This is my 1995 BOY 22M Plastic
Injection Machine along with my 2007 BOY 90M in back.
The shop was finished on 2006 after a year of hard work. I run my own 3
phase conversion, which part of the controls can be seen on the wall to
the right. Each machine has it's own chiller and temperature control
unit to monitor the mold and hydraulic fluid temperatures perfectly
throughout a run. Also, I have a dryer/hopper to remove moisture from
the plastic before loading to the machines. Consistancy is the key.
When others say they can machine plastic parts using a milling machine,
they aren't getting the accuracy that is needed. Plastic will expand
and contract very quickly and all elements need to be controlled. There
is only one way to accurately make plastic parts and that is on an
injection machine. Don't be fooled by others that don't even make their
own product.
This is the 22 Ton machine showing the mold base which makes the E36
seat gears. The hoses on top are the cooling lines for the moving side
of the mold. They keep the temperature of the mold at 180 degrees when
injecting the glass filled Delrin. Each injection process will flow
plastic at 400 degrees. With a closed loop system with the chiller, the
mold can be kept within +/- 1 degree of the target. The cooling lines
on the stationary side are not connected but would be if a run was
being made. This mold base weighs about 600 lbs.
This is the moldbase which makes the Mercedes Benz wiper assembly gear.
The black box on top is called corepull. This is a hydraulic activated
valve that will pull the center plate in and out of the mold. This
allows the gear to be injected inside the metal mold base and still be
able to eject the part when pulled open. This moldbase is 23 inches
deep by 16.75 inches wide. It weighs about 1400 lbs. This is why I use
the 2 ton gantry around the machine. To make this moldbase, it took
around 6 months of planning, designing and building. I don't just wing
a part. Everything is very calculated and researched.
If you want a tour of the shop and a free fishing trip on the
Chesapeake Bay, just give me a call anytime. If I can do it, I will.
Thanks for looking.
Jeff Caplan
Owner and Operator
Odometer Gears Ltd
757-593-3478