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For the second time following a 2022 debut, the Wittmann Group in September will exhibit at the global beverage and liquid food technology show, Drinktec, Munich, Germany, stepping outside its normal packaging applications with a closure line. A Wittmann spokesperson tells Plastics Technology that while its machine has been approved by moldmakers for closure applications, the product marks a shift from its normal packaging output ofthin-wall packaging applications, such as yogurt cups, margarine tubs and flower pots.

At Drinktec, an EcoPower Xpress 160/1100+ will mold high-density polyethylene (HDPE) screw caps for drink bottles, using a 32-cavity mold supplied by HTW. The cap has a diameter of 29/25 mm and a weight of 1.35 g, while the press uses a Wittmann material loader and a Wittmann mold-space moisturizer.

Post molding, the finished screw caps drop onto a conveyor, which feeds them into an IMDvista end-of-line automation system. The caps pass through cooling, orientation and separation stations before entering inline quality inspection, where defective parts are automatically sorted. Wittmann says the total cycle time for the 32 screw caps is no more than 2.5 seconds.

With injection speeds of up to 650 mm/sec. and injection pressures of up to 2,500 bar (36,259 psi), the high-speed all-electric EcoPower Xpress features dynamic drive axes for injection, closing and opening, which are specially designed for fast movements and maximum control accuracy, according to Wittmann.

The company says those attributes position the EcoPower Xpress for molding items such as caps and closures. In particular, standardized closing caps require maximal mold speeds paired with short strokes and optimal dosing, which Wittmann says the EcoPower Xpress provides. In addition, energy consumption is kept low by the machine’s servo-electric drive system.