Product category:
Special purpose moulding machines and systems
News Release from: Alan Yorke Engineering | Subject: Yorke Aerodynamic rotational moulding machine
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 December 2004
Improving rotational moulding machines
efficiency
Testing mouldings on an existing rotational moulding machine proved in practice that the design of an aerodynamic oven increases cycle speeds and reduces energy consumption.
Sceptics argue that much is always said about progress while little seems to happen in practice But change and improvement really are happening in rotomoulding, to a degree that even the most sceptical would find difficult to refute, says UK rotomoulding machine manufacturer Alan Yorke Engineering
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Lots of new ideas, specialist systems, automation, re-direction, sizes of machine, different requirements in different countries, very low cost machines now available on the market and of course the all important customer requirements.
* Understanding the real costs - today, buying a machine is not just about the capital cost of the equipment.
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It is about understanding the real costs of year-after-year operation.
As a dedicated machine manufacturer, Alan Yorke Engineering is well aware of this.
One such area the company focuses on is machine running costs, which the company splits into three clearly defined segments - cycle times, reliability, and energy consumption.
"Cycle times rely on rotation control, cooling and heating, and they can all be improved," says Jim Crouch of Alan Yorke Engineering.
"Not just to produce faster by racking the temperature up and saving seconds, but to produce consistent quality products in shorter times with less or no rejects.
And total machine design is crucial to achieving these improvements.
The oven system for instance needs not only a good basic internal design, but precise balancing of the gas burner and recirculation system, because together these provide good heat distribution and good cycle times in heating the polymer.
Controlled rotation speeds, active controlled cooling - an interesting subject in itself in these price conscious days - are also critical in providing good cycle times." * Proven in practice - design reliability, attention to detail and good manufacturing practice all have a major effect on the productivity of rotomoulded products.
These improvements have been clearly demonstrated by a Yorke Aerodynamic machine at the Numatic International factory, where considerable reductions in cycle times have been achieved.
Andrew Smith, manufacturing manager at Numatic, had specified a 30% cycle improvement to achieve two major objectives: * Reduce unit labour costs by at least 25%, thus removing the need to operate the machine on night shift.
* Increase capacity by 33% to meet dynamic expansion plans for one of their equipment ranges.
Testing Numatic mouldings on an existing Yorke machine proved in practice that the quality engineering and design of the aerodynamic oven does indeed produce the benefits of faster cycles and reduced energy consumption.
* Meeting customer needs - "Other developments we are making to meet customers' detailed requirements include the parameters of inner air systems through the arms," says Crouch.
"We have installed dual passage inner air systems that provide 4,000 litres of airflow from each passageway through the arm at a pressure of 6 bar.
The system is controlled from the operator interface where any rate of airflow within the range can be selected.
The flow control system automatically adjusts to control, monitor, and safely regulate the airflow." To meet high weight carrying capacity requirements on the arms of the machines, Alan Yorke Engineering can supply machines with a 2.6m swing, which can carry 2000kg on each arm.
At the same time the oven, cooling and rotation controls have all been improved to meet these demands.
"We are also developing a machine control system that uses information on how the polymer and mould are performing within the process sequence" comments Crouch.
"Two potential systems are under development, both of which will be able to meet essential demands and provide a system of control at a cost effective price to the industry.".
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