Volkswagen has installed the first fully electric IntElect 220-1100 injection moulding machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, at its Braunschweig plant in Germany. The machine produces lighting dial trims for the Golf VII.
According to Sumitomo, the IntElect machines will save up to 85% of the energy used in hydraulic machines. The machine achieves this by using direct drives in the plasticisation and injection procedure and also during opening and closing of the mould. Also, the braking energy from each main axis is temporarily stored in order to provide energy for the other axes.
The Braunschweig facility is one of the most important system suppliers for vehicles of the Volkswagen Group. The facility consumes 60 tonnes of polymer granulate in its moulding of 500 different products.
According to a VW employee, they were able to improve the cycle time by 15% compared to a hydraulic machine and reduce scrap because of the increased precision and repeated accuracy.
“In our production processes along the value creation chain, energy efficiency is playing an increasingly important role. The fully electric IntElect machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag makes an important contribution to this,” explains Marco Heinemann who is responsible for project management of new start-ups in the Braunschweig plant.
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag said in a news release: “With its low energy requirement, the new machine magnificently matches the “Think Blue Factory” concept with which Volkswagen AG is continuously increasing the sustainability of all production facilities. Furthermore, the IntElect machine offers shorter cycle times and a minimum scrap quota in manufacturing the precision components.”
