Plastics Technology - Dedicated to improving Plastics Processing.
Issue link: http://pty.epubxp.com/i/421920
As its name suggests, Tung-Yu Hydraulic Machinery Co. Ltd.'s main products are hydraulic presses (for molding rubber), but at the show, the company (tungyu.com) launched an all-electric machine. Steven Yen, vice general manager, says the new machine will ofer 80% lower energy usage than its hydraulic counterparts. Fong Kee International Machinery Co. Ltd. (fi.com), which manufactures blow molding and extrusion equipment, launched a hydraulically powered bottom-blow molding machine at Taipei Plas, but Charles T.J. Wei, v.p. and CEO, said the company would transition to an all-electric model. FKI was also an early all-electric adopter, launching a servo- powered blow molding machine in 2008, but it too found the component costs and overall machine price tag were too high for the market. Wei noted that in the intervening years, servomotor and ballscrew prices have dropped, creating a new opportunity. Wei esti- mated that all-electric machines formerly cost 70-80% more than hydraulic counterparts, but that gap has shrunk to around 40%. "The time is coming for all-electric machines," Wei said. "Before, buyers wouldn't invest, but now they are looking." In the summer of 2015, Wei said FKI would work on an all-electric two- station blow molding machine with multiple heads, targeting applications like shampoo bottles, with the goal of helping processors cut energy usage by around 60%. "Maybe in one year the processor can say, 'I will get my return on investment,' which makes the sale easier," Wei says, noting that ultimate savings depend on the part being molded. In its frst all-electric venture, FKI teamed with a European supplier of key components, but this time around it's hoping to source them domestically. "It's our country's brand," Wei says. "The product must have good cost and the same performance; if so, we will use it." FCS Group (fcs.com.tw), which marked its 40th anniversary in 2014, will also re-enter the all-electric injection molding market (U.S. representative is Maruka USA, Pine Brook, N.J.; marukausa. com). The company's frst foray there was in 2005; but because it was forced to source key components from Japan, the machine's pricetag proved too high for FCS's customers and the efort was tempo- rarily abandoned, according to John Hsieh, area manager, and David Chen, executive director. This time around, FCS is working in conjunction with the Taiwanese government to fnd local sources for key components like ballscrews and servomotors, and plans to release a new all-electric machine line next May or June. Despite the partnership with the Taiwanese government and eforts to create a domestic supply chain, Hsieh acknowledged that for now it will be impossible to build a 100% Taiwanese-sourced all-electric press. He said the planned all-electric line will range eventually from 30 to 350 tons, but at frst FCS will build the popular 150- and 200-ton models. It will utilize direct drive rather than belts. Injection machine maker Chen Hsong (chenhsong.com) was among the earliest adopters of all-electric press technology, launching a servo-driven press in 1994-1995, according to area sales manager Kevin Huang, with a development cost of $1 million. Starting in 1996, the company shifted its focus to hybrid machines, launching the frst of these at Taipei Plas that year. Today, Huang said that around 90% of the nearly 15,000 machines Chen Hsong makes annually are hybrids. As patents expire, Huang believes servo-drive costs will move lower, but for now, Chen Hsong will remain focused on hybrids. In the U.S., Chen Hsong is represented by Gluco Inc., Jenison, Mich. (gluco.com). Victor Taichung (victor-pim.com), whose injection machines go by the Fortune brand in North America, entered the all-electric market 10 years ago, but unlike its fellow Taiwanese equipment suppliers, it has remained in the game. The company displayed two all-electric machines at Taipei Plas, 200- and 150-ton models from the second generation of the line. Martin Li, manager of the company, notes that Fortune now supplies all-electric machines ranging from 50 to 300 tons. While he admitted that the market has moved up and down over the years, about 10% of Fortune's current machine sales are derived from all-electrics. At present, Fortune outsources key components abroad, including drives from Rexroth, but it too hopes to source locally in the future, according to Li. QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL-ELECTRIC MOLDING? Find more articles at: short.ptonline.com/electric. Before, Taiwanese processors wouldn't invest in all-electric machines, but now they are looking. Foxnum, the injection machine brand of Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, displayed an all- electric press at Taipei Plas, advertising high-effciency servomotors that can cut energy use by 50-70%. 18 DECEMBER 2014 Plastics Technology PTonline.com TA I P E I P L A S Close -Up On Technolog y