Industry 4.0

Boy Sees Fall Rollout in U.S. for New XS E Injection Molding Machine

Boy’s new 10-ton (100-kN) XS E micromolding machine is planned to be available in the U.S. in the fall. Photos courtesy of Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG

Servo-powered hydraulic micromolding model saves energy, has faster molding speed than predecessor

Boy Machines Inc. plans to begin selling its latest injection molding machine, the 10-ton (100-kN) XS E, in the U.S. in October or November. Marko Koorneef, president of the German company’s U.S. operation in Exton, Pa., says the new machine differs from the predecessor XS in that it has an energy saving servo-driven hydraulic pump instead of a displacement pump, along with faster molding speed and smoother operation.

The German manufacturer, Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG, unveiled the XS E machine at K2022 last October. The servo drive is standard on all E-series machines, which range from 10 tons of clamping force to 127 tons (100 to 1,250 kN).

Two Platen Designs and a Height-Adjustable Injection Unit

The XS E features the new Procan ALPHA 6 whose capabilities include Industry 4.0 machine networking. The XS E features the new Procan ALPHA 6 whose capabilities include Industry 4.0 machine networking.

The XS E comes with two platen configurations: a standard design for mold sizes up to 160mm (diagonally up to 205mm clear space between the tiebars) and a 75 by 75mm mold holder for micromolds. The model additionally has a 25mm height-adjustable injection unit for decentralized injection. 

The machine has a cooling water-distribution system with digital flow measurement, which will be standard on all BOY injection machines. The water-distribution system, developed by BOY, can be equipped with an optional temperature recording capability. Cooling data can also be recorded in the process data collection function of the control system.

Other features include space-saving integration of sprue and removal pickers under a protective housing and rear part removal and transport. The XS E machine is designed to be more ergonomic and service-friendly than the XS, and to allow greater accessibility.

New Control Works With Industry 4.0 Networking

Also new is the Procan ALPHA 6 control with upgraded and intuitive touchscreen operation. The ALPHA 6 is equipped with new functions, such as an individually adjustable widget library and modified presentation of the symbols on the interface. Users of previous BOY controls won’t have problems working with the ALPHA 6, the company says, because the basic concept of operation is maintained. Previous data sets from the predecessor Procan ALPHA 4 are transferrable to the ALPHA 6.

Other control features include a more powerful CPU with 50 percent faster refresh rate; improved MES functions; optional OPC UA machine protocol server package which improves networked connectivity of the injection machine, a major part of Industry 4.0 capability; position sensors with registration accuracy 10 times greater than before; doubling of temperature control accuracy and tighter tolerance readings; and improved constancy of cycle time with tolerance deviation of less than 10 milliseconds.

By Pat Toensmeier | August 7, 2023