US-BASED MILACRON SHIPS LARGEST INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE OF ITS KIND IN NORTH AMERICA

Ohio original equipment manufacturer supplies 8,000-ton injection molding press to neighboring Ohio-based custom molder.

Milacron, a leading manufacturer in the global plastics technology and processing industry, creates the largest injection molding machine ever manufactured by a North American-based OEM for long-time customer, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics, LLC of Holiday City, Ohio.

Known as the “big brother” to Milacron’s C-6750 machine, also produced for 20/20 in 2021, the C-8000’s platen design, as well as its functional size-to-fit multiple molds, give this machine a leg up in the plastics manufacturing space. It features a clamping force of 8,000 U.S. tons, and total shot weight of 325 pounds, that’s received from two -130,000 injection units with a 260 mm feed screw providing a 5-inch-per-second injection velocity.

The C8000 weighs 1.8 million pounds, excluding the mold. The moving platen cast weight comes in at 152 tons, and the guts of this machine contain nearly 38 miles of wire.

“The sheer size of this machine is hard to put into words, but its unique design and processing stats speak volumes,” said Mac Jones, President of Milacron. “The C8000 is a large-part powerhouse designed by some of the best plastics processing engineers in the world that delivers the highest performance, functionality and flexibility possible in the large-tonnage space.  Partnering with customers like 20/20 by providing cutting-edge solutions remains our focus, as well as our commitment, to the plastics processing industry.”

The new four-tie bar design enables more versatile access and overhead part retrieval than the eight tie-bar retrieval systems other OEMs provide on their large-tonnage machines. In addition, the machine’s four massive tie bars reach nearly 38 feet in length and 1.75 feet in diameter.

The C8000’s two enormous injection unit barrels were stored / staged prior to installation inside a custom-built enclosure at Milacron’s headquarters plant just outside of Cincinnati.

Its sprawling length of 94 feet allows the C8000 to provide an ample amount of a resource that’s often sought after in the plastics processing space – daylight. The greater the extended daylight a machine possesses, the larger the mold the machine can handle, and the larger plastic part it can produce. The C-8000 provides a bit more than 28 feet of daylight from its 24-feet clamp-stroke capacity. The maximum mold size this dynamic machine can produce clears 21 feet, while the minimum mold size is just under 4 feet.

Ron Ernsberger, Owner and President of 20/20, says his company has always been a fan of Milacron’s clamp technology and reliability. “Their machines are workhorses,” says Ernsberger, who emphasizes that reliability and redundancy are of critical importance to his operation. “We want machines we can not only rely on for maximum repeatable output, but that make our employees’ lives easier with software control platforms and processing technology they are familiar with, as well as machines that are easy for them to transition between while servicing a variety of customer needs.”

The massive C8000 and its smaller counterpart, the C6750, are the latest in a long line of large-tonnage machines produced for the northwestern Ohio company. The Milacron-only 20/20 fleet consists of 45 machines comprised of a combination of 28 low-pressure injection molding (LPIM) machines, and 17 high-pressure injection molding (HPIM) machines. The partnership continues to flourish as Milacron evolves in the plastics processing solutions space.

“As a custom molder, we always want a plan for what doesn’t quite yet exist,” said Mike Gepfert, Chief Operating Officer at 20/20. “In order to be competitive, we can’t be constrained. Milacron understands this about us and has always been willing to take it to the next level. The capacity of these two large-tonnage machines thrusts us into a unique niche of custom molders.”

MilacRON: The ‘next big thing’
The Milacron C-8000 results from a decades-long vision and organic collaboration. Ron Hertzer, Milacron’s Director of New Product Development for many years (and, 40-year veteran of the injection molding industry), and 20/20’s Ernsberger, laid the foundation for these cutting-edge machines that would be in demand by large-part plastic processors before they even reached completion.

“The Milacron C-6750 and C-8000 came to be due in large part to two experts in the industry who never settle for the status quo,” explains Jones. “Ron Ernsberger’s vision conceived the prototypes from market demand he saw coming through the pipeline. And, our Milacron team was the brains behind the custom design and development of both monster machines, with our Ron Hertzer at the helm.”

The magnitude of production the Milacron machines offer is now 20/20’s “claim to fame,” according to Ernsberger. “The capacity these large-tonnage machines provide thrusts us into a unique position within the marketplace that’s unsurpassed,” he said.

