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As part of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s expanding presence in Ireland, the company’s newly-kitted out showroom, testing and tool trial facility in Limerick recently took delivery of a high-speed IntElect S 100 medical-specification production cell.
Responding to one of the greatest challenges for medical manufacturers – constant high output, rigorous technical requirements and high precision – the IntElect S 100 delivers the repeatability and accuracy required for highly demanding applications. Specifically, the production of pipette tips, vials, drug delivery devices and pen style injectors.
Transported direct from Fakuma 2023, the IntElect S 100 machine’s ability to accommodate various tool configurations and automation options, combined with its energy efficiency, makes this machine the natural choice for producing high-volume medical components with the greatest precision.
The controlled acceleration and deceleration injection speeds underpins this medical machine’s success, notes the company’s Medical Business Development Director Anatol Sattel. “When there is no margin for error, the IntElect’s highly dynamic direct drive technology can react quicker to the injection speed changes. This not only delivers a faster cycle time but ensures the optimal product quality. All of this results in a faster ROI.”
Featuring direct drives that are renowned for being clean, cool, fast and quiet, the 0.14 seconds required to reach the IntElect´s maximum injection speed of 350mm/sec opens up the process window in critical areas where the difference between overfilling, a full part or a short shot, can be very small. This filling speed can also help to prevent core shifts in applications like pipette tips that are more susceptible to the forces associated with slow injection speeds.
With the company’s medical drive systems tailored to the applications, customers in Ireland will soon be able to see how features like these help to lower energy consumption and reduce the amount of heat having to be dissipated from air-conditioned environments. All combining to help reduce operating costs.
Process optimisation, enhanced productivity and TCO can have the biggest impact on profitability. Again, these are greatly enhanced by this medical cell’s high-performance drives. Comprehensive lifetime tests performed on both the machines and components confirm that spindles tested under the toughest production conditions showed no signs of visible wear, even after millions of cycles.
“Having our very own medical machine in Ireland now gives customers a high-spec package to support validations, run tool trials and provide valuable process optimisation training to technicians. We are anticipating this machine will generate a lot of interest from medical moulders in Ireland. Combined with the IntElect S 180 machine already installed at our new Limerick facility, we now have the ability to demonstrate a range of AI and connectivity features to customers in all sectors. Critically, customers can benefit from the convenience of running tests and trials on site, without having to travel overseas. We look forward to welcoming customers from the first week of January 2024,” emphasises UK & Ireland Director Dave Raine.