The toolmaker Siebenwurst uses injection molding simulation to optimize part design and production processes in its routine workflows. Among other things, Simcon’s software ensures the quality and dimensional accuracy of the plastic frame for the first series-produced injection molded e-bike.

Controlling Complex Development and Manufacturing Processes, Using Simulation

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Composite-Halbzeuge

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

A Bike Frame from an Injection  Molding Machine

Once again, the K 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany, lived up to its claim to be the leading trade show for plastics technology. At least in the field of injection molding, there were exciting global innovations to see – if you looked closely.

Injection Molding Trends at K 2019

Schaumspritzgießen

Smart Factory

Energieeffizienz

Mikrospritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Spritzgießmaschinen

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

Automatisierungstechnik

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrieroboter

Montagetechnik

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Montage-Spritzgießen

Knickarmroboter

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

The consumables required for In-vitro diagnostics are manufactured in a production process that is subject to high requirements in terms of precision and quality, but also the complex cleanroom manufacturing environment. This has implications for the entire plant technology – especially toolmaking.

Strategic Approach through Classification according to Product Groups

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Medizinprodukte

Medizintechnik

Mold Platforms for IVD Consumables

In plastics processing, efficient production methods are required, especially for articles with high volumes and exacting quality requirements, and these must be constantly optimized. The container specialist Walther Faltsysteme has been successfully working together with the Austrian moldmaker Haidlmair for many years.

Walther Faltsysteme Combines Three Mold Technologies from the Haidlmair Group

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

Paletten und Behälter

Logistik

Verpackungstechnik

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

With Broad Sword and Data Collector

Electrical components are made from conductive and nonconductive materials. Pressure of competition makes it necessary to reduce the number of components and work steps and to streamline assembly. The moldmaker Mühlbeyer uses a hybrid technology for manufacturing stators and rotors, in which the contact material and plastic are permanently bonded in one production step.

Overmolding as a Prerequisite for Cost-Efficient, High-Quality Electric Motors

Elektromotoren

Antriebe

Injection Molds for Insulating  Stators and Rotors

Over past months, many in-house workflows and development processes have slowed down and also changed. Nevertheless, time has not stood still, also not in injection molding technology. The debate and development have been shaped by two themes: digitalization and the circular economy. Below are some examples of developments and projects that underpin this trend.

Innovative Injection Molding in Times of Pandemic

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

Folientechnik (IMD, IML, FIM, u.a.)

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Biokunststoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Lasermarkieren

Oberflächentechnik

Laserbearbeitungen

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Kreislaufwirtschaft

There Is More beyond the Horizon

Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences has succeeded in developing an injection mold that does not require conventional liquid-based temperature control. Heat equalization is effected by means of heat pipes instead. Mold design and heat-pipe selection are based on the outcome of thermal simulations, which yield reliable results thanks to an unconventional approach. 

Simulating Heat Flow in Injection Molds with Heat Pipes 

Prozesssimulation

Kupfer

Temperiertechnik

"No Cool" Molds, Properly Simulated 

To be able to cost efficiently design complex molds, e. g. for BMC components, it is essential to take into account the mold cooling. Thus, the mold costs increase in a linear relationship with the number of heating cartridges provided. It is therefore desirable to aim for as few cartridges as possible, but at the same time, this can have a disadvantageous effect on the homogeneity of the temperature distribution and the robustness of the process. Until now, these conflicting goals were largely resolved based on experience. But it can also be done systematically. 

Simple Answers to Complex Questions in Mold Design 

DOE-Software

Determining the Optimum Heating Concept for BMC 

The optimization of injection molding processes by using software to simulate mold filling and solidification is standard today. However, this has its limits, especially if the material properties or the flow behavior are not known with sufficient accuracy. The services offered by Beaumont, such as material testing, injection molding tests or the optimization of flow channel systems, can help here.  

MF Software Exclusively Distributes Beaumont Products in Europe 

Werkstoffprüfung

Rheologie

Higher Productivity and Better  Process Control 

Users can now precisely simulate and design the mold temperature control already at the planning phase. 

Cooling Simulation with Temp-Flex Hoses 

Precise Simulation of Thermal Behavior 

Susanne Schröder will become editor-in-chief of the magazines Kunststoffe and Kunststoffe international on December 1, 2020. The current editor-in-chief Dr. Karlhorst Klotz will leave the company by mutual agreement.