The C8000 began production in 20/20’s 65,000-square-feet manufacturing facility earlier this summer.

Serving a variety of ‘tier one’ industries, Ernsberger says 20/20 must remain relevant and be willing to “push the envelope in a competitive economic climate.” That’s where he says Milacron has always stepped up to the table with next-generation technology. “Our plastics manufacturing at 20/20 requires a great deal of redundancy, ‘same as,’ ease of transition and reliability, and Milacron has met these expectations repeatedly, which is why we continue to turn to them when we’re ready for the next big thing,” said Ernsberger.

The C6750 machine had a full docket of customers slated for production by the time it went live on 20/20’s production floor in 2019, according to Ernsberger. “The C6750 was already sold out by the time we actually started running it,“ he said. “Another larger-tonnage option was needed as a back-up. Shortly thereafter the C-8000 was conceived. With Milacron, it’s been a true partnership.”

The markets driving the increased level of activity in the large-tonnage machine space are material handling (large plastic pallets), underground enclosures for telecommunications and utilities, drainage and irrigation products, commercial/institutional, and industrial and safety products. Milacron continues to answer the market demand with two more large-tonnage injection units scheduled in the pipeline for a 2024 install at 20/20.

“Our decades-long solutions-based partnership with 20/20 elevates Milacron’s drive-to-deliver performance model,” says Jones of Milacron. “It’s our intention to set the standards, drive innovation and lead the industry in the plastics processing space. Loyal partnerships with customers like 20/20 help us pave the way.”

About Milacron
Milacron (www.milacron.com) is a global industry and technology leader in the manufacturing of injection molding and extrusion systems. Milacron also produces and provides machinery, auxiliaries and components that complement its plastics processing machines and systems. The company’s 1,900 associates worldwide collaborate to provide a diverse range of products across various plastics applications in industries such as automotive, construction, medical, telecommunications, material handling, packaging, and much more. Milacron holds longstanding relationships with more than 27,000 global customers across North America and India, as well as coverage in Europe and in many emerging markets, including Central/South America. Milacron is an Operating Company of Hillenbrand (NYSE: HI), an industrial company operating in over 100 countries serving a wide variety of industries across the world. www.hillenbrand.com

Contact
Brian Miller, Marketing Manager
[email protected] / 513.536.2461

Injection-molded parts are an indispensable part of modern production and life, occupying a very large share in the plastics processing industry. A high-end injection molding machine is very important due to its complexity, accuracy, manufacturing speed, etc.

Today, I would like to introduce you to the world's top 10 Plastic injection molding machine manufacturers, hoping to help you.

 

Click to read the guide for additional information: The Complete Guide to Injection Molding Machines

 

There are many different types of injection molding machines, and choosing the right type can bring greater benefits to your business.

Hydraulic presses have historically been the only option available to molders until Nissei Plastic Industrial Co., LTD introduced the first all-electric injection molding machine in 1983.

Hydraulic machines, although not nearly as precise, are the predominant type in most of the world, with the exception of Japan.

The electric press, also known as Electric Machine Technology (EMT), reduces operation costs by cutting energy consumption and also addresses some of the environmental concerns surrounding the hydraulic press. Electric presses have been shown to be quieter, faster, and have a higher accuracy, however the machines are more expensive.

Read this article to learn more: Electric VS Hydraulic Injection Molding Machine

Servo injection molding machines claim to take advantage of the best features of both hydraulic and electric systems, but in actuality use almost the same amount of electricity to operate as an electric injection molding machine depending on the manufacturer.

Read More about Servo Injection Molding Machine: Servo Injection Molding Machines: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

In addition, in many cases, they will be classified by the function or application of the injection molding machine, such as our common PET preform injection molding machine, PVC Pipe injection molding machine, etc. Plastic Injection molding machine manufacturers usually prepare or customize corresponding injection molding solutions for you. You can ask your intended manufacturer in detail.

 

Usually, the important factors that affect the selection of injection molding machines include molds, products, plastics, molding requirements, etc. Therefore, before making a selection, it is necessary to collect or master such information: such as mold size (width, height, thickness), weight, special design, etc.; type and quantity of plastic used (single raw material or multiple plastics); appearance size ( length, width, height, thickness), weight of injection molded products, etc.; molding requirements, such as quality requirements, production speed, etc.

