Horizontal injection molding machine IMC

hydraulicelectricfor long fiber reinforced thermoplastics

Overview
The Injection Molding Compounder from IMC Technology integrates continuous compounding based on extrusion with discontinuous injection molding. The system enables inline compounding inside the injection molding cycle for a wide range of compounds, reducing material handling and offering significant material-cost savings. A material accumulator decouples the continuous extrusion flow from the injection/holding phases, while a transfer valve and the ShotPot concept manage transfer and shot formation.

Key features

• Inline compounding combined with injection molding (continuous extrusion + discontinuous injection)
• Modular twin‑screw extruder design configurable to specific applications
• Material accumulator to temporarily store melt during injection and holding phases
• Transfer valve separating low‑pressure extruder side and high‑pressure shot pot during injection
• ShotPot injection unit enabling combined transfer of fresh and stored melt for consistent shot formation
• Suitable for almost all compounds, including filled and fiber‑reinforced materials

Benefits

• Reduced material procurement and handling costs
• On‑demand formulation and inline customization of material properties
• Sustainable, material‑friendly production by replacing multi‑stage workflows
• Protection of formulation know‑how through integrated processing

Process components and technologies

• Twin‑screw extruder for compounding: co‑ or counter‑rotating options, modular process units, high melting and compounding performance
• Gravimetric single‑component dosing (loss‑in‑weight): precise feed for matrix, fillers and reinforcements; dosing unit matched to raw material types
• Material accumulator: interface between continuous extrusion and discontinuous injection; optimized flow channels; can be integrated into machine control or run independently
• ShotPot injection unit: piston‑based injection (instead of screw) with wide shot weight range, consistent shot control and high stroke utilisation
• Fully integrated control system synchronising dosing, extrusion, accumulator and injection with injection moulding process control

Applications / Use cases

• Inline compounding where integration reduces material handling and costs in injection moulding production
• Processing filled and reinforced compounds including fibre‑reinforced and lightweight materials
• Rapid change of formulations or on‑demand customization of part material properties

Technical specifications

• Function: Inline compounding + injection molding (IMC)
• Extruder: Modular twin‑screw design, configured per application
• Accumulator: Temporary melt storage to decouple continuous and discontinuous processes
• Transfer system: Transfer valve separating low‑pressure extruder side and high‑pressure shot pot during injection/holding
• Dosing: Gravimetric single‑component (loss‑in‑weight) dosing for precise feed of matrix, fillers and reinforcements
• Injection: ShotPot / piston‑based injection unit (wide shot weight range, high consistency)
• Integration: System fully integrable into machine control for synchronised operation
• Material scope: Suitable for almost all compounds, including fibre‑reinforced materials
• Main benefits: Material cost savings, customizable material properties, sustainable inline process, replacement of multi‑stage workflows