LSR Headlamp Lens Uses Auto Cavity Balancing
Engel molds complex LSR automotive headlamp lenses with the help of a new valve-gate cold-runner system.
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The complex structure of LSR LED headlamp lenses places high demands on the precision of the injection molding process.
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Engel says this is the first time it has molded automotive LED headlight lenses at a trade show. These products (with light-guide technology) are said to be particularly complex (photo) and require a high degree of precision and stability in molding. They run on a 120-ton, tiebarless, all-electric e-victory 310/120 machine with a metering/pumping system and two-cavity mold, both from ACH solution in Austria. The entire cell, including LSR dosing, is handled by the Engel CC300 controller.
The mold uses a new ServoShot cold-runner valve-gate system from ACH, with valves that are pneumatically actuated but the pin strokes are set electrically. All the valve gates open together; varying the pins’ open positions adjusts the flow through each valve gate. Parts will be checked via integrated camera inspection and will be weighed individually. The ServoShot software then will adjust the pin openings to balance the fill and equalize the weights in the cavities.
Engel machines are running LSR in three other booths: A hydraulic tiebarless victory 200/120 is molding coasters in four cavities at Wacker Silicones; another hydraulic, tiebarless victory 200/55 is running at moldmaker Burteck; and an all-electric e-mac 170/55 is molding eyeglass lenses at Shin-Etsu Silicones.
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