The eco-design of the new machine reduces the environmental impact of industrial elastomer moulding activities
Always attentive to the development of new technologies, IMG is characterised by a strong innovative character that has led it to embrace the Industry 4.0 model in the last few years. The company, based in Capriano del Colle in the province of Brescia, Italy’s leading manufacturer of elastomer and thermoset injection moulding machines, has equipped itself with all the technologies required to obtain the “Industry 4.0 compliant” certification, enabling a data management, analysis and monitoring model to increase levels of operational efficiency (OEE) and awareness in its customers’ strategic decisions.
That’s because innovating, nowadays, means focusing not only on internal technological development, but also on customer needs, accompanying them towards virtuous technological choices. IMG stands out for its constant attention to market needs, offering products that are highly customisable on the basis of specific requirements, as well as a series of value-added services for the maintenance and overhaul of the machines, including a dedicated service to make them technologically up-to-date and compliant with current safety regulations.
IMG is investing considerable sums in R&D for the environmental protection, both at product and process level, from the design and prototyping of low-impact machines to the critical study of environmental performance through specific analyses which aim to identify and quantify the ecological footprint.
A recent example is the new REM 300, a full-electric injection moulding machines that cuts consumption by 20% compared to a hydraulic machine. The REM 300 runs without hydraulic oil and and thanks to its electronic setup, promotes less production waste and less unevenness, for a significantly higher performance in mould quality.
Launched on the market at the end of 2022, this revolutionary machine, designed with advanced ecodesign, was the subject of a study assessing the potential environmental impacts associated with its entire life cycle. The study was carried out by Spinlife, a spin-off of the University of Padua, and Warrant Innovation Lab.
All its production stages were considered for the analysis: the extraction and production of raw materials, the production of energy and fuels, up to the final packaging. The processing of components, internal transport, assembly of the finished product, emissions, waste and the use of energy and fuels were also taken into account. Lastly, the use phase of the machinery, its maintenance, disassembly and end-of-life.
The result, in a nutshell, indicates that in the climate change category, the REM 300 is 9% less impactful than the traditional GUM machine.
A confirmation of the goodness of the project, given that the REM 300 has been designed with a green perspective: to guarantee a reduction in energy consumption, thanks to “plug and play”, electricity is switched on only when actually needed. This translates into a more virtuous circle of electrical expenditure, as well as a hoped-for reduction in production costs.
A technology that, unlike in the plastic world, did not exist in the rubber world. A paradigm shift that IMG is maturing towards sustainability: an evolved vision that finds concrete expression in a product with truly revolutionary features, now proven.
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