 From the end of September, “heavy-duty equipment” will be rolling onto the trade show grounds. It is the exhibitors, transporting their machinery and systems into the trade show halls with trucks and cranes.

Hustle and bustle at the Düsseldorf trade show center: as you read these lines, the trade show team at K are already in the starting blocks. From the end of September, “heavy-duty equipment” will be rolling onto the trade show grounds. It is the exhibitors, transporting their machinery and systems into the trade show halls with trucks and cranes.

Hustle and bustle at the Düsseldorf trade show center: as you read these lines, the trade show team at K are already in the starting blocks. From the end of September, “heavy-duty equipment” will be rolling onto the trade show grounds. It is the exhibitors, transporting their machinery and systems into the trade show halls with trucks and cranes. A large logistics team is working out precise time slots and routes in advance so that the trucks do not get in one another’s way. In a large command center, people are watching multiple monitors to check that everything is running to plan and the many construction activities are being performed in parallel. Countless cables and conduits for electricity, water and air exhaust are being laid.

In our editorial team, too, things have been humming for weeks. We’re glad to be producing extensive trade show editions again. In the roughly 50-page trade show report on K, we have prepared many highlights for you in this edition. But we are well aware that the wealth of world premieres, technical enhancements and advances go well beyond a trade show edition.

Dr. Cornelia Jokisch of the trade show team disclosed to me that she currently welcomes the large number of exhibitors: the 3000 mark will soon be passed (it was 3330 in 2019). It is also worth mentioning that, at 178,000 square meters, the occupied area will once again be larger than in the previous edition, when it was 177,000 square meters. This is due to e.g. the greater floor space occupied in the outdoor area – such as the Circular Economy Forum – or the new Start-up Zone. So there’s a lot to discover at the exhibition center. At the moment, all the lights are green: even booth parties will be allowed!

We look forward to meeting up in Düsseldorf

PS: Carl Hanser Verlag is also represented at K with technical books and journals. Visit us at our booth at the north entrance, first floor, booth 01.

16:9

Editorial Susanne

Schröder, Susanne

„We Want to Simplify the Use  of Recyclates“

You‘re spoiled for choice. This also applies when you’re seeking out a suitable recyclate. As a start-up, Plastship supports companies in this venture, aided by digitalization along the way.

You‘re spoiled for choice. This also applies when you’re seeking out a suitable recyclate. As a start-up, Plastship supports companies in this venture, aided by digitalization along the way. The pillar of this business idea is the namesake platform via which regranulates are bought and sold.

Climate protection and sustainability are also the topics of the day in the plastics industry – a development of which ever-growing start-up companies are aware, as well as more established companies. As well as new ideas, they also breathe new life into the industry. Plastship is one such start-up. In our new start-up series, “New Plastic Heroes“, we showcase the company and its two founders, Konstantin Humm and Andreas Bastian.

Kunststoffe: What were your first contacts with the topic of recycling or recyclates?

Andreas Bastian: During our studies, both of us already worked in the recycling area at RIGK GmbH and got to know all recycling phases there. So you could describe us as people of conviction who are passionate when it comes to the topic of recycling plastics.

Kunststoffe: Is that where you got the idea for Plastship?

Bastian: Our collaboration on a project at RIGK‘s subsidiary in Romania brought home to us just how difficult it is for many companies to identify the appropriate recyclates, mainly due to the lack of relevant market information. Keen to devise a solution, we came up with the idea of Plastship to conserve resources and keep more materials in circulation. With our platform, we have developed a digital tool that paves the way for simpler collaboration between the various value chain players and provides information transparently.

Kunststoffe: Which plastic recyclates do the companies receive from you?

Konstantin Humm: That is the advantage of having a platform – basically all polymers available in recycling can be sourced. Thanks to our wide network, we can access available service providers across the board and thus always find a suitable supplier. If no suitable material is listed, we are more than happy to provide a support service to help you find one.

Kunststoffe: And how do you support plastics processors when it comes to selecting the right recyclate?

