of resistance is essential for both standard and multiple sterilisation procedures. Simple dyeing as well as suitability for combination with a variety of metals and plastics make liquid silicones ideal for a wide range of applications. Because it is recognised as physiologically safe, LSR is ideal for use in medical technology . The market for LSR applications is expected to continue growing in the coming years, partly due to the increasingly wide range of materials available. 

Electric Allrounder for LSR processing

At the Medtec Europe 2015, Arburg will present an electric Allrounder 470 A with a clamping force of 1,000 kN and a size 170 injection unit specially equipped for processing LSR. Bellows with a weight of three grams will be produced using a 4-cavity mould manufactured by the company Rico. Four parts are produced in a cycle time of 40 seconds with "free falling" demoulding. The mould features open cold runner technology for direct injection. This ensures the production of flash-free and therefore rework-free parts. Demoulding of the item is performed automatically via an innovative pneumatically actuated wiper unit from Rico. The material Silpuran 6000/50 is supplied by Wacker, while the dosage system is supplied by Reinhardt.

Clean production environment

The Allrounder is specially equipped for production in a clean environment and features a laminar-flow box, a stainless steel sorter unit and an extended machine conveyor belt with tunnel housing for docking to the clean room. In addition, the light grey colour and raised machine feet ensure easy cleaning.

The direct-acting servo-electric drives on the machine are encapsulated and liquid cooled as standard to ensure a clean and low-emission production environment. A further energy-efficient measure is energy recovery during braking. Finally, a clean air module with ionisation (class ISO 3) above the clamping unit provides the necessary clean atmosphere. Clean room elements indicate the possibility of transporting parts directly into the clean room along an encapsulated conveyor belt. Solution of this kind are extremely space-saving and economical because the machine and LSR dosage system are installed outside the clean room, which considerably reduces the required clean room volume.

Fulfilment of precise production requirements

Particularly in the field of medical technology, the requirements set by the OEMs and users must be precisely met. Here, the modular product range from Arburg has distinct advantages, as it renders production cells configurable and allows them to be precisely tailored to customers’ production requirements. Further benefits include the various clean-room concepts and Arburg’s comprehensive expertise in the area of medical technology and LSR processing as well as the opportunity to work with competent cooperation partners. This means that customer support is fully ensured from the outset through to commissioning of the appropriate systems.