IMA March-April 2015 South Korean Machinery & Technology

Injection Moulding Asia South Korean Machinery & Technology

Machine makers branch out to new processes are number 1 in South Korea, in terms of quality and design.“ Though he also claims “we are not price oriented but focused more on quality,“ Dongshin‘s hydraulic machines are sold at a 15% premium and all-electrics 20% higher, compared to other locally produced machines.

But Kim contends that the premium prices are not substantial given that the machines are consistent and produce fewer defective parts. “South Korean processors are gradually beginning to realise this, since less rejects mean higher profits,” he adds.

Besides developing its own Linux-based controller in-house (and being the first South Korean machine maker to do so), Dongshin had other highlights at Koplas. On display was the GB all-electric series, available from 50-300 tonnes clamping force, fitted with German Bauer servomotors. A 300-tonne unit on display was moulding a 0.4-mm PP yoghurt cup in an eight-cavity tool, with in-mould labelling and a 5 second-cycle time. The machine employs two servomotors on the injection side and has the flexibility for a third, to allow for faster injection speed, over the standard injection speed of 400 mm/ second.

Other highlights were the four-cavity PL10 servohydraulic plunger machine, shown moulding mobile phone camera lens housings in LCP resin, weighing 0.125 g and a shot size variation of 0.004 g. Yet another highlight was the two-component rotary turntable TC130 press, with one injection unit for liquid silicone rubber (LSR), shown making a tongue cleaner.

Also shown were the PB (PET Bottle) 300 series that was moulding three-layer preforms incorporating an EVOH barrier layer; ME220 metal injection moulding machine injecting an aluminum alloy; ET120 servo-hydraulic machine and Vr110 vertical servohydraulic machine.

LS Mtron (formerly known as LG) had six new machines on display, including an injection

The recent Koplas show, held from 10-14 March at the Kintex exhibition centre in Goyang, saw 427 exhibitors from 25 countries occupy a total floor space of 21,384 sq m. South Korean machinery makers are making an impact on the market with new application processes, catering to the electronics, automotive, medical and packaging sectors. Also noticeable were the number of all-electric machinery launches, with South Koreans intent on making headway in a market dominated by the Japanese.

From a new makeover to expanding application offerings omegrown injection moulding machine maker Dongshin Hydraulics has undergone a complete makeover under the helm of CEO Philip Kim, who took over the reins from his father four years ago.

“We reevaluated the performance and quality of our machines, assessed the fundamental knowledge we possessed, and decided to go back to basics,” he opined enthusiastically. With one of the largest booths at the show, literally occupying centre stage, Dongshin was like a new kid on the block with its new company logo, branding and black/white machinery.

“We acknowledge the fact that European machines are known for their consistent quality and performance so our goal is to mirror this,” Kim added. One of the ways of achieving its strategy is to Dongshin Hydraulics’s CEO employ young people and Philip Kim says the company train them to change the will focus on domestic sales culture, resonating in what for now Kim says is the start of a “new era.” He adds that the company expects to build better machines but the ultimate deciding factor will be the market acceptance. “Our customers will decide whether we will be successful or not.”

Producing 600 machines/year, the company may not be in the top league, nevertheless Kim says, “We

H

LS Mtron’s LGE220III is a new all-electric shown moulding a multi-layer container in PP/ EVOH

1 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 015

www.injectionmouldingasia.com

Injection Moulding Asia South Korean Machinery & Technology blow moulding machine, which Yumi Kim, Senior Manager in the Overseas Sales team, said would be sold to the domestic market. “We will export it to China later, since the packaging market is growing there,“ she said. LS does have a factory in Wuxi C h i n a , that currently makes “simple“ machines for the Chinese market, with Yumi adding that it was a competitive market. LS’s sales are also growing in other parts of Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, she said.

Another focus market is the US. “From 2000 to 2008, we sold lots of machines but after that our sales dropped, and now we want to recover our sales in the US.“ Yumi said that LS was also eyeing East Europe, since electronics makers like Samsung and automotive maker Hyundai have set up factories in the region.

For a company that specialises in injection moulding machinery, the LGE150III all-electric injection blow moulding machine, is a surprise addition to LS’s portfolio. It was shown moulding yoghurt bottles from high impact polystyrene (HIPS) in a ten-cavity mould with turntable rotation time of 0.7 seconds, which is said to be 40% faster than a hydraulic machine.

Another model making its debut at the show was the LSV110 hybrid (electric injection and hydraulic clamping) vertical injection press. It was moulding a 30% glass fibre-reinforced PA66 component with a metal insert in a four-cavity mould and cycle time of 35 seconds.

Also new, the WIZ-500 two-platen injection machine employs cavity pressure and nozzle pressure sensors to optimise mould filling and saves cycle time due to the simultaneous charging and mould opening. Formerly the M550 model, it has been upgraded with new parts such as the servomotor in the clamping. It was moulding a 980 g PP container box in a cycle time of 35 seconds. With the addition of an Eco heater, the WIZ series claims energy savings of 40%-75% compared to standard hydraulic machines.

New all-electrics shown at Koplas include the LGE220III, exhibited moulding a multi-layer container in PP/EVOH with a co-injection system for the core and skin, in a cycle time of 20 seconds; the LGE850III, exhibited moulding a head lamp lens, and the LGE18III for small, precise parts like lenses and connectors.

