Focus

Silicone injection moulding

Optimum system solutions for LSR and HTV

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At a glance

Rain sensors: New product ideas can be implemented to perfection using liquid silicones – with the aid of ARBURG’s extensive applications
technology expertise.

Whether rain sensors or connectors Special equipment for silicone injection moulding
for the automotive sector, optical
pulse measurement or teats for babies’
Cylinder modules with adapted
bottles in medical technology – the Customised nozzle technology
screws for LSR or HTV
application range for moulded parts
made from liquid silicone (LSR) or solid
silicone (HTV) is extremely broad. As a Precise liquid temperature control INJESTER tamping device for
pioneer involved in the development of of the cylinder module bubble-free feed of HTV
silicone injection moulding, we possess
comprehensive process expertise as
Cylinder heating for processing Pneumatic and servo-electric
well as individually adaptable injection thermoplastics LSR dosage systems
moulding technology.
With ARBURG, you can combine the
standard ALLROUNDER machines with Air bowl and vacuum technology
Interfaces for special peripherals
close to the mould
numerous process-specific equipment
options more effectively than with any
other manufacturer. We can therefore
Adapted brushing units and
always devise the perfect system solu- Water-flow monitor
demoulding devices
tion for your LSR or HTV application,
including precise material dosage, tem-
perature control adapted to the mate- Control functions such as temperature-
Integrated robotic systems
rial, precise demoulding and reliable dependent post cooling
removal. And this applies throughout
the entire high-volume production run.
Adaptive mould heating circuits Turnkey solutions from a single source

Necessary basic equipment Options

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Optical pulse measurement: The exceptional material properties of solid silicones permit a broad range of applications from virtually all industrial sectors
– the modular ALLROUNDER technology inspires confidence from the outset.

Exploiting all possibilities Keeping processes reliably under control Building on the expertise of pioneers
ARBURG offers a comprehensive range of With the freely programmable SELOGICA As one of the pioneers, ARBURG has been
technologies for processing liquid silicone machine control system, the process-spe- involved in the processing of liquid silicone
(LSR) and solid silicone (HTV). Individual ad- cific peripherals can be fully integrated in since 1980. Several thousand silicone appli-
aptation of machine technology and the in- the overall sequence. The graphic symbols, cations have already been realised and, with
jection moulding task at hand can always as well as the immediate plausibility check the appropriate comprehensive service of-
be implemented down to the last detail. during sequence programming ensure an ferings, ARBURG has also set the standard
This is based on a number of factors: excellent overview. The set-up of even within the sector in terms of information
• The modular product range offers complex production processes is also sim- and training.
hydraulic, hybrid, electric and vertical plified. Moreover, numerous options are An interdepartmental team of silicone spe-
ALLROUNDERS available for optimising, monitoring and cialists ensures expert consulting at all
• The ALLROUNDER range provides a wide documenting production processes. times, from the requirements-based specifi-
variety of clamping forces and injection Silicone processing is rendered stable and cation of the ALLROUNDERs, machine and
units, which can be flexibly combined reproducible by means of important func- applications technology, through to cus-
• Numerous equipment versions are tions such as adaptive mould heating or tomer consulting and moulded part and
available, for example for the processing the venting of cavities. mould design. Detailed trials at our excel-
of several components lently equipped Customer Center complete
The result is always an efficient system the offerings. Finding a systematically cost-
solution from the individual machine effective solution always also includes the
level through to completely automated elaboration and evaluation of alternative
turnkey systems. solution concepts.

09/2014 · www.arburg.com 3
Sophisticated: the processing conditions

500 µm

Injection /
vulcanisation
Mixing / dosing

Temperature profile during LSR and HTV processing. An LSR dosage system feeds and mixes the two
“liquid” components.

