Completely integrated manufacturing cells and other plastics molding machinery will be in full-scale operation at NPE 2015. Planned for March 23-27 at the Orlando County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., the five-day trade show and conference —organized by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association — is expected to be the largest ever.

Among the exhibitors demonstrating full-scale operations are:

• Absolute Haitian: four injection-molding machines, including an all-electric unit for cap and closure production.
• Branson Ultrasonic: at least 21 fully operating materials assembly stations, including infrared, ultrasonic, vibration, laser and spin welders.
• Engel: eight molding cells, including one that uses a vertical-insert molding machine with a multi-axis industrial robot and infrared oven. With that system, which was developed with ZF-Friedrichshafen, a continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic semi-finished product known as thermoplastic fabric will be heated, preformed in a mold and immediately overmolded with polyamide.
• KraussMaffei Group: a process combining injection-molding and thermoforming of composite sheets, among other systems.
• Sumitomo (SHI) Demag: nine machines, including one with which the company will attempt to beat the world’s speed record for the production of water bottle caps (pictured). The machine will be running a 96-cavity hot runner mold.
• Wittmann Battenfeld: fully integrated, turnkey injection molding cells.

Learn more about NPE at www.npe.org.