Austria's z-Werkzeugbau shows demoulding in four directions

Z-slide is used for production of more precise bands in tamper-evident closures, achieving this with movement actuated by the ejector moving in the machine direction. Parts are demoulded in four directions. Cooling is faster than in conventional moulds, with 30 to 40% less mould cooling water use, resulting in faster cycle time and more cost-effective moulding than when demoulding in two directions.

Mould wear is reduced due to the absence of moving plates and stacks not having slide units so that moulds can contain more cavities, the company said.

Despite greater complexity, z-Slide moulds do not require an electronic control system and weigh 20% less than conventional moulds while enabling greater part design freedom. Designed as a modular system with interchangeable stacks, they only need 15 minutes to demount and remount cavity inserts, as opposed to 15 hours, the company claims. Key account and project manager Stefan Dünser said this is because "only four screws need to be unscrewed and screwed."

Energy consumption is around 20% lower, as injection moulding machines with lower clamping force can be used for the particularly compact and low weight moulds, also as the slides do not require mechanical force for their operation.

Other mould solutions from the company are its z-Cube horizontally rotating stack moulds.

Examples of closures produced on z-Werkzeugbau tools at Drinktec included the XO resealable beverage can end, designed and first produced in 2014 by XOlution GmbH in Munich. The key element in XO resealable can ends is the plastic closure with an integrated opening and closing strap that slides backward for drinking and forward for closing.

Karlsbad, Germany-based ultrasonic welding equipment producer Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik (Hall A4, Booth 4108) has revealed that Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co. KG assembles the XO can end in Austria with a Hermann ultrasonic system. This connects inside and outside plastic sliders together in a two-stage process that ends with staking the tamper-proof opening.

Z-Werkzeugbau counts Universal Closures Ltd. among its reference customers as a closure moulder using z-Slide moulds to produce caps for soft drink companies.

Z-Werkzeugbau also is proud of its Easyopen cap with an integrated lever, designed by Capartis AG in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, for Austrian brewery Mohrenbrauerei August Huber. Mohren is first in Austria to fill beer in PET bottles, while the reclosable tamper-proof EasyCap works on both glass and beer bottles.