Werkzeuge für Leichtbauwerkstoffe

Präzisionswerkzeuge

Tiefziehwerkzeug

Werkzeugüberwachung

Toolmanagement

Werkzeugwechselsysteme, Spritzgieß

Modulare Werkzeugsysteme

Absaugungen für Werkzeugmaschinen

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Absaugvorrichtungen

Fluorkunststoffe

Thermoplaste

Werkzeugverwaltungssoftware

Prüfen von Kunststoffen

Messtechnik

Presswerkzeuge, Kunststoff

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Standardkunststoffe

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Lohnfertigung

Technische Kunststoffe

Füllstoffe für Kunststoffe

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Kunststoffhandel

Handel

Betriebstechnik für Kunststoffverarbeitung (Peripherie)

Kunststofffasern

Verstärkungsstoffe

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Change in the Chief Editorial Office of Kunststoffe

A tool logbook on paper is often not to hand just when you need it most. Or it is incomplete, since it is time consuming to keep the information up to date. A cloud-independent, electronic tool log, which is directly integrated into the tool could make all the relevant data available directly.

The Electronic Tool Logbook as a Combination of Operating Manual and Check List

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Messdatenerfassung und -verarbeitung

Papierlose QM-Dokumentation

Qualitätsmanagement

Dokumentationsmanagement

Werkzeugkonstruktion

Mobile Datenerfassung

Lagertechnik

Fernwartung / Ferndiagnose

Dokumentenmanagement, CAQ

Data Management at the Tool

Marbling is often a real eye-catcher in plastic components. However, the effect is difficult to create and there are some pitfalls when it comes to reproducibility. Novel nozzles for injection molding machines in combination with a special dosing technology allow marbled molded parts to be produced far more easily in a much more robust process.

A 3D-Printed Nozzle and Modified Dosing Method Deliver Reproducible Marbling  in a Robust Process

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Additive Fertigung

Farben, flüssig

Additive

Exciting Design instead of  Exciting Manufacturing

Hybrid production chains have been increasingly in the spotlight in recent years. This also applies to the combination of conventional manufacturing and additive processes in tool construction. With the example of an injection molding tool, it is shown how mold inserts produced by additive manufacturing can greatly shorten cycle times, and thereby significantly reduce unit costs. The important thing is to find a suitable combination of processes from the variety available.

Additive Manufacturing and Hybrid Molds in Combination with Conventional Machining

HSC- / HPC-Bearbeitung

Spanende Verfahren

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, Metall

Anlagen für die Additive Fertigung

The Potential of Redesign and  Part Consolidation

Anyone seeking to replace a metal component by a plastic one, to reduce the number of component parts from eight to three and simultaneously cut both the weight and manufacturing costs needs to take great care to ensure that all specifications are met – especially if the component is used in a hot gearbox and is subject to high mechanical stress.

Production-Ready Plastic Shifter Fork Offers a Maximum of Functional Integration

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Produktentwicklung (F+E)

Innovationsentwicklung

Inserttechnik

Replacing Metal in the Gearbox

“You Can See What Is Happening  in the Mold”

Interview with Eberhard Duffner and Paul F. Filz by the Magazine Kunststoffe

The 2019 K fair focused on the fusion of digital methods with analog production processes. At the fair, Arburg and Simcon showcased a filling process proceeding in real-time, as a 3D animation, on the display of a machine control panel, for an example of sunglasses, made of PA12. All that was needed to prepare this, was to load the simulation model, as well as the geometry of the part, directly onto the machine controls. This sounds almost too easy to be true. Right?

At the 2019 K fair, Arburg and Simcon showcased a filling process proceeding in real-time, as a 3D animation, on the display of a machine control panel, for an example of sunglasses, made of PA12. All that was needed to prepare this, was to load the simulation model, as well as the geometry of the part, directly onto the machine controls. This sounds almost too easy to be true. Right?