Bastian: We work proactively with our customers to create a requirements profile tailored to their needs, which we then use to provide materials in a targeted manner.

Kunststoffe: Your company is already four years old. What has been your greatest success so far?

Humm: When we started out four years ago, people were still very wary about platforms like ours. Since then though, we‘ve achieved more than 900 registrations, more than 1500 individual material data sets and more than 1000 material requests.

Kunststoffe: We met at IFAT, where the EU Packaging Directive also came up for discussion. What impact does this have on Plastship?

Bastian: The EU Packaging Directive establishes a regulatory framework, which mainly aims to minimize waste and mitigate the environmental harm caused as far as possible, i.e. retaining as many of the materials used in a cycle as possible. Undeniably, this brings us great opportunities. RecyClass and our trading center represent an unbeatable combination that make it easier for companies to use recyclates or make it possible in the first place.

Konstantin Humm (left) and Andreas Bastian (right) founded the start-up four years ago and now serve over 800 customers.

New Plastic Heroes - Plastship

<ul><li>Name: Plastship GmbH</li><li>Founded: 2018 in Waldems, Germany</li><li>Total customers: > 800</li><li>Number of employees: > 5</li><li>Homepage: <a href="https://plastship.com/" target="_blank">www.plastship.com</a></li></ul>

A PDF file of the article can be found at

<a href="http:// www.kunststoffe-international.com/archive" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe-international.com/archive</a>

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="http://www.kunststoffe.de" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Start up

Wirtschaft

Unternehmen und Unternehmer

Ehrhardt, Melanie

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Technology Innovations Remain the Engine of Development

Statement by the Exhibitors’ Advisory Group at K 2022

Today, a good century after its birth, the plastics industry is in the process of reorienting itself. While in past decades, the focus was on “faster, higher, further”, topics such as conservation of resources and the circular economy are now in the spotlight.

Today, a good century after its birth, the plastics industry is in the process of reorienting itself. While in past decades, the focus was on “faster, higher, further”, topics such as conservation of resources and the circular economy are now in the spotlight. The necessary interventions in the overall global organization of the value chain are so profound that these challenges will not be overcome instantly. This will be the dominant theme of the 2020s.

K 2022 will show the plastics and rubber industry in a continuous process of transformation. A good century after the birth of its material, the plastics industry is becoming aware of its current leadership role, including social leadership, and the related responsibility. The “faster, higher, further” of the day-to-day improvements is no longer a guarantee of economic success, as was the case with the breakneck rise of the technology in the last century. Now eyes are trained on the bigger picture, securing the sustainability of activities for coming generations.

The questions surrounding the conservation of resources and reuse of polymer materials are becoming ever more urgent. The potential savings of resources, the efficient processing of plastics, especially their widespread collecting, sorting and reuse, remain, as the “circular economy,” the industry’s central task.

And this will not be achieved so quickly. The necessary interventions in the entire global organization of the value-creation chain are too profound, the investments too high, for this to be realizable all at once. This will be the dominant theme of the 2020s. It is closely related to questions of climate protection. They can no longer be pushed aside, since the future previously predicted by scientists is beginning to be manifested globally as abnormal and negative weather phenomena.

K 2022 will highlight the current situation regarding digitalization of processes in the plastics and rubber industry, present solutions and their benefits and give an impetus to their large-scale realization in day-to-day industrial practice. K 2022 will be defined by this triad of megatrends: circular economy – climate protection – digitalization.

Circular Economy: Industry in  Flux Globally

No other mission in recent years has occupied the industry so much as building up a functioning circular economy for polymer materials.

This previously niche issue has been shifted into the clear focus of attention. A change of direction among large manufacturing companies can be recognized. In particular, many enterprises engaged in Europe have acquired plastics recycling companies that had developed high-quality solutions for post-consumer recycling (PCR) in recent years. The vision is of new material types containing at least proportions of PCR raw materials – guaranteed to rank at the same high quality as virgin materials, and reliably usable by any processor. Consequently, the relevant material suppliers, corporations as well as independent compounders will be offering many new material grades with the much sought-after “recycled content” at K 2022.

