It’s a well-meant wish you will hear a lot in these times. But if you do catch something, you’ll be glad of all the things that medical technology can do for its patients nowadays. Our Special in this edition looks at plastics in medical technology from completely different perspectives.

The proposed VDI guideline ProValiMed has been launched to make manufacturers of medical products fit for regulation-compliant production. For component manufacturers in particular, validation of processes with the new medical product guideline is a challenge. The aim is to use it to create a broad consensus. The focus is on injection molding, though the regulations can also apply to technologies such as extrusion, film production or welding processes. ProValiMed should allow even manufacturers from other industries to orient their processes so as to gain a foothold in the industry. You can read about the current stage of the project from page 22.

In hot-runner technology, too, specialists must set to work making plastics in the medical sector processable robustly and in accordance with the strict legal regulations. The article “Looking over the Application Engineer’s Shoulder” from page 25 describes the day-to-day challenges faced by experts in injection molding and mold and hot-runner technology.

Susanne Schröder [<a href="mailto:Susanne.Schroeder@hanser.de">Susanne.Schroeder@hanser.de</a>]

16:9

Editorial Susanne

Schröder, Susanne

This year, for the first time, the Süddeutsche Kunststoff-Zentrum SKZ is organizing the conference „Plastic Films in Mobility“. Kunststoffe international asked Dirk Pophusen, the conference director, about the new features of the event. In the interview, he also explains why the highlight of the event on May 10th and 11th, 2022, will be a component from BMW.

This year, for the first time, the SKZ is organizing the conference „Plastic Films in Mobility“. Kunststoffe international asked Dirk Pophusen, the conference director, about the new features and the highlights of the event.

Kunststoffe international: The Plastic Films in Mobility conference is being held under the auspices of the SKZ for the first time this year. How is this changing the event?

Dirk Pophusen: The conference features in-depth specialist lectures that are not available anywhere else, and also serves as an industry get-together. We are carrying on this tradition of the conference. There will also be a keynote address for the first time this year. Journalist and bestselling author Frank Sieren will talk about the Chinese Silicon Valley and its effects on China and the rest of the world.

Kunststoffe international: Function integration is one of the conference’s focal points.

Pophusen: Exactly. Function integration is an additional option for films that has emerged over the last few years. Before that, most films were merely substrates for the decor and color. Now we have the ability to apply added features directly to the film. There are numerous possibilities in this field, supporting further benefits of the technology and making components more economical. That is why this technique is making inroads, both on the interior and the exterior.

Kunststoffe international: What is your personal convention highlight?

Pophusen: Definitely the joint presentation by BMW and Engel on the front module for the BMW iX. Direct insights of the OEMs are always especially exciting. So far, the films are not broadly used on the exterior. Having this technique used in series by BMW is therefore a great success and will surely give the film technology an added boost.

Dirk Pophusen, chair of the Plastic Films in Mobility conference and Global Segment Manager at Covestro

The front module of the BMW iX is a highly integrated component. Among other things, foil technology is used for the manufacturing.

Kurzinterview AKTUELL

This year, the conference „Plastic Films in Mobility“ (May 10th and 11th, 2022) will be held for the 15th time. It will highlight the various aspects of film technology, such as film production, polymer materials used, related printing and film forming technologies and integration by lamination. Sustainability is also a focus this year. Topics covered include life cycle analysis for components, environmental aspects of printed electronics and resource conservation using 3D printing.

The program and registration for the conference are available at:

https://www.skz.de/bildung/tagung/folien-und-fahrzeug-plastic-films-in-mobility#Inhalt

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

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Spritzgießen

Streifinger, Florian

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Folien

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Adaptable Structures for  More Innovation

Part 8 of the PIC 4.0 Series: Flexible Infrastructures Facilitate Access to Innovative Services

Innovation management affects many areas, which now increasingly include digital services in addition to classic product and process innovation. Beyond the continuous reassessment of technical setups, a platform is being established for the consistent provision and further development of software services and dedicated analysis algorithms. Thereby, services are being provided to generate new ideas from the application and to facilitate the transfer of technology into industrial practice.

The adaptability of a company and its departments is an increasingly important characteristic for economic success. Megatrends such as digitalization and global competition mean that companies have to react ever more quickly to customer demand and implement new developments in a shorter time. Rigid structures both in the handling of business processes and in the organization of production directly or indirectly hinder the ability to react adequately and to maintain a short time-to-market for new developments [1–3].

