recycling of carbon nanotube reinforced polycarbonate composites - molded polycarbonate

Zhong added that he sees Structur3d advancing prototyping by “opening up the arsenal we have available to tackle rubber components that are both easy to use, turnkey, and can produce a real, usable geometry prototype with the actual material you tend to use in production.”

Finkel said product developers can “design a hyper-detailed mold using standard CAD software and 3D print the part with standard, durable or dissolvable plastic. Then users can choose from tens of thousands of liquid rubber materials, customizing it based on desired durability, flexibility, and cure time. After programming the mixing ratio and injection volume, the Inj3ctor fills in the mold, creating a fully customized, flexible product.”

Developed for the purpose of replacing short run or manual processes that currently exist in industrial injection molding, the Inj3ctor from Structur3d is reportedly the first additive manufacturing system to combine the principles of injection molding with 3D printing.

Engel UK managing director Nigel Baker said: “This is the first of a number of Wintec dual platen machines expected in the UK manufacturing sector very shortly. The fact that these machines are designed and engineered in Europe and offer the expertise of Engel’s decades of manufacturing, makes them a very attractive option for UK injection moulders. As Rob Anderson has mentioned, the very familiar feel of the control system and the fact that the machines are supported by Engel UK will ensure that they are an easy alternative to select.”

Anderson also they stand up well against the Engel duo machines, and that the team have found it to be very aligned with the machines they’re used to. The Wintec is providing them with cycle times and energy efficiency equal to the existing Engel duo machines, Anderson reported.

However, the option of buying machines from under the Engel name, but with a more standardised set of features, suited to high volume applications (and with a lower price point than some Engel counterparts) has proven a popular one. Since the brand launched, it has gone to market in the Middle East, South Africa, the US, Mexico, Brazil – and now the UK.

Rob Anderson, joint managing director at Advanced Plastics, said: “I visited Engel UK to inspect the machine after it arrived in the country and the familiar Engel feel about it, coupled with the advantageous pricing and the short lead time, were major factors in my decision to place the order.”

According to Structur3d, the Inj3ctor uses curated material cartridges to mix and inject 2-component flexible materials into any customizable shape, enabling turnkey, small-batch manufacturing of rubber materials.

Wintec is a brand originally launched by Engel back in 2014, aimed initially at high volume moulders in the Asian market.

Purchased to primarily assist in the fulfilment of newly acquired automotive business, Advanced Plastics’ new Wintec t-win dual platen, injection moulding machine joins the manufacturer’s existing fleet of Engel machines.

Wintec is a brand originally launched by Engel back in 2014, aimed initially at high volume moulders in the Asian market.