Project story
From the smallest decimal point to the tool of the future
Injection molds in the medical field require a special level of precision, cleanliness, and process control. In our team of experts, the company Röchling found a design partner for their automated unscrewing unit who combines a passion for detail with cutting-edge technologies.
:quality(80) "Insights Röchling")
:quality(80) "Insights Röchling")
Injection molding production of medical components under clean room conditions at the Brensbach site.
The overall package was crucial.
"We chose Servomold because they simply provide us with the complete package: expertise in the industry and tooling, short communication channels, as well as the digital control unit that allows us to monitor the unthreading process optimally," reveals Christopher Heyd, Head of the Tooling Department at Röchling in Brensbach. The company has been producing plastic products for various industries for around 200 years - one of them being closure caps for medical containers that must be manufactured under strict cleanroom conditions. For the design of the suitable automated unscrewing unit for their new injection molding tool, Röchling Medical Brensbach GmbH commissioned our Servo expert team."
Christopher Heyd is in charge of toolmaking at Röchling in Brensbach and relies on cooperation with Servomold.
:quality(80) "Wild und Küpfer")
Servo-electrically driven thread cores allow for the removal of molded parts without contamination.
:quality(80) "Insights Röchling")
Medications, infusion solutions, liquids for pain relief - the production of caps for medical containers is subject to strict regulations, any contamination renders entire batches unusable.
"The servo technology offers the advantage here, unlike a classic hydraulic system, of largely being able to operate without lubricants." Christian Etzel has been a designer in our team for over five years. "Even where oils are needed, we use food-grade lubricants to prevent any contamination that could damage the final product." Despite this fat-free cleanliness, the systems run with minimal friction. The key to this low-maintenance operation lies in a patent that Managing Director Thomas Meister developed years ago.
In the patented system, the drive train is separated from the threaded core. This avoids drive influences on the threaded core and significantly simplifies the assembly and maintenance of the components. Radial forces of the drive train are absorbed by thin-section bearings and thus have no influence on the threaded core - it moves freely from radial forces, driven by a splined shaft profile and optimally guided concentrically by preloaded ball cages through a brass lead nut back and forth. This design can not only minimize wear and extend service life, but also significantly increase process efficiency and safety.
Project Overview
:quality(80) "Insights Röchling")
Customer
Röchling Medical Brensbach GmbH
Application
De-spindling of pharmaceutical closure caps (polypropylene)
Unscrewing units
Threaded core systems
Temperature control systems
Torques
60 Nm per thread core
Drilling time
1.3 seconds
Servo control
Servo complete control system(SKS-4.2-20rn)
Project manager Christian Etzel likes to push the minimization of wear and tear through maximum precision to the extreme. After all, the medical field requires precision work with very tight tolerances, especially in the sealing area. All individual parts must run concentrically to each other and thus be perfectly aligned axially to each other. For Christian Etzel, this challenge is a motivation.
"We work here daily in the third decimal place of the millimeter - these are dimensions that are hard to imagine. You can wipe it away with my finger, the 5 micrometers are practically non-existent to the eye." Christian Etzel explains with a noticeable fascination for what today's technology makes possible. However, technological enthusiasm is not an end in itself. "Our team is always at the forefront in the field of technological developments. We also work with 3D printers and laser technology. Progress is indeed reflected in our daily work, allowing us to provide real benefits to our customers in terms of efficiency, safety, and control."
:quality(80) "Team Christian Etzel")
"Everyone knows what the other is capable of. We talk on an equal footing and always try to find a solution together."
:quality(80) "Insights Röchling")
Designer Daniel Hawlitzki supports the customer with tool assembly on site.
The specially developed unscrewing unit works reliably day after day in the production facility of the company Röchling, in close cooperation with the injection molding tool, and with particularly short cycle times. To ensure that the tool continues to run tirelessly for as long as possible, the supplied control unit from Servomold takes care of it.
In the past, problems due to deposits or wear would only have been noticed when components failed or during disassembly of the tool during maintenance work. Today, Christopher Heyd monitors the torques during unspindling simply through the control display. The servo control limits the torque to pre-defined limits and stops the process as soon as these are exceeded. Heyd can thus carry out predictive maintenance and effectively prevent downtime. "It is as always the overall package, from precision to control, that we appreciate here and that allows us to work pleasantly and proactively."
Both sides describe their cooperation as smooth. They meet at eye level, address problems quickly and uncomplicatedly, and can exchange information optimally, also due to the short distances between them. "If we ever have a problem, someone from Servomold gets in the car and drives here." commented Christopher Heyd.
This commitment to the cause not only saves valuable time for manufacturers, but also demonstrates that technological applications are significantly shaped by good connections between people.