Special materials require special LSR: “liquid” becomes highly elastic A special LSR dosage system homogenously
machine technology. Precise tempera- Liquid silicones are addition cross-linking sil- mixes the two “liquid” components as well
ture control of the process is essential icone rubbers made from two components as the added dyes and additives. The now
for reliable processing. Whereas high (catalyst and cross-linking agent), which are reactive material mixture vulcanises ex-
temperatures are required for the provided ready for use in two separate con- tremely quickly at high temperatures, per-
vulcanisation of LSR and HTV in the tainers. This allows cross-linking to be initi- mitting appropriately short
mould, the cylinder module must be ated at the required time. Moreover, the cycle times. No decom-
kept cool. Otherwise, the reactive mate- separate agents also result in significantly position products are
rial mixture would undergo premature better delivery capability and storage char- produced.
cross-linking. Consequently, thermal acteristics.
separation of the cooled machine noz-
zle from the heated mould must also
be achieved – for example by retracting
the cool nozzle from the hot mould.

Material classification

Silicone rubber

Hot-vulcanising Cold-vulcanising

LSR HTV RTV

Liquid High Room
Silicone Temperature Temperature
Rubber Vulcanisation Vulcanisation

4 www.arburg.com · 09/2014
HTV tamping device processes “solid” blocks to a Different materials require different feed technologies.
continuous strip.

HTV: “solid” becomes highly elastic Material characteristics Constant mechanical-electrical properties
Solid silicones are self-crosslinking silicone The material properties of silicones are only and sterilisability make silicone articles inter-
rubbers made from a single component created after crosslinking. The use of LSR esting for virtually all industrial sectors.
supplied in the form of bales, blocks or and HTV is always advantageous wherever
strips. For the processing of the “solid” thermoplastic (TPE) and conventional elasto-
feedstock, a special INJESTER tamping de- mers reach their limits. The finished silicone
vice is required in order to ensure a continu- moulded parts are extremely elastic and
ous, bubble-free material feed. Solid sili- highly resilient, odourless and tasteless,
cones also vulcanise quickly in the moulds, chemical, UV, ageing and temperature
which can be heated to resistant (up to 180 °C) as well as flexible
up to 220°C. when cold (down to -50 °C).

Benefits of LSR and HTV compared

Requirements LSR HTV

Complex, delicate part geometry +

Small components +
Simple automation +
Short vulcanisation and cycle time +
High number of cavities +
Low number of cavities +
Material configurable +
Material costs +

09/2014 · www.arburg.com 5
High-quality LSR processing: adapted cylinder mo

Important: adapted plasticising with reduced channel depth and L/D-ratio

The LSR cylinder module is particularly sig- reduces the material volume to the required
nificant due to the low viscosity of liquid sil- amount and additionally mixes all the com-
icones. Special technology is required to en- ponents. The disc-type non-return valve,
sure correct feed of the LSR material, as which shuts automatically via spring force,
well as precise dosage and injection. enables precise dosage as it ensures a mini-
For constant thermal conditions, the cylin- mal return flow during injection and hold-
der module and nozzle feature multi-zone ing pressure.
liquid temperature control. Premature cross-
linking of the material is thereby effectively
prevented. The zero-compression screw
Repeat accuracy: automatically closing disc-type
non-return valve.

The quality of your production can only

be as good as the components you use.
Particularly in the field of LSR, where
two components have to be mixed
homogeneously and fed “cold“ into a
“hot“ mould, numerous main and auxil-
iary conditions must be met in order to
achieve a stable, reproducible process.
We can save you a great deal of work
with our ALLROUNDER injection mould-
ing technology, which is precisely tai-
lored to the application, and our exten-
sive process expertise.
LSR processing really
can be fun with the
right system partner
at your side!

6
dules Sizes

Effective LSR processing In order to adapt the injection units

Additional sealing of the cylinder module perfectly to the required shot volume,
ensures the necessary cleanliness during LSR a wide range of LSR cylinder module
processing. In addition to an open nozzle, a sizes are available. This makes possible
number of needle shut-off nozzles featuring a high degree of control accuracy of
a standardised hydraulic drive are available. the screw movement and consequently
A simple cold-runner nozzle also enables maximum repeat accuracy.
direct injection and consequently sprueless
part production, without requiring a mould-
specific cold runner system.

Matched to the mould: large selection of differ-

ent nozzles.

