Wickert Maschinenbau to demonstrate injection molding alternatives at DKT

Landau/Pfalz, Germany – Exhibiting at DKT, Wickert Maschinenbau will demonstrate how high-quality elastomer molded parts can be produced economically in both, large and small volumes. With its elastomer presses, which according to the company are among the leading technologies worldwide, it targets a wide spectrum of users, including producers of micro and precision parts, manufacturers of thin-walled or large-volume components, and manufacturers of clean room pharmaceutical products.
Wickert supplies customized, fully automated press systems for Compression Molding (CM), Transfer Molding (TM) and Injection Transfer Molding (ITM) processes. Moreover, its range of products and services includes component development, concept and feasibility studies along with overall planning that includes automation and general contracting.
The machine manufacturer will be showcasing some examples of its products and press concepts at DKT from June 27 to 30 in Nuremberg, Germany, in Hall 9, Booth 9-405.
In addition, Managing Director Stefan Herzinger will give a presentation entitled “Premium Presses for Premium Applications” on Tuesday, June 29 from 2:00 – 2:15 pm. It will take place in the DKT Forum in exhibition hall 8.
Wickert ranks among its competitive advantages top positions in precision and pharmaceutical presses and in vacuum chamber technology, often required for rubber processing in clean rooms. The presses of the German manufacturer located in the Rhineland Palatinate region also feature highly homogeneous temperature distribution on the hot plate surface coupled with exceptionally high precision in terms of plane parallelism and flatness. For this reason, the machine manufacturer defines itself as a performance leader for elastomer processing in presses.
Compression presses for parts with both, thick and thin walls
Compression molding presses are ideal for producing large-format molded parts made of silicone or cellular rubber. They can achieve absolutely homogeneous vulcanization, maximum dimensional accuracy and the finest surface finishes.
Even for very thin-walled components and intricate products such as membranes with fabric inserts, compression molding is a process-reliable and dimensionally stable fabrication method.
For high-volume production of small and micro precision parts, Wickert commonly recommends TM presses in addition to CM presses. Transfer molds have the advantage that items can be produced on the basis of direct gating and thus high injection pressure. This allows molds with sometimes many hundreds of cavities to be reliably processed.
The relative proportion of waste, especially in cold runner transfer, is minimal.
Large parts in volumes of more than 100 liters can also be produced economically in transfer presses. Short runners can also be used here to produce high-quality parts with extremely narrow tolerances with reproducibility.
Generally, Wickert advises using a vacuum chamber when working with molds with multiple cavities. Also, for many high-value pharmaceutical rubber parts, a vacuum chamber or a press integrated in the clean room is an essential requirement. One example is rubber vaccine stoppers for COVID vaccines.
In 2021, the Wickert clean room pharmaceutical presses used to manufacture them were in high demand worldwide among mechanical engineering companies. The boom was instrumental in the family-owned company recording both the highest sales and the highest order intake in its history in the 120th year of operations. In the first four months of the current year, this positive trend has continued, with Wickert again recording a high number of incoming orders.