After getting the above information, you can follow the steps below to choose a suitable plastic injection molding machine

• Model selection

  Product and plastic will determine machine type and series.

  Since there are many types of injection molding machines, it is necessary to correctly judge which type of injection molding machine or series should be used to produce the product, such as general thermoplastic or bakelite or PET material, single color, double color, multi-color-color, sandwich or mixed color . In addition, some products require conditions such as high stability (closed circuit), high precision, ultra-high injection speed, high injection pressure or rapid production (multi-circuit), and the appropriate series must also be selected for production.

• Mold size

  From the mold size, determine whether the machine's "large column spacing", "mold thickness", "mold minimum size" and "mold tray size" are appropriate to confirm whether the mold can be placed.

  The width and height of the mold should be smaller than or at least one side should be smaller than the large column spacing; the width and height of the mold should preferably be within the range of the mold tray size; the thickness of the mold should be between the mold thickness of the plastic injection molding machine.

  The width and height of the mold must conform to the minimum mold size recommended by the injection molding machine. Too small is not acceptable.

• Stroke

  The mold and finished product should determine whether the "opening stroke" and "clamping stroke" are sufficient to remove the finished product.

  The opening and closing stroke should be at least twice the height of the finished product in the opening and closing direction, and should include the length of the vertical runner; the holding stroke should be sufficient to eject the finished product.

• Clamping force

  The "clamping force" tonnage is determined by the product and the plastic.

  When the raw material is injected into the mold cavity under high pressure, the clamping force is generated, so the clamping unit of the plastic injection molding machine must provide enough "clamping force" to prevent the mold from opening. The clamping force requirement is calculated as follows.

  The projected area of ​​the finished product in the mold opening and closing direction is derived from the overall dimensions of the finished product.

  Clamping force = the projected area of ​​the finished product in the opening and closing direction (cm2) × the number of cavities × the pressure in the mold (kg/cm2).

  The pressure in the mold varies with the raw material, generally 350-400kg/cm2.

  The clamping force of the machine should be greater than the clamping force. For the sake of safety, the clamping force of the machine usually needs to be greater than 1.17 times of the clamping force.

  So far, the specifications of the clamping unit have been preliminarily determined, and the tonnage of the machine has been roughly determined. Next, the following steps must be performed again to confirm which injection unit has a better screw diameter.

• Shot ratio

  Finished weight and number of cavities are used to determine the required "shot volume" and to select the appropriate "screw diameter".

  When calculating the weight of the finished product, the number of cavities (how many cavities are in the mold) should be considered; for stability, the injection volume should be greater than 1.35 times the weight of the finished product, that is, the weight of the finished product should be within 75% of the injection volume.

• Injection quality

  Some engineering plastics require higher injection pressure and suitable screw compression ratio design to have better molding effect, so in order to make the finished product injection better, the selection of the screw also needs to consider the required ratio of injection pressure and compression ratio. .

  In general, a smaller diameter screw can provide a higher injection pressure.

• Injection speed

  In this case, it may be necessary to check whether the injection volume and injection speed of the machine are sufficient, whether it needs to be equipped with an accumulator, closed-loop control, etc. Screws that can provide higher injection pressures generally have lower injection speeds, and conversely, screws that can provide lower injection pressures generally have higher injection speeds. Therefore, when selecting the screw diameter, the injection volume, injection pressure and injection speed (injection speed) should be comprehensively considered and weighed.

  In addition, a multi-loop design can be used to shorten molding time by synchronizing compound actions.

 

Established: 1945

Number of employees: 7000+

Headquarter address: Austria

Revenue: $1.5 Billion  

Top Products:

• All-electric Injection moulding machines

• Hydraulic Injection moulding machines

• Hybrid Injection moulding machines

• Vertical Injection moulding machines

• Elastomer Injection moulding machines

Company Profiles:

Headquartered in Austria and with 9 locations worldwide, ENGEL is the world's leading manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines. Besides machine building, it also offers a wide range of services. The company's main products include system solutions, electric, hydraulic and vertical injection molding machines, used machinery, control units, robots, process stabilization mechanisms, etc. Engel promises clamping forces of between 280 kN and 55,000 kN for its machines.