As construction work progresses and the outer shell of the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0 (PIC 4.0, Title figure) completes, the focus is shifting to the development of production cells and processes in the subsequent active operation in the technology center. Analogous to the challenges in industry, flexible structures are also needed in research in order to be able to conduct publicly funded or bilateral research projects with industrial partners. Megatrends and challenges in industry also influence research institutes insofar as new research potentials arise and a multitude of heterogeneous inquiries arise that explore possible forms of support in industrial product and process development. Frequently, a simple recombination of existing resources (technology management), for example by linking available machine and plant technology, is not sufficient to address current issues. Instead, new developments and findings must be consistently transferred into demonstrators in order to generate ideas for transfer projects.

In the industrial context, innovation management mostly refers to the management of new developments up to entrepreneurial success on the sales market [4]. On the research side, an innovation can be understood according to a general systems-engineering definition as a renewal of structures and processes that represents an advanced solution to a problem and has a sustainable benefit [5]. This concerns the cost-efficient realization of testbeds and the institute-wide provision of software solutions and algorithms developed in numerous research projects. Targeted innovation management thus promotes technology transfer, the development of new ideas and the identification of challenges in industrial practice.

Demonstrator Processes Get Organized as Testbeds

Machines and plants are often already planned and delivered as so-called turnkey manufacturing cells. Analogous to industrial order processing, the PIC 4.0 therefore also plans research units in the form of the topic-specific testbeds [6]. When planning project-specific trials to support a research hypothesis, a test cell should therefore always be assigned to a research area and a research question within PIC 4.0 and tracked in master data management. If a new research project is being processed, the persons involved can directly check whether the relevant research questions can be processed in an existing testbed or whether new testbeds have to be designed and set up.

In order to evaluate the testbeds and the digital solutions implemented, key figures will be developed within the framework of PIC 4.0 which, on the one hand, classify the scientific relevance of the testbed and, on the other hand, allow conclusions to be drawn about the industrial application potential of the solution. The establishment of an expert panel that represents a good cross-section of the plastics processing industry, for example by including industry members of the IKV’s sponsors association, will be important for objective evaluation. Current developments in the industry and technology trends are thus identified at an early stage and can be taken into account directly when setting up a testbed and evaluating embedded digital services.

Institute-Wide Service Platform Provides Software Modules

A platform based on open-source technologies was set up for the institute-wide provision of digital services. The core of the platform is the structural concept for data acquisition already developed in the Cluster of Excellence “Internet of Production”. For this purpose, data from the machines and systems available at the institute are queried via software modules and sent to a message broker [7]. Based on the topic, the message broker assigns the incoming data packages to the systems waiting for the data, such as a database for permanent storage, a monitoring system for direct visualization or a data-driven optimization algorithm. A simplified flowchart of a data analysis shows how data is entered or read in the frontend, which can then be efficiently processed in the backend using dedicated Python algorithms, for example (Fig. 1).

The starting point for the service-platform known as “ikv services” is the Angular web development framework, via which data packages entered or read-in by the user are sent to the Kafka message broker after connection to a gateway. This allocates incoming data packages to the evaluation algorithms and returns the corresponding results as a response until they can be output and visualized in the frontend, analogously to the services of data acquisition.

The advantage of the structure described lies in its modularity and the associated possibility for scaling and expansion. Further project-specific solutions developed in the numerous research projects of the institute can thus be easily added to the service platform and made available within the network. All that is required is to set up a frontend module in the form of an Angular component and its frontend services that is suitable for the application and the respective research project and is used to input and output data packages.

In the backend, the evaluation algorithms required for the research activities can be developed and updated independently of this. For communication between the front-end module and the potentially numerous and also variable evaluation algorithms, the gateway and the message broker retain their functionality. It is thus conceivable that analyses in Labview or Matlab as well as algorithms in other programming languages also wait for incoming data packages and return results after the analysis. Through the integration with the message broker, a connection with various data sources such as real plants or other message brokers such as MQTT is possible. This is achieved via logically separated modules.

Accelerated Benefit in  Industrial Practice

An example of such a software module is shown in Figure 2. The central research question was to find out what geometric adjustment would be necessary for a plastic component to warp into the appropriate target geometry due to shrinkage and warpage. To do this, a simulation had to determine in several iteration steps what warpage to expect in order to modify the initial geometry accordingly.

In PIC 4.0, the evaluation algorithm and the service for data exchange between different simulation systems were transferred into a web application [8], which can now be made available as one of many modules in the service platform and thus institute-wide for the processing of further projects at the IKV. In this way, these and other (micro) services from research projects can also be made available to industrial partners in the future.

