| On
the recent global trends in injection moulding machinery (IMM)…
Plastics have become an indispensable material for modern
industrial products. It is used in all kinds of products and
can be found everywhere in our daily lives, like in IT devices,
office supplies, appliances, optical instruments, medical
equipment, automotives, and household goods. Although there
are many ways to mould plastics, injection moulding has become
a mainstream method due to its suitability in manufacturing
high-precision and high-quality products. Moreover, this method
allows the raw materials to be quickly moulded into the desired
form (product) in a single process and has the added advantage
of helping make compact and lightweight products. Plastic
also excels in saving energy costs and reducing environmental
loads.
Today, globalisation is shaping the trends in manufacturing
more than ever before. More industrial products are being
manufactured in different areas in the world and distributed
to enrich our lives. Nissei has been making the efforts to
build technologies & systems to meet the diverse needs
and expectations in
the industry worldwide to ensure higher reliability, safety
and environmental adaptability.
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On the injection moulding
market in Asia and India…
The plastics industry has seen a drastic change in the recent
times, with a lot of ups and downs to its credit. Apart from
our thriving domestic market, the main target for industrial
machine manufacturers like us has always been China and other
ASEAN countries. The market in India has always been growing,
but the recent shift in economic trends is a sign of worry
for manufacturers like us. The investments made by companies
are going down, and this has had an adverse effect on the
manufacturing front. Our two growth-driving sectors, viz,
automotives and IT have gone down in India, and this indicates
grey shades in an otherwise stable economy. The IT and automotive
industries each account for about 35 per cent of our market
share. And since these industries are experiencing a global
slowdown today, injection-moulding companies like us are facing
testing times. However, the pharmaceutical and packaging industry
are doing well, and these have shown positive growth signs
in recent times. This augurs well for us because medical plastics
comprise 5-8 per cent of our total market share.
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The
legacy of Nissei over the years…
Nissei has already embarked on full-scale production &
sales of IMM since 1957. At the dawn of the plastics industry
in Japan, we developed horizontal injection moulding machines
using our original technology, which led to the creation of
our special-purpose machines, like 2-colour & blow moulding
machines, and the invention of
hybrid machines. In 1960, we exported AU-1 Type (the first
machine sold outside Japan) to the US and our legacy continues
till today. In January 2006, we became the first company to
achieve cumulative sales of 1,00,000 injection-moulding machines.
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On Nissei’s product portfolio…
Nissei offers complete support for injection moulding and has
been actively involved in researching and developing new materials.
For instance, we have invented a new high-functional composite
material made of carbon nanotubes and resin. This technology
was developed by adopting ‘The carbon nanofibre-based
composite material project’ that was conducted by Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in Japan as an integral
part of its ‘Focus 21 Project’. The R&D of ‘nanotechnology’
that was conducted by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology-Japan) as part of its ‘Intellectual
Cluster Creation Project’ also played an important role
in this developmental process, combined with our core technologies
accumulated over many years of experience as an injection moulding
machine manufacturer. High-performance properties (strength,
conductibility, thermal conductivity, sliding property, etc),
which cannot be achieved by resins, can be added to the material,
thus expanding its potential in many fields, like automotive
parts, electronics, office supplies, precision instruments,
medical equipment, among others.
Moreover, Nissei has been pioneering a new century of technology
by researching new materials based on wood and lightweight metal
alloys for practical use as well as developing recycling technology.
Being in tune with industrial trends, Nissei can quickly respond
to customers with optimum moulding solutions. We can build
total injection moulding systems that are the most efficient
and economical in all aspects, like materials, moulds, moulding
method, and production systems.
Nissei’s presence
in India…
We have already sold more than 200 specialised machines in
India. Automotives has always been our biggest market in India,
and we have been selling specialised vertical- and 2-colour
machines for quite some time. These machines do not have many
competitors in India. So far we have only served specialised
machines in India, as the automotive industry is ready to
pay the price for it. The injection-moulding market in India
is price-competitive, and that is why we are concentrating
more on specialised machines for the Indian automotive and
IT industry.
On the recent advent
of hybrid machines from Nissei…
Nissei has been manufacturing hybrid machines since a long
time now. We have numerous patents in this arena, and this
initiative has been appreciated globally. The performance
of these machines is similar to electric in terms of injection
speeds and energy conservation. The maintenance of this equipment
is easier as compared to electric machines. There are various
technologies in this arena that are exclusively offered by
Nissei and there is no competition to these technologies.
Your
recent launches at the International Plastics Fair (IPF) 2008…
Our premium launches at the IPF were injection moulding machines
that were displayed under various themes like high-quality,
energy saving, and environmental compatibility centered on
hybrid-type machines using the X Pump. Our other exhibits
included next-generation composite materials, and quality
& production monitoring systems.
The NPX7-1F hybrid-type ultra-compact injection moulding machine
with a clamping force of 69 KN (7 tonne) is equipped with
the X Pump and is used for moulding small precision parts.
Nissei Plastic commands in excess of a 40 per cent market
share in Japan for machines for moulding precision parts with
clamping forces ranging from 1-19 tonne, and is one of our
strongest areas. The PNX40-5A hybrid-type is equipped with
the X Pump and with clamping force of 405 KN (40 tonne) that
has been modified especially for the moulding of VOLTIGA next-generation
composite materials. The key characteristic of Nissei’s
hybrid-type moulding machines is the Hybrid X Pump system
that adopts the innovative X Pump system. This system combines
servomotor drive technology and hydraulic drive technology,
as the driving source for the injection moulding machine and
it is completely different from standard hybrid systems. FNX80-9ALM
hybrid-type is especially for moulding of liquid silicone
rubber (LSR). The features of this machine include utmost
energy-conservation potential, reduced material loss due to
reduction in purged material during production shutdown, and
flashless moulding of liquid silicone rubber. NEX15-1FN hydraulic
servo-type compact precision injection moulding machine with
clamping force of 147 KN (15 tonne) using hydraulic servovalve
control and is designed for moulding of ultra-fine precision
components as typified by fine pitch connectors. The injection
mechanism is equipped with a fast response hydraulic servo
valve, while the clamping mechanism is toggle type and capable
of fast-moulding cycles with the adoption of a servomotor.
This hybrid moulding machine exhibits its power in small capacity
moulding, thin-wall moulding, and moulding variable thickness
parts based on its low inertia and fast response that are
not achievable with an all-electric moulding machine.
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Your
views on energy conservation issues…
We at Nissei always believe that increasing efficiency is
the key to energy conservation. Loss-prevention from machine
stops are pivotal, and reducing runners & product ejection
errors can save a lot of time and energy. One of the key factors
to avoid intermittent stops is to do daily and scheduled preventive
maintenance on the moulds & robots thoroughly. Shortening
the machine cycles can reduce the power consumption per product
and achieve faster production speeds. This also helps to reduce
the amount of direct & indirect energy consumptions. Reducing
the thickness and weight of the products leads to decreasing
the amount of raw material per product, which in turn reduces
the required calories on each product. This will increase
quality, cycle, and yield, while also helping conserve energy.
On Nissei’s future
plans…
There is a concerted effort towards manufacturing cheaper
equipment for developing economies. We are also concentrating
on carbon nanotube (CNT) materials with an emphasis on their
good electric conductivity. These materials have very low-sliding
resistance and exhibit good mechanical strengths. CNT has
major applications in automotive fuel tanks due to their high
anti-static properties. These materials help cut down on the
weights in automotives, which in turn allow greater fuel efficiency
which existing plastic materials are not capable of reaching.
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"Increasing
efficiency is the key to energy conservation"