The company's main business verticals are automotive, packaging, medical, electrical, sports and leisure, toys, construction, etc.

 

Established:1966

Number of employees: 6668

Headquarter address: Beilun district, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China

Revenue: $2.5 Billion  

Top Products:

• Zhafir Venus Series (VE)

• Zhafir Zeres Series (ZE)

• Zhafir Jenius Series (JE)

• Haitian Mars Series (MA)

• Haitian Jupiter Series (JU)

Company Profiles:

Haitian is a leading plastic injection molding machine manufacturer in China. Haitian International Holdings Limited has accumulated more than five years of basic technical experience in the production of "Haitian" brand injection molding machines, and reached a new milestone in the company's history when it was listed on the stock exchange. The advanced corporate structure thus brings a crucial step towards the decisive globalization of the brand. The main focus of the Haitian brand is the development and production of standard injection molding machines for the mass production market. In this area, we create a vital competitive advantage for our customers through commercial efficiency, reliable machine design, extreme reliability and comprehensive support.

 

Established:1874

Number of employees: 5600

Headquarter address: Cincinnati, OH, USA

Revenue: $1.258 Billion  

Top Products:

• All Electric Injection Molding Machine

• Hydraulic Injection Molding Machine

• Servo Injection Molding Machine

• Low Pressure Injection Molding Machine

Company Profiles:

Milacron is a leading manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines and is a global leader in the manufacture, distribution and service of highly engineered and custom systems in the plastics and processing industries, with a full portfolio of injection molding and extrusion equipment . Milacron maintains a strong market position and maintains leadership in process control systems, maintenance, repair and operational supplies for plastics processing equipment. Milacron provides customers with highly customized equipment, components and services throughout the life cycle of their plastics processing technology systems.

 

Established: 1923

Number of employees: 3500

Headquarter address: Losburg, Germany

Revenue: $578 Million  

Top Products:

• Hydraulic injection molding machines

• Hybrid injection molding machines

• Electric injection molding machines

• Cube-mould injection molding machines

• Vertical injection molding machines

Company Profiles:

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Arburg is a German mechanical engineering company and a world-renowned manufacturer of injection molding machines. Owned by the Hehl and Keinath families, it ranks among the global industry leaders with its electric, hybrid and hydraulic plastic injection molding machines, turnkey systems and its industrial additive manufacturing systems.

 

Established: 1953

Number of employees: 4300

Headquarter address: Bolton, Canada

Revenue: $990 Million  

Top Products:

• HYPET5E® SYSTEMS

• HYCAP™4 SYSTEMS

• HYLECTRIC 4.0® SYSTEMS

• NEXPET™ SYSTEMS

• HYPERSYNC™ SYSTEMS

• HUSKY AUXILIARIES

Company Profiles:

Husky is a well-known manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines and the largest brand supplier of injection molding equipment and services to the plastics industry. The Husky team of more than 4,300 dedicated engineers, designers, innovators, materials and software experts around the world is focused on creating success and profitability for our customers in more than 140 countries.

Headquarters and main manufacturing facilities are located in Canada, with additional manufacturing facilities in the United States, Luxembourg, Switzerland, China and the Czech Republic. In addition, three technical centers in Japan, Luxembourg and Shanghai, as well as a worldwide network of locations.

 

Established: 1970

Number of employees: 3000

Headquarter address: Schwaig, Germany

Revenue: $287 Million  

Top Products:

• All-Electric Machines

• High-Speed/Packaging Machines

• Hydraulic Machines

Company Profiles:

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery North America, Inc. is part of a global group of companies dedicated to helping plastics processors compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and its Japanese parent company, Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI), are one of the specialized manufacturers of high-precision, high-performance plastic injection molding machines with annual sales of more than 5,000 units. The world's largest manufacturer of IM machines. Its global injection molding machine development and production network consists of four factories in Japan, Germany and China, with more than 3,000 employees.

 

Established: 1875

Number of employees: 3000+

Headquarter address: Tokyo, Japan

Revenue: $1.06 Billion  

Top Products:

• All-electric injection molding machine

• Hydraulic Injection Molding Machine

Company Profiles:

Shibaura Machinery is a well-known manufacturer and solutions provider of plastic injection molding machines, Shibaura designs and manufactures industrial machines and solutions to provide customers with optimum productivity and profitability, and to provide excellent service and support to maximize their return on investment . To pursue this goal, conduct business in a responsible and respectful manner, contribute to the industrial base, and help create a high-quality society through the continuous development of innovative technologies with a focus on mechanics, electronics and systems.