“Design for Recycling” Is Gaining Enormous Importance

The chief reason for this is that, in order to be successful, the plastics industry has had to conceive and design its primary products for the efficient fulfillment of all customer demands. The result has often been combinations of materials that are incompatible with recycling. The post-consumer material streams from general collections then have to be blended in order to be economically reprocessed into guaranteed high-quality PCR materials – despite all the sophisticated sorting and separating processes that have been developed and successfully marketed for many years, predominantly by the European machinery and plant manufacturers.

To fundamentally improve this situation, the aspects necessary for recycling after use will have to be considered during the conception, development and manufacturing of the primary products. Design of products for recycling has thus more and more turned out to be an enabler for building up a sustainable circular economy for polymers. This task affects the entire value-creation chain – from material generation through material production, machine manufacturing and processing, though to the users of the products and subsequent collection, sorting and reprocessing.

“Design for recycling” sets out to permeate industry to an unprecedented degree. K 2022, therefore, will show not only further developments of the necessary recycling technologies – collection, sorting, cleaning, filtering, mechanical treatment, through to chemical-engineering and chemical recycling – which have been booming for some years. For the future circular economy, for example, the trend toward development of films of monomaterial or mutually compatible materials is very important. They will increasingly replace the current composite films for the ever more popular standup pouches, with no loss of quality. Machine manufacturers will offer the first solutions for this.

In many other product fields, too, various corresponding approaches can be viewed. The related digital recording of the key characteristics of primary products for better automation of post-consumer sorting is another approach that combines two key themes of the trade show and is attracting great interest.

Climate Protection: the Key Question also Affects the Plastics Industry

The K 2022 Advisory Board has also set climate protection as another priority. Of course, with the realization of the circular economy, a great deal is already being done to improve plastics’ carbon footprint. After all, thanks to a material loop and the associated departure from incineration, carbon will no longer be released but will remain permanently bound in the polymer chain.

But that alone will not be sufficient. First, great importance will be placed on questions of sustainable energy production, and the associated energy efficiency for every industry. Second, over half of rubber and a good 99 % of plastics are produced from fossil resources.

In the plastics value chain, the chemical industry has the highest energy demand by far for building the polymer chains. But once they have been produced, polymers, particularly when compared with inorganic materials such as minerals or metals, require only very low amounts of energy to transform them into products. At K 2022, the producers will present the first practical approaches to supplying the process from renewable energy sources, such as wind power.

The conversion of energy generation to renewable sources opens up new possibilities for calculating the European polymer value chain in terms of its energy balance and therefore environmental impact. This is because alternative raw material sources for polymer production are also becoming economically viable. Corresponding approaches will already be presented at K 2022. It even goes as far as the possibility of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) – turning a waste problem into a raw material.

Digitalization: Connectivity of Processing Methods

For the generating industry, as a subarea of the chemical industry, with its large productions systems, it is a longstanding practice to network the plants that manufacture continuously from liquids and gases.

Digitally networked monitoring of the raw materials and product streams in the production area is under discussion, even industry-wide, across the boundaries of individual companies. Here, it is possible to identify some points of contact with the circular economy and climate protection. The special exhibition in Hall 6 organized by the producer association PlasticsEurope, with many presentations, lectures and discussions, will have a lot to offer in this respect.

The manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery have already been long accustomed to digital control of their products. The new factor in recent years has been the opening up of the so far mostly proprietary, stand-alone solutions for integration into a higher-level controller. At K 2022, all the important manufacturers of systems, machines and ancillary equipment will offer such connectivity options.

The magic acronym for this is “OPC UA,” which stands for “open platform communication unified architecture.” The new generations of almost all control systems have a corresponding interface for this. At the machine side, there are therefore no more barriers to a completely digitalized process and operation control in processing, at least for new installations. However, the retrofitting and penetration of existing machines will remain a challenge for years.

