Integrated Metal/Plastic Processing for Teletronics

Thermal switch housings, used to monitor electric motors in cars or home appliances, are usually produced in a complex, multi-stage process. As a rule, the metal components are punched and overmolded at entirely different locations. This requires considerable logistics overhead and ties up a lot of material and work in process, since two independent processes must be started up.

Engel is combining these operations in a single integrated production flow. Engel developed the system together with MMS Modular Molding Systems of Austria, a specialist in turnkey production lines for metal/plastic hybrids. The process starts with feeding thin brass sheet from a coil through a punch press, where the brass also has a thread servo-electrically tapped. The brass carrier plates, still on a continuous reel, are fed into a vertical, 38.5-ton Engel insert 60V/35 press for overmolding with glass-filled nylon. Camera inspection and high-voltage testing integrated into the tool ensure 100% quality control. Eight finished parts leave the cell every 20 sec.