Injection pressure
Injection volume
Screw diameter
Injection units
according to
EUROMAP

[mm]

[cm³]

[bar]
12 6,8 2200
30
15 10,6 2200
18 23 2500
70
25 44 1550
15 18 2500
100 20 31 2500
30 71 1390
25 59 2500
170 30 85 2000
35 115 1470
25 73 2500
290 30 106 2500
40 188 1530
35 154 2500
400 40 201 2000
45 254 1580
45 318 2470
800
55 474 1650

7
Bubble-free HTV feed: INJESTER tamping devices
1 Important: Special material feed and servo-electric conveying screws. Both
The INJESTER tamping devices have been are fully integrated into the SELOGICA con-
developed for the automatic feeding of trol system. The conveying pressure is pro-
paste-like materials. All the standard con- grammable and, with the twin-screw
tainers can be processed without problems. INJESTER, additionally regulated.
They contribute towards optimum pre-
compression, which results in minimal air
and gas inclusions. This keeps the articles
free from voids and their surfaces flawless.
In this context, ARBURG offers various
INJESTER versions with hydraulic pistons
Adapted: Piston INJESTER for processing small
material volumes.

The precisely matched combination of

ALLROUNDER machine and INJESTER
tamping device results in a compact
injection moulding solution for the
smooth production of HTV items. The
technology is thought-out to the last
detail. The INJESTERs, for example, are
easy and quick to clean. This is par-
ticularly advantageous in the case of
single-component silicones. The HTC
materials used are often not standard,
but produced on an individual basis
according to the product requirements.
As well as representing a challenge in
processing terms, this also results in
frequent material changes. The signifi-
cantly shorter setup and downtimes,
in conjunction with the high process
reliability, lead to a high level of cost-
efficiency for you.

8 www.arburg.com · 09/2014
 Sizes
2 Perfect HTV processing The adapted feed opening of the cylinder Piston INJESTER
During HTV processing, precise temperature module is prepared for installing an • For 70, 100 and 170 size injection units
control is also absolutely essential. In addi- INJESTER tamping device. The zero-com- • Design with hydraulic tamping cylinder
tion to the nozzle and cylinder module, the pression screw with a special non-return • Conveying pressure can be programmed
material reservoir of the twin-screw valve is adapted to the HTV processing re- via SELOGICA
INJESTER features liquid temperature con- quirements at hand. Moreover, a large se- • Easy cleaning during material changes
trol. Premature cross-linking of the material lection of different nozzles is available.
is thereby effectively prevented. Twin-screw INJESTER
• For 170, 290 and 400 size injection units
(further sizes available upon request)
• Design with two counter-rotating, servo-
electric conveying screws (conical)
• Conveying pressure can be programmed
and controlled via SELOGICA
• Filling during running production
• Rapid cleaning thanks to easy dismantling

09/2014 · www.arburg.com 9
Versatile: modular machine technology

Reliable monitoring: cooling water flow for cylinder module and cold runner systems. Centralised: interfaces for process-specific
accessories.

The process is effective and economic, Individual options and highly precise moulding. The entire
not only due to the use of the right tech- Thanks to the modular design of the technology effectively counteracts flash
nology, but also through the availability ARBURG injection moulding technology, and overfeeding. This is particularly impor-
of all the components from a single, silicone processing is possible on all tant in silicone processing because finish-
centralised source. You can rely 100% on ALLROUNDERs with the appropriate equip- ing the flexible parts is very difficult
ARBURG injection moulding technology ment packages and options. The machine and expensive.
for the processing of silicone. technology can be individually tailored to
Everything from a single source: the the manufacturing tasks at hand. In addi-
ALLROUNDER machine, which is pre- tion to a variety of drive concepts - from
cisely adapted to your LSR or HTV fully hydraulic to fully electric - clamping
application, plus any dosage, vacuum forces and injection units can also be flexi-
and removing technology or complete bly combined. Various positions of the in-
automation solutions that you might jection units with respect to one another
require. For this purpose, we work are possible for the processing of several
closely with the applicable leading components. Last but not least, vertical
manufacturers within the sector. This and rotary table machines are available for
way, you don’t have just any produc- the overmoulding of inserts with
tion solution, but the very best one, at LSR or HTV – nothing could be
your disposal. more universal.

