Hydraulics are still the dominate species of injection mold machines in most European countries. However, an exciting trend in electric presses began several years ago in Japan and has been spreading like wildfire in North America, bringing cost-effective solutions to makers of plastic products.

In 2010, HTI began to introduce electric mold machines into its production process, with the eventual goal of creating a predominantly electric molding facility. Our products always have been top-quality due to HTI Plastics’ unwavering standard of state-of-the-art machines, tightly controlled processes and highly trained personnel. However, the introduction of electric injection molding machines reduces cost and increases speed and efficiency in many ways, all to the advantage of our manufacturing partners.

Lower Cost

The difference in unit cost is readily apparent when a hydraulic machine is replaced by an equivalent electric machine. With tight, repeatable control of operations, the product is produced with less material and fewer additives, dramatically reducing waste. Independent functionality in electric machines means multiple tasks can run simultaneously, resulting in much faster cycles. Additionally, electric machines have no consumables, such as oil and filters, that must be periodically replaced. Operating cost also is significantly lower due to the substantially smaller power requirements of an electric machine.

Although the price of an electric machine is higher than that of an equivalent hydraulic machine, the dramatic savings in cost per part and operation are more than enough to justify that initial investment.

Clean, Efficient Operations

With an all-electric mold machine, there is no chance of fluid leakage or misting, which means less opportunity for material and surface contamination. This provides the additional advantage of lowering the housekeeping costs and downtime normally associated with hydraulics.

Precision and Repeatability

With the advantage of digital control, the electric mold machine process is entirely repeatable, requiring no fine tuning to maintain exact specifications. This means once the job is underway, the process can run with virtually no supervision. Mechanical functionality replaces the variables introduced by hydraulic valves and hoses; this not only removes the need for periodic calibration, it also reduces maintenance time.

Outlook for the Future

Here at HTI Plastics, we are constantly on the lookout for the best ways to maximize performance, so we can deliver the best products and solutions for our manufacturing partners. Going electric is the next major step in this strategy to help our clients meet market demand for top quality at lower cost.