A new application at LS’s booth was the back moulding of composite sheets, demonstrated using German materials supplier Lanxess’s Tepex material on a new servo-hydraulic WIZ-1300X machine. The Tepex glass-reinforced polyamide (PA) sheets are heated to 210-240°C using an infrared heater before a robot places the sheets in the mould for back-moulding with the nylon material to produce a side impact bar.

Also shown on the LGE80III model was a direct long fibre thermoplastics application.

Meanwhile, the LTE280 was shown moulding an 83-g cosmetic container in PETG material in a fourcavity tool and 40-second cycle time. “Since this type of container is normally thick, it requires a longer holding power. The toggle machine uses a servomotor to save energy and is better than a hydraulic type. The LTE is a kind of a hybrid machine,“ explained Yumi, adding that it was launched last year.

At Woojin Plaimm (formerly known as Woojin Selex)‘s booth, the emphasis was also on all-electrics and fast cycles. The all-electric two-platen DLE series is now available in a higher tonnage of 850 tonnes.

Woojin Plaimm’s electric machine

Other all-electrics were the TE150LSR, shown making connector seals, and the TE50L, making a camera lens in ABS resin for mobile phones. The VHA100RS 100-tonne vertical machine with rotary table is a new entrant. It boasts a lower height, for convenience.

According to the Manager of Overseas Business, Shin Young Cheol, Woojin has been well known for its hydraulic machinery and is now in the process of building up its all-electrics, ranging from 50-850 tonnes.

“All-electrics occupy 20% of our turnover.”

Also displayed was the DL650S two-platen hydraulic machine with servopumps, said to be Woojin’s “most sellable“, according to Shin. “There is no heater in the barrel for the mould controlling temperature.“ T h i s model was developed at its R&D centre in Austria where Woojin teamed up with German company Dorninger Hytronics and Austrian supplier B&R Automation to develop the latest technology.

Meanwhile, Woojin opened a new 700,000 sq m factory late last year, moving from Incheon in Seoul to 200 km south to Boeun, a city located in the centre of Korea with easy access to logistics and port facilities.

“We now have a capacity of 6,000 machines/year, from the 2,000 we were previously producing in Seoul,“ he said, adding that the facility has a casting plant and the capabilities to design machinery, and produce platens, and screws.

2

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 015

www.injectionmouldingasia.com

Injection Moulding Asia South Korean Machinery & Technology The higher capacity output has meant that Woojin is expanding its export markets. It has broadened its sales to Russia and Turkey, and opened offices in Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Poland and Egypt, in the last few years. “We currently export around US$40 million, one-fifth of our total output, but expect it will go up in the future.“

company intends to target its two-platen and allelectric machinery for the automotive market.

And while China still constitutes a major share of its sales, the company is spreading its wings to other countries like emerging markets in Southeast Asia and South America, said Yu. Meanwhile, to support its strong sales growth of 30% -40% last year, Yizumi is building a new facility in the Shunde Hi-tech Industrial Park. It intends to develop the HPM heavy-duty die casting machines, HPM presses and auxiliary automated equipment there. Yizumi purchased the intellectual property of US-based HPM Corporation when it went bankrupt in 2011.

Another company also situated in Guangdong, Huayan Precision Machinery expects further growth in South Korea, having sold ten PET preform injection moulding systems over the past few years, according to Louis Zhou from the International Business Department. The company, which is competing head on with US PET preform machine makers like Husky Injection Molding, boasts 128-cavity systems, two of which it has sold in Saudi Arabia, as well as 96-cavity moulds. It sold eight 96-cavity units in Turkey, recently, said Zhou.

While it may want to expand its market in South Korea, Zhou says the biggest market for its PET preform systems is still Indonesia, where the PET water bottle market is flourishing.

“We sold a 96-cavity system recently and have in the past also sold 48 and 72-cavity systems,“ he added.

Foreign machine makers make a foray n general, Chinese machine makers are on an aggressive path, contending that the South Korean market offers room for expansion since the quality of Chinese machinery has improved and prices are competitive.

Ningbo-headquartered Haitian International is one such company that is pushing its sales. Its representative company HT Korea’s Director KT Han says the company sold close to 480 machines last year and expects to reel in 600 this year. Its sales is supported by a team of service engineers and a warehouse-cum-R&D centre in Jecheon city that stocks machines, said Han.

I

Chinese machine maker Haitian’s representative company in South Korea HT Korea’s Director KT Han. He stands next to the Zeres machine

To make its claim in the all-electric market, Haitian was showing the Venus II series, available in clamping forces of 40-550 tonnes, boasting 5 0 % -70% lower energy use. It also had the Zhafir Zeres series, available in 40-230 tonnes, which features a core pull system, electric injection system and a new ejector with integrated hydraulics.

While Han contends that the South Korean market is competitive, he nevertheless says Haitian machinery is being applied by OEMs making parts for major electronic and automotive suppliers.

Meanwhile, Guangdong-based Yizumi is also pumping up its business in South Korea, having entered the market only three years ago, said Sales Manager Karen Yu. “We sold around 40-50 machines last year, so there is still room for growth.“ The

Huayan Precision Machinery expects further growth in South Korea for its PET preform systems

3 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 015

www.injectionmouldingasia.com