A further simplification in the implementation of additional services and software modules is the delivery as containers, with the help of which individual applications can be transported and installed together with all the necessary background programs and libraries. This also enables a sustainable technology transfer of services available at the institute and successively developed into a robust solution into the production environment of a company. Structured innovation management ensures consistent versioning and guarantees rapid added value in industrial practice.

[1] N. N.: Fortschreibung der Anwendungsszenarien der Plattform Industrie 4.0. Ergebnispapier: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi), Berlin 2016

[2] N. N.: Industrie 4.0 gestalten: Wegweisend. Vernetzt. Praxisnah. Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi), Fortschrittsbericht Plattform Industrie 4.0, 2017–04

[3] Steegmüller, D.; Zürn, M.: Wandlungsfähige Produktionssysteme für den Automobilbau der Zukunft. In: Vogel-Heuser, B.; Bauernhansl, T.; Hompel, M. ten (Hrsg.): Handbuch Industrie 4.0 – Bd. 1: Produktion. Springer Vieweg, Berlin 2017, pp. 27–44

[4] Higgins, J. M.; Wiese, G. G.: Innovationsmanagement. Kreativitätstechniken für den unternehmerischen Erfolg. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 1996 – ISBN: 978–3–642–61431–6

[5] Spur, G.: Innovation als Begriff. ZWF Zeitschrift für wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb 106 (2011) 3, p. 181

[6] Hopmann, C.; Bibow, P.: Use Cases of Digitized Plastics Processing. Kunststoffe International (2020) 7, pp. 6–8

[7] Hopmann, C.; Schmitz, M.; Bibow, P.: The PIC 4.0 as Part of the Internet of Production. Kunststoffe International (2021) 2, pp. 7–9

[8] Hopmann, C.; Bibow, P.; Liu, B.: User-Friendly Data-Exchange in the Digital Engineering. How a Web-Based Interface Supports Data-Handling. Kunststoffe International (2021) 7, pp. 6–9

Fig. 1. Various open source technologies enable the development of a scalable service platform.

Fig. 2. The software service shows a deviation of the warpage optimized part geometry compared to the target dimensions.

The outer skin of the PIC 4.0 is closing, inside the design of the demonstration cells is in full swing.

Name - Hauptartikel

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann has held the Chair of Plastics Processing as Head of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IVK) in Industry and Craft at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, since 2011.

Pascal Bibow, M.Sc. RWTH, has been working since September 2016 on intelligent production systems at IKV. Since January 2020, he has been Managing Director of the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0;

<a href="mailto:pascal.bibow@ikv.rwth-aachen.de">pascal.bibow@ikv.rwth-aachen.de</a>

Lukas Seifert, M.Sc. RWTH, has been working since August 2021 on data-based quality control in extrusion processes and on digital service infrastructures at IKV.

Ben Liu, M.Sc. RWTH, has been working since April 2019 on research questions of automated data-exchange and applications in digital engineering in injection molding at IKV.

The construction of the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0 is funded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The following article describes how test planning and analysis can be facilitated by a digital infrastructure and how test data can be consistently tracked in PIC 4.0. It appears in one of the next issues.

Messdatenerfassung und -verarbeitung

Software

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Innovationsmanagement

Produktentwicklung (F+E)

Smart Services

Simulation

Internet der Dinge

Messdatenerfassung, Software

Softwarearchitektur

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Central Control Unit Makes Use  of Web Technology

New Webviewer Merges Web and Control Applications

The central control unit of the injection-molding machine is used by the machine operator for control, regulation and optimization of the entire production process. In order to directly integrate external systems as well as proprietary solutions that do not have a standardized interface, Engel uses a technology that is already widespread in day-to-day routine. Via a browser, the new Webviewer can be reliably integrated into the CC300 control panel of the injection-molding machines.

The CC300 control unit offers extensive options for the easy and reliable control and continuous optimization of the entire production process. To be able to really benefit from digitalization in production, it is crucial to be able to access data and information, not only about the injection-molding machine and automation, but also about ancillary equipment and systems, as well as outside the manufacturing cell. There are various ways for the control unit to communicate, for example, with temperature-control equipment or hot runner control systems.

Widely used approaches to integration are OPC UA and VNC Viewer, which are already used to allow visualization of different systems to be integrated into the CC300 control unit of the Engel injection-molding machine. However, the challenge is that by no means all equipment manufacturers offer standardized interfaces such as OPC UA or VNC. Proprietary systems, such as exist in mature production environments, usually cannot be integrated either. These equipment and systems then require their own additional operating equipment, which is installed above or next to the machine operating panel (Fig. 1). Data islands grow up, self-contained systems, which lead to much of the information remaining unused.

