Forward Technology, Cokato, Minnesota, a manufacturer of standard and custom plastic welding equipment and testing systems, has announced the introduction of a dual-axis servo spin welder designed for a wide range of injection molded applications that require high rotational power and the highest degree of vertical and rotational precision. The company also announced enhancements for its industry-leading linear vibration welder for a range of large injection molded parts.
The new HD2X-OSW servo spin welder provides excellent rotational and vertical positioning, along with 24″ of stroke (weld height range). This large range allows for simple push-button recipe changes when switching from tall to short tools, or vice versa, without manually adjusting the head’s vertical position. The spin welder orients part halves relative to each other with rotational tolerance accuracy of ± 0.1 degree and provides a finished vertical weld tolerance of ± 0.002″.
The 600 lbs of press force gives process engineers plenty of head room when designing spin weld applications, including those with difficult-to-weld materials and large diameters. “The new HD2X-OSW spin welder combines precision and versatility, thus making it suitable for large and small applications alike,” said Brett Raisanen, general manager of Forward Technology.
The HD2X-OSW comes with an upgraded Allen-Bradley package, which allows for robust controls and a range of opportunities for customization and automation, along with statistical process control (SPC) options and other networking advantages.
When compared to other orienting or non-orienting models, the dual-servo system allows precise control of welding depth (collapse or absolute distance with an accuracy of ± 0.002″) and enables synchronization of vertical and rotational movement to optimize the weld process. The full servo control also allows for setting a recipe adjustable load position, reducing the stroke during each cycle and saving valuable cycle time.
Meanwhile, Forward Technology has upgraded its DLVW-4848-LX vibration welder with an enhanced drive for additional analytical options. The unit uses synchronized heads to provide substantial amounts of weld force and is capable of welding parts up to 48×48″ or multiple smaller parts. The patented two-pole digital (servo) drive technology allows vastly improved process control while substantially increasing the available power.
The DLVW-4848-LX is particularly suited for welding of large automotive parts such as intake manifolds, instrument panels and engine covers, along with plastic pallets for the transportation and logistics industries. In the fast-growing plastic pallet industry, the vibration welder is an effective alternative to hot plate systems, offering significant cycle time reductions. As a standard benefit with all Forward Technology equipment, these large welders can be integrated into automated systems for further labor reduction and increased throughput.
For more information, visit www.forwardtech.com.
