BOY has it in hand – Tool-Bits integrated in the injection-moulded handle

The production of a practical T-handle with Bits at K 2022 illustrates BOY's high capability in the overmoulding of insert components. At the BOY trade fair booth (Hall 13 / booth A 43), Universal-Bit-holders to hold the tool-Bits are overmoulded with glass-fibre-reinforced Polyamide to create an easy-to-hold handle on a BOY 35 E VV.

The special feature of this trade fair application is the individual selection of different Bits. At an input terminal, the visitor can select two pairs from the bits offered, which are then inserted into the injection-moulded T-handle by a Pick-and-Place-system.

The BOY injection moulding machine presented on the trade fair also includes the in-house developed BOY LR 5 linear-handling-system, which is integrated in a space-saving manner in the longitudinal direction on the rear machine table of the BOY 35 E VV. The gripper of the BOY LR 5 removes a Bit-holder from a feed unit and inserts it into the opened mould. After the two-platen clamping unit with a fixed lower platen has been closed, 42.5 g of plastic (PA6CF10) is injected via a hot runner. The metal part, overmoulded with a handle, is removed from the BOY LR 5 and then placed on a cooling station. A cooled down T-handle is then transferred by the BOY LR 5 to an automatic Pick-and-Place system. Here, the Bits ordered by the visitor are inserted into the four hexagonal openings of the handle. The T-handle equipped with Bits is then supplied to „its orderer“ with the BOY LR 5 linear handling system via a conveyor belt.

This application combines the compact BOY 35 E VV insert moulding machine, the tailor-made automation solutions and the input terminal in a compact footprint. Due to the increasing connectivity of injection moulding machines, such complex Industry 4.0 applications can be impressively realised.