Engel is filling this gap with the Webviewer. The solution is an integrated browser, via which external web servers and web pages can be called up directly on the monitor of the CC300 machine control system (Title figure). The web user interface allows the data of the external systems to be not only viewed, but also modified. Complex data interfaces are just as unnecessary for this as separate monitors on the injection-molding machine. As a shortcut, individual screen pages can be saved as favorites, just like on a smartphone. The Webviewer can be retrofitted to all Engel injection-molding machines with CC300 control system that have been delivered since October 2021.

One application may be, for example, the visualization of a filling simulation that had been produced in the development department hitherto and could not be viewed at the machine. The simulation results and filling simulations from the particular software solution that is used, for example Cadmould from Simcon, can be viewed in the Webviewer (Fig. 2). The advantage is a faster, more direct and closer exchange between engineering and machine setting. In addition, the calculation is performed in an external system and does not affect the injection-molding machine. Another advantage of the Webviewer is that the machine software version is independent of the simulation program – provided that the results can be displayed via a browser.

Integration along the Entire Value Creation Chain

As digitalization advances, the number of overlaps in the application of data from the machine, production planning, maintenance, development and other areas along the value-creation chain increases. The same applies to the amount of data that is retained in a web-based format. Because any desired web pages can be integrated into the control interface of the production cell, there are no limits to the machine operator’s use of data. Error catalogs and expert systems can be just as easily integrated as mold documentation, set-up instructions and customer-specific checklists.

Another possible application is the integration of production planning systems. If the machine operator wants to know which tool has to be set up next, he no longer has to turn to the central process control system server. Via the MES web view, he can call up the planning directly in the control system. For authentig, the MES of Engel’s subsidiary TIG, the Webviewer is already preconfigured.

The user also benefits from the integrated overall data view in case of a fault. The fault can be logged in the MES directly via the Web interface, resulting in shorter downtimes and improved machine utilization.

Data Containers Secure the Road to the Future

The merging of the data worlds has significant advantages for the machine operator and positive effects on production efficiency. This presupposes maximum data security. In developing the Webviewer, Engel has therefore opted for encapsulating the systems within the machine control system. The Webviewer is integrated in the control system via so-called containerization. Data exchange with the production system is therefore not possible and work in external systems does not result in a loss of performance. In addition, the Webviewer can use certificates and transfer data in encrypted form.

With the new Webviewer, Engel supports its customers with the digital transformation of the injection-molding process, well beyond optimization of the injection-molding process and automation solutions. In the production systems of the future, participants and components of the injection-molding cell will merge with the adjoining systems and platforms throughout the value-creation process. To enable this, Engel has reconceived the traditional control of the injection-molding machine. The Webviewer is a key module of the smart factory of the future.

The Webviewer in the machine control system integrates not only ancillary equipment  with web interfaces, but also data from internal and external systems that are accessible via browsers. 

Fig. 1. Additional monitors are unnecessary; web-based dashboards can be directly displayed on the CC300.

Fig. 2. In a filling simulation, users can benefit from the new Webviewer. The result of the filling study can be displayed independently of the simulation program.

Dipl.-W.-Ing. (BA) Hannes Fritz is head of Product Management Control Systems at Engel Austria GmbH, Schwertberg, Austria; <a href="mailto:hannes.fritz@engel.at">hannes.fritz@engel.at</a>

DI Dr. Klemens Springer is head of Development Control and Software at Engel; <a href="mailto:klemens.springer@engel.at">klemens.springer@engel.at</a>

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Automatisierungstechnik

Bedienterminals

Computer Hardware

Spritzgießsimulation

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Clamping Unit of the Elios 4500 with Fully Electric Drive Concept

Higher Output and Reduced Energy Consumption

Thin wall packaging manufacturers think in terms of efficiency gains in tenths of a second. Every cycle time reduction leads to increased productivity. Another factor influencing part costs is the energy efficiency of the production equipment. In these two key dimensions, Netstal was able to optimize the smallest model in the Elios series with 4500 kN clamping force.

“By intelligently redesigning the actuating elements in the clamping unit, we were able to completely eliminate the hydro mechanical part of the drive and thus realize a purely electric drive train. For our customers, this makes the Elios 4500 even more productive. At the same time, they achieve further savings in electricity costs,” says Marcel Christen, Product Manager at Netstal.