Basis: precise movements

All machine concepts provide ample
space under the protective hood in
order to facilitate the feed of vari-
ous media, for example. The proven
three-platen technology with four
Further information: tie-bar guidance applies the force centrally
Products and services brochure to the mould, ensuring low mould stress

10
 Accessories

Brush and demoulding device

• Interfaces for actuation and monitoring
• Programmable via SELOGICA control
system
• Special servo-electric demoulding device
for fast cycles – complete solution with
injection moulding machine

Vacuum and air blow units

• Air blow unit with pressure relief valve
• Electrical connections for up to four air
Custom adapted: evacuation of the moulds with User-friendly arrangement: media supply close to blow units
modular vacuum technology. the mould. • Connections optionally routed to the
fixed and moving mounting platen
• Large selection of different vacuum con-
System solutions for LSR and HTV may be sufficient, in others, a complex au- cepts: from SELOGICA interface to vac-
ARBURG also offers modular system tomation cell with quality assurance and/or uum pumps via vacuum valves
solutions for silicone processing. packaging stations may be the perfect • Programmable via SELOGICA control
This ensures the implementation solution. This is why ARBURG is a system system
of individually tailored concepts, supplier, as only in this way, can it provide
which are efficient throughout. companies with the best possible injection Robotic systems
In some cases, an ALLROUNDER moulding technology. • Complete solution with injection mould-
with process-specific equipment ing machine and automation solution
• Programmable via SELOGICA control
system
• Synchronisation of machine and robot
movements
• Ideal for multi-component injection
moulding of hard/soft combinations

11
Maximum process control: SELOGICA control syste
1 Reliable evacuation from vacuum devices for process and qual-
An important technique for smooth silicone ity control. This ultimately results in the
processing is evacuation of the mould prior transparent control and documentation of
to injection. This prevents burns to the sur- the entire venting process directly on the
face of the silicone parts as well as air inclu- control screen.
sions, and ensures complete mould filling
with uniform filling characteristics. Venting
can be programmed with great flexibility via
dedicated symbols, whereby integration of
all common vacuum concepts is possible.
Moreover, SELOGICA also utilises signals
User-friendly: simultaneous monitoring of robot
and machine sequence.

Maintaining control over sophisticated

machine, mould and robotic technology
is the domain of SELOGICA. With this
setting and monitoring system, you can
quickly set up both simple and complex
injection moulding processes, operate
them intuitively and perform reliable
optimisation. In other words: central
management. All technical features
of the SELOGICA control system, such
as the graphical sequence editor, are
also ideally suited to the processing of
1
liquid silicones and aimed at making
operation quicker, more reliable and
more convenient. Here too, ARBURG
provides you with decisive application
advantages: because we have already
integrated all the necessary functions
for high-quality and cost-effective part
production in the SELOGICA system.

Further information:
SELOGICA control system brochure

12 www.arburg.com · 09/2014
m Highlights
2 Adaptive mould heating
3 Fully integrated peripherals • Control centre for the entire injection
The adaptive mould heating automatically The SELOGICA central control system inte- moulding technology
adapts the control parameters to the con- grates robotic systems as well as all neces- • Convenient sequence programming
trol response of the mould. Several heating sary peripherals such as brush and de- with graphic symbols
zones can also be controlled in parallel via moulding devices. All processes can be pro- • Direct plausibility checks
a sensor. This achieves high tem- grammed as a function of and synchronous • Free programmability of production
perature stability in the mould with machine movements. They are there- sequences
for excellent reproducibility fore part of the overall sequence, appear • Common data record for the entire
in production. in the sequence editor with their own production unit
symbols and can be centrally monitored. • Water-cooling for continuous
temperature control in the control
cabinet

Adaptive mould
heating 2

Reliable
evacuation 3

Fully integrated
peripherals

09/2014 · www.arburg.com 13
Application examples
1 2

Precise: Volume production of flash-free parts requiring no refinishing with LSR system solutions Fast: Short cycle times with servo-electric
from ARBURG. demoulding device.