The question of data sovereignty is also controversial at the moment, and will also provide much food for discussion within the value-creation chain at the trade show. In a similar way to the large producer groups at the raw materials end, multinational group in the automotive industry at the customer end are also leaders in the digital penetration of the process and operations control. The OEMs appreciate the intrinsic value of the data – and they make a claim to it as long as it affects the end products of their brands. “Who does the data belong to?” There are already disputes between, e.g. the large tire manufacturers and their OEM customers. A large number of medium-sized suppliers of plastic and rubber products are watching with great interest to see what solutions are to be found here.

Here, too, on an entirely “profane” level, plastics will continue to play a key role for the future. The variety of solutions developed by the manufacturers of plastic and rubber technical parts will be needed in order to turn our backs on the combustion engine and switch mobility over to electric drives. Lightweight design, too, will still be present as a technology megatrend of the last decade. The questions of energy and material efficiency, both in production and application products will be a perennial issue. At the trade show, innovative offerings will be on show in large numbers and, along with products designed for recycling, will continue to be a clear trend. The K 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany, wants to demonstrate that plastics offer a substantial number of the solutions for our future.

Example on the topic of design for recycling from Reifenhäuser: recyclable All-PE MonoPouch.

Attention is turning more and more to PCR raw materials – here is an example picture from Lanxess.

Name - Hauptartikel

Statement des Aussteller-Beirats zur K-Messe 2022

Kunststoffe: Technologische Innovationen  zur K 2022

Statement by the Exhibitors’ Advisory Group

Part one on the topic of market and the economy appeared in <a href="https://en.kunststoffe.de/a/specialistarticle/setting-the-course-for-the-coming-decade-2889491">Kunststoffe international 6/2022, p.14</a>.

<a href="http://k-online.com" target="_blank">k-online.com</a>

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/technologische-innovationen-bleiben-moto-2932062" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Digitalisierung

In search of a faster method of adhesion lamination and a better solution to thermal lamination, Polifilm has developed a new technology that utilizes a corona station in the production of stand-up pouches in one example.

In search of a faster method of adhesion lamination and a better solution to thermal lamination, Polifilm has developed a new technology that utilizes a corona station in the production of stand-up pouches in one example. The films are connected chemically-mechanically without either heat or glue.

Polifilm’s corona-activatable film is intended to open up new processing fields for laminators, online printers, as well as label producers. This method makes it possible to create composites without thermal lamination or adhesive connection, thereby simplifying the process considerably.

The idea to use corona activation for pouches has developed into a broadly applicable technology. To begin with, the property profile of the co-extruded polyolefin solution opens up wide ranges of application, from a sealing medium for multi-complex composites to an overlaminate for labels.

The advantages as well as the processing of film solutions as sealing film are exemplified by the production of stand-up pouches. Instead of joining the sealing and print films at up to 125 °C heat or with a polyurethane-base curing adhesive, the voltage of in-line corona treatment suffices to activate the chemical-mechanical connection of low-temperature-reacting plastics to the required adhesiveness. Film production by coextrusion can avoid any sticking to the roll and counteract any interlocking such as in thermo-lamination. This also helps reduce the noise level during production.

Processing at Room Temperature Saves Energy and Money

Any film that seals at room temperature gives its user both economic and ecological advantages. The acquisition costs per system are generally about 80 % lower, over against classic energy and investment intensive thermal lamination. Example: the acquisition of a thermal lamination system can run about EUR 350,000, whereas a corona station can be installed for a mere EUR 30,000. Moreover, its running costs, as well as the C02 emissions from the eliminated heating process, are lower, since this film solution allows processing at room temperature. The usual 3 bar roller pressure for joining the laminating and printing film is sufficient to achieve a stable seal that can be cut and pouched in just five minutes subsequent to the corona treatment.

