As reported in our Keeping Up section last month, Milacron LLC invited Plastics Technology to its Batavia, Ohio, headquarters for an exclusive preview of its new Elektron line of all-electric injection presses ahead of their official debut at Milacron’s open house Apr. 24-25.

Late last month, Friedrichshafen, Germany, hosted Fakuma 2011, the largest European plastics show of the year, growing to be second in size and importance to the K show in Dusseldorf.

The new F-Series from Ferromatik Milacron (U.S. office in Batavia, Ohio) began shipping in May with its first three models—80, 160, and 350 metric tons.

The world’s largest plastics show, coming up next month in Dusseldorf, Germany, provides ample evidence of the growing sway of electric drive technology in injection molding.

Beltless direct-drive electric machines and upgraded electric/hydraulic hybrids were introduced at the 20th Fakuma trade exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, last month.

Screw plastication consumes most of the energy on an injection machine, so two suppliers have outfitted accumulator-assisted hydraulic presses with new electric screw drives.

Economical hydraulic and all-electric models with a selected list of standard features and options, and a press designed for general packaging applications, are new from Ferromatik Milacron in Germany (div. of Milacron Inc., Batavia, Ohio). Ferromatik’s new Base-Tec line (pictured) is derived from the company’s K-Tec series of hydraulic presses and will be built and assembled by an Asian partner of Ferromatik Milacron.

The drive to eliminate secondary operations is pushing multi-shot injection molding a step farther—toward assembling separate components in the tool via snap-fits, welding, and co-molding of incompatible materials.

A new 330-ton model has been added to the top end of the Elektra Evolution line of all-electric machines from Ferromatik Milacron Europe NA, Batavia, Ohio.

An injection machine designed specifically for caps and closures is new from Ferromatik Milacron Europe NA, Batavia, Ohio.

Commercial applications in hollow-part molding with water—or water and gas—are starting to accelerate. They are driven by recent enhancements of process technology, equipment, and materials.

Easley Custom Plastics (ECP) Inc. doesn't want to be just your average small to medium-sized custom molder.

Molders were treated to a trove of injection machinery introductions geared toward applications from micro-molding to packaging to large parts.

All-electric machines will be one of the biggest themes in injection molding machinery at this year’s K show, where at least nine firms will bring out their first models.