Silver Manufacturing and Processing Machinery Design · 2023
Nexcell Orbit RX Industry Product
by King Steel Machinery Co., Ltd.
- A' Design Award 2023 Silver Winner in Manufacturing and Processing Machinery Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: King Steel Machinery CO., LTD
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 796,980
- Verification code F128A42CA7 · Verify this award
About Nexcell Orbit RX Industry Product
Nexcell Orbit RX is a physical foaming elastomer injection molding machine developed for footwear midsole production. The machine mixes supercritical gas with plastic and forms parts by injection molding, so chemical foaming is avoided and the material can be fully recycled. Two trays and twin guns allow several production modes within a limited factory area. The enclosure uses coated sheet metal in white and blue with an integrated warning light. Side and rear entrances ease mold changes, cleaning and routine maintenance.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- At present, most of the footwear industry uses EVA foam as the material for the midsole. However, its chemical foaming will bring problems such as harmful gas generated during decomposition, materials that cannot be recycled, complicated manufacturing processes, and the size of the finished product that is not easy to control. NexCell was successfully developed to make lighter shoes that could solve environmental pollution and meet consumers psychological expectations at the same time.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Orbit RX color continues to use comfortable and stable white as the base, with the brand spirit of blue, presenting a sense of technology and integrating the warning light function to show precision, reliability, professionalism, technology, and vitality. The rear side of the machine adopts a modular enclosure design with a laser-cut mesh window design of the brand logo to enhance brand recognition and facilitate heat dissipation, monitoring, and safety protection functions, further enhancing competitiveness.
- Tags
- Flexible, Multi-station, Multi-mode, Dual-tray, Multi-tray
- Production Technology
- Precision machines require rugged enclosures and shock and impact resistance for durability. Orbit RX internal ejector unit and mixer continue the generation of NexCell linear shield design to prevent dust. Meanwhile, the side and rear entrances of the machine are convenient for staff to enter the machine for material/mold replacement, routine maintenance, and cleaning. Furthermore, the machine is protected by black sheet metal coating, which conveys a sense of stability and reliability while avoiding damage to the exterior from scratches and bumps.
- Design Challenge
- It can also achieve low power consumption and time-saving in the process. The design team has introduced the exclusive AI KS-GATEWAY to provide the most impartial data on machine operation and remote operation, which is the perfect solution for production needs.
In the future, Orbit RX will not only be used in the footwear industry. but also in sports protective equipment, IC packaging, transportation, and other fields that require foaming elastomer. - Project Duration
- The project was exhibited in Taiwan in September 2020.
- Operation Flow
- Orbit RX can reduce the amount of equipment investment and increase the use of factory space through a new process with two twin guns and a multi-mode multi-station with trays for the same process and the same output.
- Research
- The shoe industry currently uses EVA for the midsole, but the raw material is not strong enough and can only be achieved by other materials or chemical foaming. However, the greenhouse gases generated during the process are the main environmental damage.
For this reason, Orbit RX physical foam injection system uses supercritical gas to mix with plastic and then produce the product by injection molding. It has three main features: environmental protection, recyclable products, and high automation, and the material can be 100% recycled for sustainable use. - Inspiration
- NexCell Orbit RX is one of the few physical foaming elastomer injectors in the market that can be introduced into mass production, and it is a brand new model based on the previously developed NexCell machine. With the development of the physical foaming elastomer injector, Orbit RX can effectively reduce the production cost and provide the best stability, performance, and productivity. By linking different processes through two trays, it provides multiple production modes to meet the different needs of the product. Combined with the physical foaming system, it provides the best physical foaming elastomer injector mass production option.
- Image Credits
- King Steel Machinery Co., Ltd.