ENGEL and Glassomer to develop glass injection molding

The Austrian companies ENGEL and the German company Glassomer will jointly develop new glass injection molding applications. To this end, the enterprises signed a cooperation agreement. For co-development and customer orders, ENGEL supplied Glassomer with an injection molding machine designed for this application.

Glassomer from Freiburg, Germany, was founded as a start-up in 2018 and specializes in the production of quartz glass suitable for injection molding and premium glass products. “This technology offers huge potential, especially for the optical, medical, solar, chemical and automotive sectors.

Our goal is to unleash this potential,” says Clemens Kastner, Technology Manager at ENGEL. “Together with Glassomer, we are making it easier for manufacturers to get started with this new technology and paving the way for high-volume mass production. Glassomer materials can be processed by injection molding. In doing so, it is important that the injection molding machines meet the stringent requirements for precision.”

The material, developed and patented by Glassomer, is fed in the form of granules, just like in plastic injection molding. It is a mixture of glass and plastic that can be recycled by injection molding at 130°C and a cycle time of less than 20 seconds. After casting, the plastic is removed from the joint. Products are sintered, while maintaining the exact geometry of the product down to microstructures. Using this technology, premium optical products can be produced without post-processing.

Maximum precision to create the finest structures

Glass casting typically requires very high temperatures and toxic chemicals. Injection molding is a much more energy-efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Another benefit of glass injection molding is increased flexibility in product design. When casting, products of almost any shape can be produced in a short time, which is impossible using standard glass processing technology.

ENGEL and Glassomer are working together to commercialize glass injection molding technology. The first series production has already started at the new Glassomer plant in Freiburg.

In order to meet the strictest precision requirements, also in the field of microtechnology, ENGEL supplied Glassomer with a fully electric e-motion 50 TL machine with an integrated viper linear robot in a "clean room" version.

Enormous potential for microfluidic, sensor and optical systems

The joint developments between the two companies are based on ENGEL's know-how and many years of experience in the field of optics and micro-molding. The e-motion TL series of machines was originally developed for the production of polycarbonate and cycloolefin copolymer smartphone camera lenses and is widely used in this field.

“Light sources produced for optical products are becoming ever smaller, which means ever higher radiation intensity, and this in turn requires the production of lens microstructures from glass with high chemical and thermal stability,” says Clemens Kastner, explaining ENGEL’s commitment to developing equipment for glass casting.

The developments of ENGEL and Glassomer are mainly focused on the production of lenses for smartphone cameras with very high resolution, as well as sensors, for example, for cars. In addition, glass injection molding in the field of microfluidics and the creation of laboratories on a chip offers great potential in combining the highest possible precision molding with high cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness.

Source: https://plastinfo.ru/