The added value for digital and online printing lies in the rapid processing, since the curing time for adhesive coating previously had to be figured in. In the growing online market, which is characterized by speed and small quantities per order, eliminating the two-to-three day curing time for two-component adhesives offers a decisive advantage. This is augmented on the quality side by reduced susceptibility to coating errors, by the elimination of the parameters exact adhesive application weight and correct viscosity range, as well by simplified process training for the personnel.

All in all, the room temperature-sealing film with its advantages of lower plant investment as well as simplified know-how requirement offers a good entry opportunity for digital printers who want to switch to flexible packaging, as well as for printers who wish to position themselves more broadly by integrating the laminating and printing processes. Laminators can also profit from this solution if they plan to expand internationally, especially to countries with limited access to know-how or faced by personnel bottlenecks due to the shortage of skilled workers. This solution quickly compensates for the purchase price of the films which is slightly higher than that of conventional solutions.

The Process Can also Be Used as an Overlaminate for Straight Printing and Labels

Whereas polyethylene varieties that are 25 to 160 µm thick are used for heat sealing films, polypropylene types of room temperature-sealing film can be used as overlaminate for straight printing. Since polypropylene is more temperature stable, the film protects the printed image from changes at the contact points of the sealing jaws when applied as the outer layer. Label production also profits from the use of an overlaminate, because this alternative protection helps save on material. In particular, the printed images of label solutions used for packaging and subject to the cold chain can be damaged by moisture. The new film solution stabilizes the processing window by replacing the UV-dried glue usually applied and/or an additional self-adhesive label.

Where the stated examples use multi-material composite layers, Polifilm is currently working on both All-PE and All-PP solutions for flexible mono-material packaging. At the moment, the sufficient temperature delta in the pouch machine presents the challenge. The aim is to exploit the potential of room temperature-sealing film for all groups of users.

Sample pouch manufactured from an MDO/PE mono-material composite and labeled by digital printing.

Labels with overlaminate to protect Inkjet UV inks.

Alexander Schulte-Derne, Team Leader Sales Protective Film, has been active for Polifilm Extrusion GmbH since 2017; <a href="mailto:alexander.schulte-derne@polifilm.de">alexander.schulte-derne@polifilm.de</a>

Denise Kirschbaum has been employed as Project Manager Corporate Development at Polifilm GmbH since 2017; <a href="mailto:denise.kirschbaum@polifilm.com">denise.kirschbaum@polifilm.com</a>

<a href="https://www.polifilm.com/" target="_blank">www.polifilm.de</a>

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/corona-statt-kaschieren-2943145" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>

Extrusion

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Beschichten, Kaschieren, Laminieren

Fügen / Verbinden

Fertigungsautomation

Anlagen / Systeme

Thinner Packaging Items  without Loss of Quality

Injection Compression Molding of Down-Gauged Packaging Applications

In a joint application center for thin-wall packaging, companies Sabic and Netstal have optimized the materials, equipment and process of the technology.

Increasingly strict environmental regulations require thin-wall packaging applications, which can provide both material and weight savings. However, this has been taking injection molding to its limits, whereas injection compression molding promises further wall thickness reductions. In a joint application center for thin-wall packaging, companies Sabic and Netstal have optimized the materials, equipment and process of the technology.

Real progress needs collaboration between partners. This is particularly evident in the field of packaging, where conventional injection molding has reached its limits in terms of reducing the wall thicknesses of applications. Advanced thin-wall technology must provide both: material and energy savings as well as uncompromising mechanical performance and aesthetics.

At the Thin-wall Packaging Application Center in Näfels, Switzerland, plastics supplier Sabic and injection machines manufacturer Netstal have bundled their strengths in complementary material and processing expertise to transfer the technology of injection compression molding (ICM) to the thin-wall packaging market. This opens significant opportunities for further down-gauging and lightweighting at lower injection pressures, reduced clamp forces and shorter cycle times. It also meets with increasing regulatory, brand owner and consumer demands for packaging solutions that reduce waste while offering very high product safety, appealing aesthetics as well as circularity potential and economics.

