At the ARBURG Technology Days 2026, ELMET and ARBURG will present a groundbreaking joint development: the new SMARTshot i cold runner, in live operation for the first time on an electric ALLROUNDER 520 A. The cold runner is directly networked with the machine – a significant step towards future full integration, which both companies are currently working intensively on.
The technology will be demonstrated on a family mold with five cavities, each with different shot volumes. This application places the highest demands on precise filling balance. The SMARTshot i performs this task fully automatically thanks to integrated sensor technology: during the injection process, the thrust forces at the individual needle valves are recorded and transmitted to the ARBURG machine in real time. The cold runner then adaptively adjusts the needle positions – without manual intervention.
An outstanding USP of this new technology is the speed of the fully automatic self-balancing. In previous applications, the system was already fully balanced after approx. 20 - 30 shots – even on complex 16-cavity molds. Compared to classic filling studies, this represents an impressive time reduction of around 95%. This not only drastically shortens the run-in time, but also achieves process stability after a very short time.
Although full machine integration is still under development, the presentation impressively demonstrates the potential of the close cooperation between ELMET and ARBURG:
With SMARTshot i, both companies are demonstrating what modern LSR processing will look like in the future: intelligent, efficient, and seamlessly networked.
The 2026 Technology Days provide the perfect setting for this – and a highlight that shows where smart molding is headed.
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