The result in figures: the drying time of the Elios 4500 is reduced by 0.1 seconds to a new 1.4 seconds. In relation to the Euromap dry cycle, energy consumption is reduced by 7 kW. The elimination of the hydro mechanical components for operating the toggle lever also results in an overall machine length that is 450 mm shorter. “This is an advantage for our customers that should not be underestimated, if the space saved in the production hall can be used profitably elsewhere,” adds Marcel Christen.

In the clamping units of the larger variants with 5500, 6500, 7500, 8800 and 10,000 kN, the unique, patented drive concept for actuating the toggle lever continues to be effective. “For the higher clamping forces, the hybrid drive remains the ideal synthesis to ensure the optimum combination of speed and energy efficiency. It consists of an electrically driven double gear rack and pinion and a synchronously interacting hydro mechanical actuator that ensures the build-up of the maximum clamping force,” explains Marcel Christen.

With the highest speed and the best energy efficiency on the market, according to Netstal, the Elios has been delighting renowned customers worldwide since its market launch in 2016. The dry cycle time ranges between 1.4 and 2.2 seconds, depending on the model. The energy efficiency of the machines is ensured, among other things, by the recovery of kinetic energy, which is reused in the form of hydraulic energy in the overall system.

<a href="http://www.netstal.com/en/" target="_blank">www.netstal.com</a>

The optimized Elios 4500 with electrically operated toggle levers enables users to achieve cycle time reductions and savings in power consumption (the photo shows the previous variant).

Produkt Netstal_noch nicht online

Energieeffizienz

Elektrische Antriebe für Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

Synchronous Motion Shortens Demolding Time up to 35 %

Injection, holding pressure, cooling phase – injection molding is a sequential process with individual steps that are usually optimized. Therefore, they offer little more potential for improving the cycle time. But what about the automation system?

Though the proportion of the total process time is less, it is the parts removal that provides leverage for reducing the cycle time in most applications.

Normally, the robot does not receive the enable signal until the mold is open all the way. The “synchronous motion” function permits early entry of the robot. The robot thus already reaches the removal position of the component during the remaining opening movements. Thus the movements of mold and handling system overlap – saving valuable time.

The goal is to keep nonproductive time as short as possible. To do so, this technology synchronizes component demolding and the opening movement of the machine. Sometimes, this also makes it possible to do away with expensive gripper hardware. After all, the ejector movement is often used for difficult-to-demold parts. This means that the robot grips the finished part during the demolding process and the ejector pushes the component onto the gripper. This requires a costly pneumatic system at the handling (for the “depressurize” step).

However, if the gripper moves along with the ejector, no pneumatic system is required. Depending on the complexity of the application, the synchronization can take place relative to the clamp, part or ejector movement. This lets the customer defines the degree of optimization.

The synchronous motion enables the demolding time to be reduced by approximately 35 %, according to KraussMaffei. In the production of trash containers, for example, this means a 6 % reduction in the complete cycle time – and thus a corresponding increase in total annual volume. The increase in turnover can be up to 5 % for pallets and up to 4 % for crates.

KraussMaffei offers synchronous motion both for new machines and in the form of an update for the MC6 machine control system for existing machines and complete systems. Synchronous motion provides its advantages for the linear robots of the LRX series and the IR industrial robots.

<a href="https://www.kraussmaffei.com/en/home" target="_blank">www.kraussmaffei.com</a>

With the synchronous motion function, the gripper of the robot starts faster, saving valuable cycle time.

Produkt_KM_noch nicht online

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Multiaxialroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Automated Lightweight Module for Functionalization and Hybridization of Components

Anybrid GmbH has succeeded in transforming the usually rigid injection molding machine into a mobile machine that can move freely in the room and can be used to overmold profiles, etc. The company is thus serving a steadily growing market for the production of hybrid components. For the first time, the advantages of plastics processing are combined directly with the flexibility of robotics. In close cooperation with Rehau, extensive studies on an extrusion line were recently successfully completed.

The principle of Robotized Injection Molding (Robin) is very simple. With a weight of approx. 140 kg, the compact injection molding machine is so light that it can be mounted on classic industrial robotics (Title figure). This disrupts the classical functionality of the stationary injection molding process by allowing it to take place at almost any position in space. Especially for overmolding other semi-finished products and components, this opens up a completely new way of thinking in product and process design. Thus, the developers of Anybrid take injection molding out of the center and use it as an addition to classic processing methods. Besides processes from plastics processing, these are also processes for metal, wood or textile processing in particular.

