EX series

The EX series from KraussMaffei is a new all-electric machine concept. Machines from this series are clean, fast, highly precise and economical. The EX series is available in clamping forces of 500 to 2,400 kN.


Principle

• The EX is a very clean machine that is simple to maintain and ideal for cleanroom production. The water-cooled drives generate no dust or air turbulence. The cooling efficiency ensures that conditions in air-conditioned rooms remain constant.
• The electric drive technology with optimized electric motor, which converts the braking energy into electricity, has a low energy consumption. Depending on the part being produced, EX power consumption can be up to 50 percent less than for a hydraulic machine.
• Potential savings for water consumption are even greater. The cooling water is used twice – to cool both converters and drives. Depending on the part being produced, water consumption can be up to 70 percent less than for hydraulic machines.
• EX machines can be readily upgraded to automated production cells.
• The large platens offer plenty of scope for future mould technologies.
• The MC5 microprocessor control ensures easy and reliable machine operation.
• The EX can be readily used anywhere in the world because it is compatible with all power networks.

Technology

The all-electric injection-moulding machine features several technological innovations that harmonise perfectly with each other.

Z-toggle clamp unit

A quality feature of the EX series is their minimal dry-cycle times. These have been rendered possible by KraussMaffei’s dynamic clamping concept. The patented Z toggle generates an almost ideal clamping profile. In other words: rapid movements combined with minimal times for clamping force build-up and dissipation. The Z-toggle system is a new clamping system in which the number of movable elements has deliberately been restricted. Conventional knee toggle systems have more than twice as many articulations.

Injection technology

For the plasticising and injection unit, KraussMaffei has opted for a direct drive with high-torque motors. In this, the force is transmitted directly to the screw. The direct-drive principle guarantees high performance. Even the standard model can reach an injection speed of 300 mm per second. As with the Z toggle, the number of movable parts has been minimised and this has had a positive effect on the machine’s precision, reliability and wear characteristics. Plasticising and injection proceed via two coupled direct drives. These two drives are arranged on one axis and have a strikingly simple design. They do not require gears and are wholly encapsulated. This drive concept guarantees consistently high shot weights and highly reliable production.
Each axis in the EX series has its own electric drive. As a result, both the unit and the ejector can be operated in parallel and the mould can even be opened during the plasticising phase. This shortens the cycle times even further. All EX drives are water-cooled. This increases their load-bearing capacity during long holding times, for example, and improves their efficiency. The highly efficient drives substantially reduce consumption of cooling water, while the fact that converters and motors are water-cooled ensures that waste heat is dissipated in the best possible way.

Control system

All EX machines are equipped with the MC5 microprocessor control system. User friendliness and simple handling are key features of the MC5. Clear, easily understood on-screen visualization prevents input errors. The graphics are designed to direct the operator’s attention to important information. The outcome is higher productivity and system availability.

Customer benefits