The international K 2013 Trade Fair will be, as usual, an important event for all thermoforming companies, as well as an opportunity to keep up to date on the state of the art and the latest technological innovations.

WM Wrapping Machinery SA is carefully preparing for the event. At its stand – Hall 3/A16 – two machine models will be on display from a range that is drawing a lot attention in the market.

Model FC 780 E IM2, from the Speedmaster Plus series, is a vacuum and pressure thermoforming machine. It forms and cuts, using a steel rule die, all in the same forming station. It is equipped with a second cutting press for equipment that requires a second cutting step. In addition, the machine is equipped with a three axes robot for counting, stacking (even with A-B or A-B-C sequences) and removing stacked products.

The FC 780 E IM2 thermoforming machine can carry moulds up to 780×570 mm, with the forming unit generating a closing force of 750 kN. The standard versions come equipped with motorised height adjustments for both the lower and upper fixed platen. Thus, it can carry moulds with different heights, without the need for adapter plates.

The platen movements, guided on four columns, of the first forming/cutting press and of the second cutting station, are achieved with servomotors that independently drive a double toggle system.

Let us take a closer look at the energy savings that can be achieved with these machines. Motors and drives that are rationally designed, together with an accurate management of the acceleration and deceleration ramps, result in a significant reduction in energy consumption during the production cycle. Also, the use of regenerative modules, during the braking phase of the surface movement, transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy. This energy is returned to the machine’s power supply and is used in the thermoforming machine for other applications, instead of being dissipated as heat.

Again, with regard to energy savings, a multi-stage Venturi system is used to create a vacuum, instead of the traditional vacuum pump. The Venturi system consumes energy only when the vacuum is used during the cycle. In contrast, a pump operates during the entire production cycle. In this case, too, energy savings are significant.

The heating ovens, with independent longitudinal row adjustments, allow also the individual adjustment resistors, as well as a series of possible partialisations, that can vary depending on the pitch and the type of material to be processed.

An infra-red pyrometer, for reading sheet temperature, is housed in the lower heating oven. With a closed loop circuit, it helps adjust/correct the set temperatures while taking into account environmental variations. This maintains constant the temperature of the sheet.

The forming station is also equipped with a servomotor unit to drive the deep-drawing, which pre-stretches the sheet.

During the entire Fair, the machine will be displayed with a mould for an APET double eggs container.

The second thermoforming machine displayed at the stand, is the Desmoformer series, model FT 500. It is a simultaneous form-cut machine with lower tilting platen.

This machine can carry moulds up to 570×375 mm, with the closing unit generating a cutting force of 300 kN. It is also equipped with a wide range of devices. Starting from the plugging system with servomotor, and continuing with the stacking system with rotating plate used for the removal, count and single row stacking of the thermoformed products.

Especially interesting is the tilting unit of the lower platen, which can rotate 75 degrees. The system uses a combination of cams and levers, driven by servomotor, and based on an innovative double desmodromic system. This ensures maximum precision and repetition of movements, as well as power calibration during both the movement and cutting phases.

The thermoforming machine will show a mould with 22 cavities for a conical container with flat edge made of polypropylene.

Videos, as well as technical documents for the entire range of WM thermoforming machines will be available at the stand. Besides the above mentioned machine versions, with different mould sizes, the range includes complete IN LINE systems with sheet extrusion units, PS and PP integrated, appropriately sized for medium and high productivity. They are out-and-out production islands that start with granulated material and end with a finished and packaged product, with in line recycling of the production waste.

Recently IN LINE systems of this type were delivered to Indonesia, Australia and France. This brings the number of IN LINE systems built by WM and operating around the world, to over 150 units.