In order to achieve the low overall weight of Robin, a closing system using carbon fibers was developed over several years of development. This not only maximizes the degree of lightweight design, but also achieves a large projection of the C-frame. Nevertheless, this clamping system can transmit between 60 and 120 kN clamping force, depending on the configuration. This results in ideal accessibility for overmolding large-area components or even entire assemblies with complex geometries. For plastics processing, the young Dresden/Germany-based mechanical engineering company relies on piston injection units, which on the one hand are suitable for the implementation of small injection volumes (up to 50 g) and on the other hand contribute to the low overall weight by avoiding a plasticizing screw.

Thanks to the exceptional mobility of the Robin system technology in combination with the necessary automation, it is now possible for the first time to integrate injection molding into continuous process lines. For example, technical profiles can be functionalized inline directly during extrusion. For this purpose, the machine moves to the profile dock and moves along in the direction of the extrusion while the element is being overmolded.

In cooperation with the innovation group of Rehau Industries, several pilot tests have been carried out in recent months. For example, the new technology was integrated directly into a production line in the Rehau Technical Center for the first time. Functional elements were applied to an extrusion profile at regular intervals (Fig. 1). The particular challenge here was to bring together the parameters from extrusion with those from injection molding. It is essential here to match the line speed of the profile with the process cycle and, in particular, the necessary cooling time of the overmolded functional element. The feasible process window depends on the required distance between the functional elements. However, if higher productivity is required, there is the option of using several Robin systems simultaneously in the line.

Finally, the tests with the pilot line made it possible to qualify various materials or material combinations with regard to their adhesion. For example, it was shown that good bonding strengths can be achieved with various types of plastic such as HDPE, ASA, ABS, TPE, PC and PVC, both as mono-material systems and in various combinations. This means that the entire range of outdoor and indoor applications can be covered. By implementing mono-material systems, a high level of recyclability can also be achieved, which is not possible with alternative joining processes such as adhesive bonding.

Due to the short cycle times in injection molding with the Robin module of sometimes significantly less than one minute, assembly steps that would otherwise be necessary can simply be eliminated. Furthermore, due to the shaping diversity of injection molding, there is the possibility of integrating additional functionalizations in addition to the connection of the joining partners. These can be applied variably depending on the product requirements and also enable high-quality recycling at the end of the service life through the use of thermoplastics of the same type.

Compared to the conventional production of comparable products, for example on stationary injection molding machines, the application of mobile Robin technology is characterized above all by the significantly lower investment costs. Thus, large and expensive molds can be avoided and production time can be saved due to the absence of logistics that would otherwise be required to transfer the profiles to the injection molding machine. In addition, inline functionalization allows a much greater variability in terms of the distances between the applied functional elements. All in all, the application of the Robin system in extrusion lines such as those at Rehau can therefore reduce costs, increase productivity and increase the flexibility of production considerably.

The cooperation between Rehau and Anybrid will be expanded in the coming months to implement various applications for the use of the new technology. Due to the broad portfolio of Rehau with products in a variety of industries, there are many points of convergence, even beyond extrusion.

In addition to the overmolding of plastics, the functionalization of other materials such as wood, metal or composites also has enormous potential. Especially in the production of furniture and construction goods as well as for the functionalization of various industrial semi-finished products, the use of Robin opens up a wide range of new process and design options (Fig. 2).

Even Anybrid cannot beat physics, which is why the greatest challenge is still to achieve sufficient adhesion between the different material classes. In addition to numerous pre-treatment methods or adhesion promoters, there is also the option of mechanically bonding the joining partners to each other. For example, grooves or holes and the filling of undercuts can be used to create a form-fit connection.

In this context, the overmolding of porous aluminum also offers great application potential. For this purpose, Automoteam GmbH has produced tubes, rods or plates with variable internal structure from aluminum in permanent mold casting using NaCl. This porous aluminum was then overmolded using the “flying” plant technology. This showed excellent mechanical bonding because the polymer melt entered the near-surface area of the semi-finished products (Fig. 3). In this way, plastic elements can now be applied locally and novel components with high functional integration can be produced.

When functionalizing wood, the natural porosity of the natural material can also be used to create an interlocking joint. For example, elastic elements made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) can be variably applied to different positions of a wooden panel and can thus be used in the furniture industry as spacers or elastic buffers.

Declared Goal: Sustainable  Process Chains

Founded in 2020, Anybrid GmbH emerged from an “Exist” research transfer at the Institute for Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at TU Dresden, Germany. With the development of Robin, the four company founders have succeeded in transferring expertise in the implementation of lightweight structures to the design of machine and plant technology. With this, they now want to broaden the perspective on conventional plastics processing and make hybridization in the injection molding process useable in other process chains as well.