Diversity of Materials Complicates Transfer

Although injection compression molding has been a common technology e.g. in automotive and optical applications, its translation to thin-wall packaging is challenging because of the differences in material types, mold and machine setups to address the vast diversity of applications and part geometries in packaging. Some examples are pails for food and non-food items as well as containers for dairy, meat, vegetable, chilled and frozen products that all require a highly customized and integrated approach.

Materials typically used in these segments are PP homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers in high melt flow ranges of MFR 50 (g/10 min) and up. The material development for ICM applications focuses on eliminating this constraint in viscosities, while also enabling the use of polymers with MFR 20 or lower.

Beyond materials, the injection molding machine plays a vital role, as it must ensure a fast, reliable and repeatable process with intuitive and safe operation. The aXos Control of Netstal machines allows for a guided and swift setup of process parameters, which is key to implementing cost-efficient ICM solutions for thin-wall packaging. To further optimize the process, the partners also invested in an injection molding tool for research purposes that holds design features typical of thin-wall applications and enables variable wall thicknesses. In-mold sensors at different locations are used to assess ICM versus standard injection molding needs. This integrated approach has resulted in material, equipment and design guidelines targeted at maximizing the down-gauging and weight-saving potential of ICM molded packaging applications.

The thin-wall packaging application space is dominated by very high flow length to wall thickness ratios. There is a trend to further increase this ratio up to 1:350 and above, but this exceeds the limits of standard injection molding or reduces the mechanical performance of the packaging applications. In contrast, the ICM technology provides ways to achieve further wall thickness reductions or accommodate longer flow paths by taking advantage of the compression stroke (Fig. 1).

Compared to standard injection molding, a compression step is added to the molding cycle, which enables further down-gauging and weight saving for thin-wall packaging applications. The tool is equipped with a special compression frame that allows the injection sequence to start when the tool is still slightly opened. This is the so-called compression gap. The melt then begins to fill the cavity, while in parallel – on a timed basis – a compression stroke is made to close the gap and fill the part completely. The additional compression step does not create any additional cycle time.

Trials at the Thin-wall Packaging Application Center in Näfels, have demonstrated significant benefits when this process is combined with proper materials, optimized mold and application design. In the case of a drinking cup for airline onboard catering, it was found that the injection pressure can be decreased by up to 50 % as compared to injection molding, resulting in a potential wall thickness and weight reduction of 20 %.

Looking at the differences with some more detail, the wall thickness of the cup when using standard injection molding could be minimized to 0.35 mm, whereas the ICM process opened a further down-gauging potential to 0.28 mm. The standard injection molded cup weighs 6.5 g, the injection compression molded cup weighs 5.2 g. A difference of 1.3 g may not figure so much when a drink is served, but – in terms of material consumption when manufacturing the airline cup – the weight reduction adds up to savings of 40 t per year with a 4-cavity mold. Additional improvements included higher top load and impact resistance as well as the possibility of using materials with a lower MFR (Fig. 2).

Netstal had already presented a first industrial implementation of its ICM technology during Fakuma 2015, running a 4+4 stack mold for margarine tubs at the show. The advantages of the technology – lower clamp force requirements (smaller machine), weight savings of 20 % and increased lifespan of mold – still hold true today. Thanks to further developments in materials and process control, the wall thickness can even be reduced by up to 30 %, and the possibility of using a smaller machine also offers significant energy savings (Fig. 3).

The Table summarizes the clamp force, weight and material savings potential for an ICM lid application manufactured in an 8+8 stack mold. Apart from the more obvious advantages of lower injection pressure and reduced weight, the technology also resulted in lower molded-in stress, thus minimizing warpage and enabling a flatter lid, which is considered an important quality feature.

The collaboration has already allowed Netstal to introduce new machine and process control features. These are already available for packaging customers and molders and address control requirements for utilizing the maximum potential of the ICM technology.

For proper ICM process parameter settings, users need functions which are normally not available in the controls of conventional injection molding machines. In its aXos Control system, Netstal provides several screens for selecting and setting ICM specific parameters, such as the required clamp force. (Fig. 4).

