Ireland-based Applied Polymer Technologies (APT) has taken delivery of a new 130-ton all-electric medical-specification IntElect injection moulding machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag (
www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu) to help customers in Northern Ireland and Ireland with their research, product development, tool-testing and validation projects.
The installation of this fully enclosed clean-room machine was undertaken by TSM Polytech, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s Irish distributor.
The mixing and blending specialist has also supplied all of the ancillary equipment and data analytics needed to ensure that this ‘state of the art’ cell delivers maximum benefits to APT’s customers.
The cell will also serve as Sumitomo (SHI) Demag/TSM’s training and demonstration facility for Irish customers.
This new partnership at the state-funded research centre 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.
Dr Michael Hopkins Jnr said: “Components produced by the plastics and polymer sector are integral to many vitally important industrial sectors in Ireland, including medical devices, pharmaceutical, automotive, packaging and construction.
“They account for combined annual exports worth more than 100 billion euros.”
SHI national sales manager Darren Herron said: “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.”