One of Anybrid’s main principles is the sustainability of the realized process chains. Thus, it is a declared goal that the recyclability of the products as well as the use of recycled materials are taken into account at an early stage in the product development process. In initial tests together with HolyPoly GmbH, the high-quality circular processing of plastics has already been implemented and the first products based on recycled materials have been manufactured (Fig. 4).

After the successful tests in several pilot applications, the company will already accompany the production of the first serial products in 2022. The goal is to complete the certification of the machinery and deliver the first Robin system as early as this year.

The Robin injection molding system can be swiveled freely on the arm of a six-axis robot to the particular application points.

Fig. 1. The Robin module is used in the Rehau pilot line for functionalizing profiles..

Fig. 2. Various profile materials, such as aluminum, wood or composites, can be combined with functional plastic elements.

Fig. 3. When functionalizing components made of porous aluminum, the plastic melt enters the surface layer. 

Fig. 4. The backpack buckle is one of the first application examples for the processing of recycled material.

Dr.-Ing. MBA Michael Stegelmann is co-founder and managing director of the Anybrid GmbH, Dresden, Germany; <a href="mailto:michael.stegelmann@anybrid.de">michael.stegelmann@anybrid.de</a>

Dr.-Ing. Michael Krahl is also co-founder and managing director of the Anybrid GmbH, Dresden; <a href="mailto:michael.krahl@anybrid.de">michael.krahl@anybrid.de</a>

Dr. Stephan Sell is a graduate chemist in service department Research, Innovation and Technology, Advanced Technologies at the Technology Platform Composite at Rehau Industries SE & Co. KG, Rehau, Germany; <a href="mailto:Stephan.Sell@rehau.com">Stephan.Sell@rehau.com</a>

Santiago Pardos is Director New Business Development at the Industry Solution Division at Rehau Industries SE & Co. KG, Rehau, <a href="mailto:Santiago.Pardos@rehau.com">Santiago.Pardos@rehau.com</a>.

Hybridtechnik

Mikrospritzgießen

Rohr- und Profilextrusion

Extrusion

Industrieroboter

Montagetechnik

Automated High Volume Consumables Production

Pipette tips are small and relatively simple components that are now in high demand. One might think  producing large quantities of these products is a simple task. It is not. The requested high quality can only be reached by using complex automation. To meet these challenging requirements, MA micro automation has developed a modular solution: Centauri IVD.

With the onset and spread of the coronavirus, pipette tips were suddenly seen in print media and on television news shows. To combat the pandemic, routine sample testing increased to an incredible scale. Mandates for in-vitro diagnostic testing increased demand for these disposable components with new production plants being brought online globally. Total pipette tip manufacturing requirements are significantly greater than before. What makes pipette tip manufacturing so challenging? Wall thicknesses of these molded parts are about 0.3 mm and tip bores are sometimes only tenths of a millimeter in diameter. Aspirated liquid fill volumes must be exact and repeatable as they are critical to the accuracy of test analysis results. Internal geometries and other critical to quality features of these parts must be tightly controlled to support reliable testing.

This is why high-quality injection molding machines, tools and process controls are required for manufacturing. What happens after a mold cycle is complete and the mold opens is decisive. MA micro automation developed the modular Centauri IVD automation solution to enable all post molding process automation including packaging. With an installed base of many systems in Europe, several more of these high-performance production systems will soon be delivered to customers in the USA and Asia.

The pipette tip manufacturing process begins with component removal from the molding tool. A side takeout robotic actuator is located adjacent to an injection molding machine. The actuator, driven by linear servo motor technology, is used to rapidly advance a custom end of arm tool (EOAT) into and out of open mold halves (Fig. 1). The EOAT is configured to receive pipette tips from a horizontal array of delicate core pins in the mold. Part tips face toward the gripper, instrument bore ends face out. MA micro automation is the only supplier in Europe to produce these high-speed robotic units in-house.

Centauri IVD equipment provides automated handling of parts transferred from the mold. Post molding operations include a variety of non-contact quality inspections, re-pitching of parts to different arrays and management of rejects prior to loading of racks and packaging. Immediately after the pipette tips have been transferred from the mold to the EOAT, the process begins. Through-beam laser sensors are used to monitor successful part transfers. Additional sensors are used to monitor the gap between parts and gripper sleeves to ensure complete transfers. Any missing part would be considered a critical fault and the system stopped to prevent damage to mold cores.