Injection molding machines are normally designed to apply and maintain uniform clamp and locking forces when the mold is closed. The ICM process has a slightly different mold closing sequence (Fig. 1), which called for customized control functions. Therefore, a special production mode (in the aXos Control adapts to the requirements of the ICM process in the background. The modified control regime allows machine users to increase the compression speed by up to 30 %.

In addition, a newly developed timing diagram (Fig. 5) helps users visualize critical process values of freely selectable parameters in order to determine the best possible settings in their particular application process. Amongst others, the feature permits to control the fill performance of a part depending on the material and the compression gap. In a process without ICM, it would not be possible to fill the part using e.g. the PP FPC45 material within the injection pressure limits of the machine.

Another newly developed control feature addresses the process safety for ICM. The safety strategies incorporated in the standard control of injection molding machines will not suffice if the machine is set to run an ICM process, since there is no function available to monitor the force at the compression gap. The mold protection in Netstal’s ICM control system monitors the force at the compression gap until the compression phase is completed, which means that trapped parts will be safely detected by the machine.

Injection compression molding offers an enormous potential for weight, material, energy and cost saving thin-wall applications. The collaboration of Sabic and Netstal has demonstrated that the transfer of this technology to thin-wall packaging can be effectively accelerated when value chain partners bundle their strengths to deliver optimized material, machine and process control solutions.

Fig. 4. Netstal has added special screens to the aXos Control of its injection molding machines for setting injection compression molding parameters such as the clamp force.

Fig. 5. Timing screen function to visualize critical process parameters and determining the optimum injection compression molding parameter settings.

Table. Clamp force, weight and material savings potential of an injection compression molded lid with a 8+8 stack mold.

Fig. 1. Injection compression molding sequence from left: 1) mold still slightly opened (compression gap); 2) melt begins to fill the cavity, while the clamp performs another compression stroke to fully close the mold; 3) filling completed.

Fig. 2. Top load and fill performance with different materials at specific compression gap settings: depending on the material, the size of the compression gap results in different load-bearing capacities.

Fig. 3. Injection compression molding offers a high energy savings potential vs. standard injection molding.

KUint7-22_Sabic - Hauptartikel

 Bart van der Aar, M. Sc., is senior scientist in Sabic’s Technology & Innovation team for rigid packaging.

Dr.-Ing. Christina Härter is head of application engineering at Netstal Maschinen.

Reto Gmür is application engineer at Netstal Maschinen.

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

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

Both companies will showcase the technology at K 2022:

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/duennere-verpackungen-ohne-qualitaetsver-2943143" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>

Spritzgießen

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Spritzprägen

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Verpackungstechnik

Verpackungsmaschinen

 Flexible Turnkey System for Magnet-Equipped Nano Push Button Switches  at elobau

The sensor technology specialist elobau claims a vertical integration of 90 percent – above average for the industry.

The sensor technology specialist elobau claims a vertical integration of 90 percent – above average for the industry. Each production step – from injection molding to cable and SMD assembly – takes place in-house. When they conceived a turnkey production line for non-contacting nano push button switches, the company chose to work together with Arburg because the system supplier was able to provide an energy efficient, highly flexible solution.

A turnkey system was required when elobau GmbH & Co. KG, Leutkirch, Germany, wanted to expand and automate the production of nano push button switches (Fig. 1.) in February 2018 to accommodate an additional new magnet variant. Manual mold-entry operations were to be avoided as far as possible because of the very small and delicate parts and the production of two variants on one machine. The magnets, which must be inserted into the mold with the poles reversed, are extremely small, at 1.5 x 2.0 x 3.0 mm, which was another point in favor of the automation of production.

 And according to Dominik Schubert, head of injection molding at elobau, the quantities of up to 500,000 parts per year can also be supported. The nano push button switches are space-saving, safe and can be used anywhere. They are used worldwide in joysticks, handles, armrests or the housings of “off-highway vehicles” such as industrial trucks or construction and agricultural machinery, as well as in industrial applications.

