Containing 30% food-grade rPET from bottle recycling, they already meet the 2030 targets of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and are fully recyclable. At the heart of the production cell is an all-electric ENGEL e-motion 420 injection moulding machine with 4200 kN clamping force, equipped with a stack mould from Plastisud. ENGEL achieves highperformance thin-wall injection moulding of PET using injection-compression moulding technology – all-electric, energy-efficient, material-saving and ready for full-scale production.
Product requirements
Producing thin-wall cups places high demands on injection moulding technology, especially when processing challenging materials such as PET and rPET. At the show, ENGEL presents a foodcontact application that uses a material blend of 70% virgin PET from Novapet and 30% rPET regranulate supplied by NGR, based in Feldkirchen, Austria. NGR, a specialist in advanced plastics recycling technologies, has processed and pelletised the rPET flakes using liquid-state polycondensation to make them suitable for food contact. Polytainers, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is a specialist in high-quality rigid packaging solutions and, with extensive experience and expertise in design and moulding, is responsible for manufacturing these cups for a global brand owner.
These cups are a prime example of how regulatory requirements can be implemented at an early stage through a forward-looking packaging concept. At K 2025, ENGEL uses this application to demonstrate the entire circular economy cycle – from the cup production within the ENGEL manufacturing cell to the preparation of the input material and the subsequent recycling process carried out by NGR.
All-electric high-performance injection moulding
The all-electric e-motion 420 produces twelve cups per cycle, each weighing ten grams, in just five seconds. With this application, ENGEL demonstrates that rPET can also be processed electrically in high-performance scenarios – enabling an efficient, precise and sustainable manufacturing method.
The newly developed 2465 high-performance injection unit increases injection speed to 500 mm/s – almost 67% faster than standard solutions. At the same time, ENGEL has significantly enhanced the system’s dynamics. This boost in performance not only makes electric processing of the application technically feasible in the first place, but also shortens cycle times considerably. A dosing drive with a screw circumferential speed of 1 m/s and a PET-optimised screw ensure gentle material processing and a homogeneous melt, even under high-performance conditions. Improved accessibility for maintenance and servicing further increases overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
The new iQ weight control plus digital assistance system analyses the injection process in real time – even at these high speeds – and automatically adjusts the switchover point and holding pressure for every shot. Depending on the selected setting, the system operates either speed- or pressurecontrolled, based on just two input values.