The side takeout actuator and loaded EOAT retracts away from the injection molding machine and then rapidly travels to position parts adjacent to a tilting station. This station is designed to perform two tasks. One is to receive parts with axes horizontal and transfer them down through an optical inspection station. The second is to pivot all parts from horizontal to vertical orientation with tips pointing down.

Multiple cameras, optics and light sources are positioned within a protective enclosure. Using a sophisticated array of first surface mirrors, lighting and high-definition cameras are used to capture images of all 64 pipette tip geometries. The entire inspection process is performed on-the-fly with all parts entering and exiting the inspection station without stopping. Full 360 ° inspection enables detection of burrs, short shots, and other defects. Test results for each part passing through the station are used to coordinate downline QC station NOK removal and replacement with OK parts. Data from these inspections are also tied to injection molding machine controls for continuous adjustment of parameters required to maintain optimal performance.

Inspected parts are reoriented to present axes vertical, tips down. The array of parts can be unloaded directly into product carrier fixtures or into repitch tooling. The initial transfer of parts coming from QC inspection requires re-pitching from injection mold cavity positions to an array suitable for subsequent reject part refill operations. Parts are loaded into precision pockets of an array of rails. Populated rails are then moved to compress the array before another transfer gripper acquires parts for transfer to workpiece carriers. While being transferred to each workpiece carrier, individual grippers are compressed in another axis to create a tight array of parts matching centers of racks to be loaded downline.

A Ten Minutes Buffer Prevents  Production Downtimes

A modular and scalable production system provides NOK and OK part management to separate stations within a larger manufacturing system. For end-to-end production within a single system, a decoupling buffer is required. The buffer is used to “decouple” serial process of the injection molding machine from the parallel processes of inspection and refill operations downline. With an injection mold machine cycling at 5.8 seconds, the Centauri IVD system is configured to provide a buffer capacity of ten minutes. Delays due to load faults or other throughput issues downline will not require the molding machine to stop. A first in first out (FIFO) methodology is used to maintain the good parts queue.

A programmable servo driven circuit of workpiece carriers is used to transfer oriented parts between stations. Carriers, configured to hold an 8 x 8 array of pipette tips, are used to transport parts through QC check and refill stations.

RFID tags on each carrier enable local data management for each set of fixtured parts. Molded parts can also be unloaded for manual quality inspection at dedicated collection stations. This portion of the Centauri IVD line can also include filter loading and insertion. Filters are sometimes used to prevent aerosols in sample collection that may affect test results. If included, a height adjustable servo actuated tool is used to press and seat previously loaded filters.

100 percent inline checking of all parts follows. A filter presence check if required, presence of particulate, measurement of overall length (OAL), check of tip and hub bore dimensions are all processed. These critical to quality vision inspection tasks require expertise with lighting, camera selection, optics, and image processing. MA micro automation has in-house capability with high precision vision inspection work. Opto-engineers and software development specialists are constantly workin g on developping new and better systems to meet customer inspection requirements.

NOK Parts Are Replaced by NO Parts Before the Packaging Starts

A Scara robot mounted vacuum gripper is used to transfer a single component from the array of parts within a stationary carrier. The sample part is moved to a test fixture where it is pressed over a receptacle with force monitoring used to confirm concentricity with respect to the injection gate feature. Outputs from this analysis allow injection molding equipment to be adjusted to maintain optimal performance. The robot can also transfer sample parts to a drawer for manual retrieval and further analysis.

Carriers with parts advance to a blow-off reject removal station. NOK parts are blown up and out of carrier nests and discharged to an offline receptacle. Carriers then advance to a refill station where known OK parts from a previously populated queue of good parts have been loaded. Those parts were loaded at the start of the batch production run. Known OK parts are retrieved from the good parts buffer and loaded into any open positions of the carrier to replace previously removed NOK parts.

Last Steps to the Final Packaging  and Delivery

The carrier then advances to an unload station where the full complement of pipette tips is removed and transferred to plastic Racks. A thermal transfer printer is used to mark and apply a barcode label to each Rack. Vision inspection of the label verifies data accuracy, correct color coding and presence of all pipette tips. Any faulty rack is flagged and removed at an unload station. Good racks advance to a blister packaging module where covers can be added. Finished racks with covers can also be marked with lot number, expiry date and other variable data using inkjet printers. Finally, racks of pipette tips with covers are loaded into blisters, heat stake sealed and discharged to final packaging operations.

The modular design of Centauri IVD equipment makes it possible to customize elements of the system to meet the unique requirements of different manufacturers. MA micro automation has established a growing installed base of these machines and demonstrated their reliability and high performance.