Delphi Corp has put real meaning into the term "greenfield plant" by equipping its new, highly automated Vienna, OH, facility with 124 super-efficient, all-electric Roboshot injection molding machines from Milacron Inc. Proven 50-60% more energy efficient than conventional hydraulic injection machines, the Milacron/Fanuc Roboshot also eliminates environmental and safety issues related to hydraulic oil.
Since the startup of the Delphi Connection Systems facility in mid-2003, the machines -- 120 production machines, with four additional machines in Delphi''s process engineering laboratory -- have delivered processing advantages through fast fill times, along with overall shorter part processing times, according to Charles Mansfield, Delphi''s supervisor, Injection Molding Technology.
Extensively modified to Delphi''s specific requirements, the machines use a unique control, fully compatible with the company''s GE Fanuc Cimplicity manufacturing system that ties virtually every piece of equipment in the plant to one control room. Each machine also has its own Ethernet hub and I/O rack for interface to auxiliary equipment, such as granulators, loaders, pickers, and guided vehicles. Custom electrical and water supplies and connections helped speed installation and will allow easy interchange of machines as plant layout requirements change.
"This was Delphi Connection Systems'' first experience with utilizing all-electric machine technology, in addition to being such a massive, unique project," noted Karlheinz Bourdon, Milacron vice president, Machinery Technology. "Nevertheless, we were told repeatedly that this was one of the fastest and smoothest new plant startups they''ve ever experienced. All 124 machines were installed and operating to expectation within a very short time frame."
The Roboshot Si-B is ideally suited for thin-wall parts, such as Delphi''s electronic components and connectors. It offers the fastest injection acceleration time of any all-electric molding machine on the market, going from 0-300 mm/sec in less than 27 msec.
"On some of our hard-to-fill products, the acceleration characteristics of the Roboshot machine have yielded a clear processing advantage," Mansfield noted.
The machines utilize Fanuc''s newest Alpha series servomotors and a control that provides 10 times faster updates. Also contributing to the acceleration advantage is a new injection unit with 50% less inertia that -- due to extensive computer-engineering enhancement -- is actually more rigid and robust.
"The success of this unprecedented project is testimony to the commitment of all associates involved, both Delphi and Milacron, and it has developed into a relationship that will likely result in machine orders for other plants as well," said Bourdon. "Not only was this our largest quantity order ever, but this is also probably the world''s largest all-electric molding plant." Milacron is a winner of the 2001 Ohio Governor''s Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency for its work in developing electric molding technology.