 

Established: 1907

Number of employees: 5800+

Headquarter address: Tokyo, Japan

Revenue: $1.8 Billion

Top Products:

• Standard Injection Molding Machine

• Small Size All Electric Machine

• Middle Size All Electric Machine

• Large Size All Electric Machine

• Large & Ultra Large Size All Electric Machine

• Ultra Large Size Electric Machine (Space saving 2 platen type)

• Vertical Type All Electric Machine

Company Profiles:

JSW is a leading plastic injection molding machine manufacturer with many years of R&D manufacturing experience and extensive experience in manufacturing large electric injection molding machines ranging from 550 to 3000 metric tons.

With world-class "high cycle performance" as the core, through years of experience training, stronger and more evolved "long-life design" and "precise and stable molding" have been realized. In addition, it combines "advanced intelligence" with a new controller that is extremely easy to use. We respond to the diverse needs of various molding sites and contribute to improving productivity.

 

Established: 1947

Number of employees: 1300

Headquarter address: Sakaki, Nagano, Japan

Revenue: $339.22 Million  

Top Products:

• New Electric High Performance Injection Molding Machine

• Compound large injection molding machine

• Compound high-performance injection molding machine

• Compound small injection molding machine

• Electric high-performance injection molding machine

• Compound Vertical Injection Molding Machine

• Compound small vertical injection molding machine

• Electric vertical injection molding machine

• Electric two-color injection molding machine

• Compound two-color injection molding machine

Company Profiles:

Since its establishment in 1947, NISSEI is a leading manufacturer of injection molding machines, and has continuously improved its professional and technical characteristics. With the concept of "professional, profound and extensive", it has gradually expanded the industry scope of related technology applications. While paying attention to improving the performance of injection molding machines, it also researches Developed molds, forming support systems, forming processing and other related technologies.

Today, with the internationalization of the market and the diversification of customer needs, our company has always adhered to the attitude of taking the forming site as the starting point, relying on the professional technical strength accumulated since the establishment of the company, and adopting the one-to-one implementation strategy to solve various problems with customers. .

 

Established: 1972

Number of employees: 8200+

Headquarter address: Oshino, Yamanashi, Japan

Revenue: $4.42 Billion  

Top Products:

Electric injection molding machine

Company Profiles:

Fanuc is a well-known CNC solution provider and plastic injection molding machine manufacturer. Teams of automation professionals work in customer service, engineering, finance, human resources, IT, logistics, operations, manufacturing, product development, sales and marketing, and training.

 

Recommend: Log Machine (Ningbo Chuangji)

Established: 2007

Number of employees:500

Headquarter address: Yuyao Shi, Ningbo Shi, Zhejiang Sheng, China

Revenue: $46.2Million

Top Products:

Company Profiles:

Ningbo Chuangji Machinery Co., Ltd. is located in Yuyao. Is a professional enterprise engaged in plastic injection molding machinery. Since the official launch of LOG Lange presses in 2007, the company's sales network has spread all over the world. It has established more than 50 dealers in mainland China, in North and South America, the CIS, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and even Europe. There are dealers and service outlets in more than 20 overseas countries around the world. The company currently has four injection molding machine bases, covering a total area of more than 70,000 square meters, with an annual production capacity of more than 4,000 units. The company always adheres to the management concept of "focus, professionalism and concentration", and pays great attention to talent construction and technology development. Strong independent research and development capabilities and strict quality supervision system make Lange brand injection molding machines have the characteristics of energy saving, high pressure and high speed, precision and stability.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that investment in injection molding machines is expensive and needs to be carefully considered. If you are looking for a suitable plastic injection molding machine manufacturer, you can look to us at Log Machine or a Chinese injection molding machine manufacturer, because Chinese plastic injection molding machines provide competitive prices while ensuring high quality. Investing in the right injection molding machine will pay off.

 

Read More:

How to select a Plastic Injection Molding Machine

Injection Molding Machine Maintenance: What You Need to Know

2022 Top 30 Chinese Injection Molding Machine Manufacturer Brands: Ultimate Guide