KraussMaffei at Chinaplas: Competitive edge for Chinese customers with locally produced GX series

Ideally suited for growth markets

The GX series, with its clamping force range of 4,000 to 9,000 kN and high basic speed (dry cycle time of only 2.3 seconds), is the fastest two-platen injection molding machine in Asia. As a result, it is ideal for applications in the automotive, packaging and medical technology growth sectors. For Christian Blatt, CEO of the KraussMaffei Group in China, local manufacturing is an important prerequisite to be able to offer its customers even more attractive delivery times. “We want to better serve our customers in their partner network, since both mold makers in China as well as end customers of plastics processors are operating on increasingly tight schedules.” Both the delivery times from Europe and the associated transport costs are reduced as a result of on-site manufacturing. We also offer services tailored to local needs, which provides faster availability of replacement parts, among other benefits.

Fast clamping movements and high modularity

Important features of the GX series include the compact two-platen design, which allows for fast clamping movements and the modularity that can be used to select the necessary plasticizing unit as though it were being selected from an assembly kit. Furthermore, the innovations of the GearX locking device and the stable GuideX guide shoe ensure fast locking and high part quality with minimal energy consumption. “Plastics processors in Asia are becoming increasingly conscious of quality and actively requiring high-tech features for increasing efficiency and user-friendliness. We are offering our customers customized premium solutions with the GX series, which provides precision, speed, modular design, user-friendliness and durability,” says Blatt.

These inner values make the GX series suitable for both high-volume projects with aggressive cycle times and technically sophisticated applications, such as those in lightweight automotive construction. The GX series, for example, can be combined with the FiberForm technology by back-injecting fiber-reinforced composites impregnated with thermoplastics, or with the MuCell / CellForm physical foaming procedure. In the packaging industry, larger objects such as transport crates, buckets, and even disposable products such as end caps for shampoo bottles, can be produced on the machine using multi-cavity molds. The medical technology sector benefits from the cleanroom compatibility of the GX series.

Live transport packaging production display at Chinaplas

At the KraussMaffei stand at Chinaplas, a GX 450-3000 demonstrates the efficient production of transport crates for foodstuffs and thereby emphasizes the performance capacity of the GX series for high-speed, thin-walled applications for logistics products. The GX 450-3000 produces loading crates for the transport of aquafood (fish, seafoods) with a shot weight of 240 g in a cycle time of approximately 11 seconds. The Italian mold maker SCS is a partner in the mold. “The flow path ratio, or the wall thickness ratio, places special requirements on the injection molding machine, specifically for thin-walled packaging. This is where the GX series can display its strengths as the fastest two-platen machine. This enables us to offer short cycle times, thanks to the best machine dynamics and the shortest dry cycle times. In addition, wear-resistant screws ensure a consistently high level of plasticizing performance,” Blatt adds.

An LRX 150 linear robot takes over the demolding of the finished loading crates and stacks them on a conveyor section. The linear robot control system, like that of the injection molding machine, is based on the MC6 control system from KraussMaffei. As a standalone item at Chinaplas, it shows the high flexibility in terms of retrofitting.