The dream of using simulation results directly on injection molding machines has been around for decades – and has always interested Eberhard Duffner. He had already been head of development at Arburg and head of the advisory board of the injection molding section at the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Aachen, Germany, for some time, when he had a remarkable experience: “I asked, who is using simulation, and all hands went up in the circle of machine manufacturers. I then asked, who has tried to transfer these simulation results directly into basic machine settings – and this time, those same hands stayed down. I was surprised.” So: how is it possible, that, in this day and age of digitization, injection molding machines still know so little about the mold and the part? “Somehow”, Duffner thought, “it should be possible to take scientific insights from the IKV advisory board and apply them at Arburg. We discussed these ideas a lot: is it possible, today? How can we do it? These questions marked the beginning of the collaboration between Arburg and the simulation software experts at Simcon.

Kunststoffe: Mr. Duffner, Arburg and Simcon showcased a filling simulation, directly implemented on an injection molding machine, at the K show in 2019. What’s the main idea underpinning this solution?

Duffner: First, we want to simplify the job for machine setters. They should not have to analyze curves to get optimal mold filling. The fact that set curves don’t directly translate to the real process is something I also experience during trials, and in the production of molded parts in our customer center. Our goal is that the setter need not observe the screw stroke or the pressure profile over time. Instead, we want to visualize the filling process in 3D on the machine, and show how it changes, depending on the parameters. This means you need to have a simulation on the machine. And that is the first stage of the filling assistant, which we have implemented from the simulation.

Kunststoffe: And what’s next?

Duffner: Next, we want to focus on helping our users to solve quality issues. In order to do that, we need to demonstrate the process fluctuation in a modern, interactive, three-dimensional visualization. In this way, the machine setter can see what is happening inside the machine, without needing to interpret an abstract scientific curve. That is the challenge.

Kunststoffe: Mr. Filz, that sounds like it makes sense. Why is there still a gap between product development and production in injection molding?

Filz: Mainly for historical reasons: in simulation, people have typically thought in terms of physical process variables of the melt, like the volumetric flow rate, filling times, or packing pressures. But injection molding machines are set up with different kinds of parameters, like screw advance speeds, screw strokes, changeover points and so on. These approaches basically achieve the same thing, but it is not easy to convert into one another. So, in a nutshell, things get lost in translation between engineering and production.

Kunststoffe: What would you estimate: what share of companies use a filling simulation nowadays, when they are designing molds?

Filz: We estimate that about 25 percent of companies use simulation systematically during product development. In those 25 percent, I’m counting the companies who actually simulate in-house, not companies that only order a simulation as an external service every once in a while, when they have a particularly complex part.

Kunststoffe: Considering those numbers: isn’t integrating the filling assistant like taking the second step before the first?

Filz: No, certainly not. We want to make results from engineering easily accessible to the injection molding machine user, to help close that gap between production and engineering. Production practitioners often claim that real-life results don’t match what engineering has sent them. And it’s easy to see why: something about the mold was modified in the interim, or a process is run differently from what was anticipated in engineering – usually, for good reasons. So, there is a disconnect between the engineering plans and the practical implementation. That’s why it makes sense to take a more integrated approach, with a filling assistant that’s right there, on the machine. Because that way, you can better ensure that those two things match.

Kunststoffe: So you would prefer there to be feedback loops with reality?

Filz: Yes, clearly, we want that matching to happen. In many cases, people on the front lines aren’t feeding those real-life observations back to engineering. This of course makes it difficult to see how well the results were realized on the injection molding machine. When people observe how well reality and the simulation results correspond if the settings match, the benefit becomes clearer. And this will continue to increase adoption of using simulation as a tool. As a result, we will eventually go way beyond the 25 percent usage rate that I just mentioned. There is still an incredible amount of untapped potential out there, and this is something that really helps customers realize and capture that value.

Kunststoffe: How are the on-screen animations linked to the real processes on the machine?

Duffner: You can see in real time what is currently happening in the mold, as a live filling image displayed on the machine control screen. To bring these two things together, we compute a simulation model, which is parameterized and fully integrated into the Gestica control. The animations are then shown, synchronized with the injection process on the machine. Not only that, we also use parameters from the simulation, such as dosing volume, temperatures and pressures, as presets for the machine. On the screen, the mold filling then does not simply run linearly over the screw path, but is also linked to the compressibility of the melt and the closing behavior of the non-return valve.

Kunststoffe: That is, you could also use the screen to better understand partial filling behavior?

Name - Hauptartikel