Silicone moulded parts, whether

purely made from that material, com-
1 Clean teats for babies‘ bottles
2 Clever demoulding of seals
bined with other plastics, or as hybrid Particularly in the field of baby care, strict Providing customised solutions for difficult-
components with metal are gaining standards apply world-wide with regard to to-demould LSR parts means getting all
significance in may areas of industrial cleanliness and quality during production. those involved in a project to sit around a
production. Owing to their many excel- Here, LSR scores points thanks to its resist- table. This leads to developments such as an
lent characteristics such as temperature ance aspects and suitability for sterilisation. emission-free servo-electric demoulding de-
and chemical resistance, new solutions With automated ALLROUNDER production vice like the one used on an ALLROUNDER
and product ideas frequently arise cells, teats for babies’ bottles can be pro- with a 128-cavity mould for the production
with regard to liquid silicones (LSR) or duced in large volumes, flash-free and with- of single-wire caps. Simultaneous move-
solid silicones (HTV). Those who have out the need for refinishing. Manufacture is ments as well as continuously adjustable
mastered the processing methods can fully autonomous and without human inter- travel and rotational speeds enable fast, pro-
work successfully in many fields of vention, under extremely clean conditions. cess-reliable demoulding of the parts. The
application. ARBURG‘s system technol- The SELOGICA machine control system per- demoulding device is fully integrated in the
ogy offers you the best basis here, with mits seamless documentation of the pro- SELOGICA control system for this purpose.
cost-effective, customised technology duction quality. Consequently, only one data record and no
and well-founded expertise. re-thinking is required during programming.

14 www.arburg.com · 09/2014
 3 4 5

Process reliability: programming of the robotic Productive: automated production cells combine Efficient: six-axis robotic system integrated in
system via the SELOGICA control system. pre-processing and refinishing operations. clean room.

3 Soft-touch keypad
4 Integrated seals
5 Turnkey projects
On a project system for production of a The possibilities for automating manufac- ARBURG also supplies customised clean
washing machine keypad, thermoplastic turing processes involving LSR processing room solutions as complete turnkey sys-
and silicone are processed to form a hard- are virtually unlimited. One good example is tems. The practical example here: vaginal
soft combination. Here, various material the system for Sinsheimer Kunststofftechnik rings (medical implants) for HIV prevention
properties can be brought together in a sin- GmbH (SKT) for the production of a metal produced waste-free in a 16-cavity mould
gle production step. A particular challenge cover featuring a moulded-on LSR seal. The via a cold-runner system. Part handling is
is the joint processing of “hot” and “cold” production cell is fully autonomous. Strict performed by a compact, emission-free,
materials in one cycle and one mould: LSR quality standards must be met for this auto- servo-electric six-axis robotic system which
cross-links at high temperatures, whereas motive component. In addition to the is programmed via the same user interface
PA requires cooling. The relevant sections in ALLROUNDER, a MULTILIFT robotic system, as the ALLROUNDER. The system meets the
the mould must consequently be separated a feeding device with pre-warming station, highest hygiene requirements in accordance
from one another by means of thermal in- a cooling station and a leak testing station with ISO 13485, FDA and GMP thanks to
sulation. This is why transfer technology is are integrated in the system. The complex application-specific adaptions such as enclo-
particularly suitable here. The moulded production sequence of the cell proceeds sures with ISO Class 3 clean air modules,
parts are transferred in the mould via a according to the “first-in-first-out-principle” nickel-plated mounting platens or an en-
MULTILIFT robotic system. while strictly adhering to the heating and capsulated stainless steel clamping unit.
cooling times.

09/2014 · www.arburg.com 15
Distance between tie bars from 170 x 170 to 920 x 920 mm | Clamping force from 125 to 5,000 kN |
Injection units from size 30 to 800 (according to EUROMAP)

Film

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
Postfach 11 09 · 72286 Lossburg · Tel.: +49(0)7446 33-0 · Fax: +49(0)7446 33-3365 · www.arburg.com · e-mail: [email protected]
With locations in Europe: Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia,

526416_EN_GB_092014 · Subject to alterations

Printed in Germany
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For more information, please go to www.arburg.com.

© 2014 ARBURG GmbH + Co KG

The brochure is protected by copyright. Any utilisation, which is not expressly permitted under copyright legislation, requires the previous approval of ARBURG.

All data and technical information have been compiled with great care. However, we are unable to guarantee its correctness. Individual illustrations and information may deviate from the actual
delivery condition of the machine. The relevant valid operating instructions are applicable for the installation and operation of the machine.

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
DIN EN ISO 9001 + 14001 + 50001 certified