Applied Polymer Technologies (APT) has installed a new 130 ton all-electric, medical specification injection moulding machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag to support Irish customers with their research, product development, tool testing and validation projects.
The installation of the precision, fully enclosed IntElect cleanroom machine from the machinery supplier was commissioned by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s local distributor, TSM Polytech. The mixing and blending specialist is also supplying all of the ancillary equipment and data analytics, ensuring this state-of-the-art cell delivers maximum benefits to Irish customers.
Available to Northern and Southern Ireland-based polymer manufacturers and innovators to perform trials and de-risk projects from early December 2019, the centre will also serve as the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag/TSM Irish customer training and demonstration facility.
This new partnership at the state-funded research centre located on the Athlone Institute of Technology campus will help to foster critical research and innovation in Ireland’s thriving medical and life sciences sector and drive advances in material development and engineering.
Putting into context the heightened demand by SMEs and multinationals for this centralised plastics processing R&D hub, Dr Michael Hopkins Jnr, APT Senior Research Engineer cites a recent survey by Plastics Ireland. He explains: “Components produced by the plastics and polymer sector are integral to enabling the production of products from many vitally important industrial sectors in Ireland, including medical devices, pharmaceutical, automotive, packaging and construction. It accounts for combined exports exceeding €100 billion annually. Yet, what this survey highlights is of the 57% currently developing products requiring polymer use technologies, 40% do not have the in-house capacity or capabilities to perform vital R&D.”
With the APT centre already comprising state of the art materials, mixing and injection moulding processing and analytical equipment, the addition of a highly dynamic and energy efficient medical IntElect machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag underpins the APT Centre of Excellence ethos. National Sales Manager Darren Herron from the global machinery supplier comments: “Our IntElect medical specification machine is built to handle extremely narrow tolerance applications produced in high volumes with greater precision. Now, Irish customers will be able test their own mould tools on the system, perform process optimisation and validation tests, measure energy consumption and cycle times and set their own production performance benchmarks.”
In addition to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s medical moulding machine, the medical test cell is equipped with the latest blending, material handling and data collection/analysis equipment, ensuring precision mixing, control and traceability of material and end product. During the unveiling of the new partnership at K-2019, TSM’s European Sales Manager Shane O'Callaghan commented: “The natural synergy between our two companies in combination with the launch of a centralised R&D hub on the doorstep of Irish plastics processors at APT is an exciting development. Especially for moulders that don’t have the in-house resources to utilise the latest technology and turnkey applications to perform trials using their tooling.”
Drawing upon Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s Cogent-accredited Academy programme, customers will also be able to access bespoke training on site, with content tailored to their specific processing challenges and applications.
For more information or to reserve a trial session at the new APT Centre, please contact APT or TSM Polytech [email protected] (Dr Michael Hopkins Jnr) or [email protected] (Stephen Glancy, TSM PolyTech).