More speed, more power, more precision, and more automated functions accomplished in and out of the mold. That’s exactly what injection machinery suppliers were offering at NPE2012.

Hot buttons at the show will be multi-component molding, in-mold labeling/decorating (IML/IMD), in-mold assembly, medical molding, liquid silicone rubber (LSR), micro-molding, and high-speed packaging.

Featuring a greater range of shot sizes, 20% faster dry cycles, and 30% more clamping rigidity, the EC-SX series of all-electric presses was introduced by Toshiba Machine Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Show goers will see an electric injection machine in nearly every press maker’s booth this year, and electric/hydraulic hybrids in several.

New injection machinery at the show ranged from all-electric units for high-speed packaging or bioplastic processing to hybrid presses ready for the cleanroom. Other units highlighted multi-component molding with LSR and thermoplastics or super-compact presses for small parts. Several new machines targeted specific applications such as caps and closures, PET preforms, LSR, or integrated long-glass compounding.

If a better machine can help your company beat challenging economic conditions, you’ll probably find it at NPE. And finding it will be easier, thanks to our editors’ efforts to sift out of some 2000 exhibits the most significant news in injection and blow molding, extrusion, compounding, and thermoforming.

A new all-electric machine line has a new clamp design and controller that reduce platen deflection and dry-cycle time compared with its predecessor.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Remote real-time monitoring of up to 24 injection presses from any internet-enabled device is a new capability from Toshiba Machine Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Liquid silicone rubber is breaking out of its niche into a broader array of applications, helped by new developments in materials, machinery, and processing. Larger parts, micro-parts, foams, and multi-color or multi-material combinations are key areas of innovation.

A new, line of all-electric toggle presses built in China by Toshiba Machine Co.

If you were buying an injection molding machine 20 years ago, you had to decide between a toggle or fully hydraulic clamp and that was pretty much it.

A new patent-pending technology that produces three-color molded parts from liquid silicone rubber using a single barrel is a new joint development from Toshiba Machine Co., Elk Grove, Ill., and M.R.

Globalization.

Advances in electric drive technology were evident in nearly every injection machine builder’s booth in Chicago.

Energy-saving all-electric machines will continue to be a big draw at NPE, where new designs or upgraded models will be found in virtually every press maker’s booth.

Two compact SCARA-type pick-and-place robots combining high speed and high payload capacity were unveiled recently by Toshiba Machine Co.

Two compact SCARA-type pick-and-place robots combining high speed and high payload capacity were unveiled recently by Toshiba Machine Co.

Multi-shot and coinjection molding techniques are staking out new territory. Mach ines are getting larger and are combining more materials or colors in more sophisticated and imaginative ways.

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

These two show-goers found what they needed at NPE.

The abundance of injection molding news at this year’s show is staggering.

Stress-free production of large car windows, in-mold painting, and an injection unit that applies pack and hold while accumulating the next shot were a few of the cutting-edge technologies on display.

The abundance of injection molding news at this year’s show is staggering. There are more and bigger all-electric machines than ever, including first-time introductions by several suppliers. Electric technology is also taking new forms, such as beltless drives and “direct-pressure” clamping without a toggle. Energy-saving electro-hydraulic hybrids are also evolving.

Now that all-electric and hybrid-electric machines are really beginning to catch on, machine builders are exploring a variety of approaches to get the most out of servo-drive technology. That means molders will have to work harder to keep up with the new technologies and growing variety of machine designs. This article explores some of the latest innovations and previews others on the horizon.