The turnkey system based around an electric Allrounder 370 A injection molding machine with Multilift V robotic system for part handling is capable of picking up the singulated magnets of both variants and inserting them with the correct polarity (Title figure), thanks to the integrated magnet singulation for the two production alternatives and the individual gripper physiognomy. The two-cavity mold comes from the company’s own mold construction in Probstzella, Thuringia, Germany.

Hall sensors are used to control the exact position of the insertion. The sensor interrogates a closed magnetic field. If the circuit does not close, an error is reported and the injection molding process is stopped. This check ensures that the magnets are inserted in the correct position and orientation in the mold. Following the check, the overmolding with a polycarbonate (PC) is carried out via a cold runner system and the two parts and the sprue are removed from the mold. The sprue is discharged by the robotic system and the finished parts are deposited aligned on a conveyor belt (Fig.2). The complete cycle takes about 26.5 s.

The system achieves a high degree of autonomy as a result of the movable magazines for both magnet variants. The vertical and the horizontal loading plate are filled by the operators at a transfer station and work with 30 horizontal or vertical magnetic magazines each. Two lockable transfer stations can each provide two magnets per variant, which are then taken over by the gripper of the Multilift V. The challenge was to make the magnets available lying both horizontally and upright, as the correct pole position is the most important factor during overmolding. In variant one, the polarity is on the small front end; in variant two, it is on the long side.

Fully Integrated into the  Control System

According to Dominik Schubert, it was also important for elobau “that the robotic system and singling could be fully integrated into the machine control system. We also received a central ‘system controller’ from system supplier Arburg, which makes the overall process much easier to manage.”

The competent and transparent advice, fast quality service, particularly in respect of the supply of spare parts, as well as the reliability of the Allrounders were the deciding factors in elobau deciding to work with Arburg on this demanding application. Another consideration was the output, precision and the low energy consumption of the system. This is something the company attaches great importance to, as its production has been climate-neutral since 2010.

The individual gripper can pick up the separated magnets of both variants and insert them into the mold with the correct pole position.

Fig. 1. The nano push button switches  save room, are secure, and can be used anywhere. This filagree component is about 12.5 mm in diameter and has a magnet at its center.

Fig. 2. The turnkey system is energy efficient and can produce nano push button switches  flexibly. The Multilift V robot system (right) lays the finished parts aligned on a conveyor belt.

Hochflexible Turnkey-Anlage für Nanotaster bei elobau

Andreas Armbruster heads the Department of Automation & Turnkey Solutions at Arburg GmbH + Co KG, Lossburg, Germany.

elobau GmbH & Co. KG, located in Leutkirch (Allgäu), Germany, manufactures sustainable controls for construction and agricultural machinery, and industrial trucks, as well as non-contact sensor and level measurement technology for mechanical and plant engineering. Since its founding by Fritz Hetzer in 1972, the company has either developed customized solutions, or could supply a product from its comprehensive standard program. In 2020, the manufacturer of electrical components with over 1000 employees achieved sales of EUR 108 million.

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

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/umspritzen-in-polrichtiger-lage-2932065" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>

Automatisierungszellen

Automatisierungstechnik

Hybridtechnik

Magnetsensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Cost-Effective Direct Compounding for Medium-Sized Components

Efficiency Meets Sustainability: Systematically Reduce Costs and CO2 Emissions

How the direct compounding opens up new potential to reduce CO2 footprint – also for smaller components thanks to a further development from KraussMaffei.

Plastics processors are under a twofold pressure today: first, the material and energy prices are rising. Second, they have to find solutions to reduce the CO2 footprint of their production. Customers and legislators are requiring this in increasing measure. Direct compounding, which means manufacturing and processing compounds in a one-step process, opens up new potential here – now also for smaller components with a further development from KraussMaffei.

Until now, direct compounding was economically feasible only for larger components due to the high investment costs. With DCIM, which stands for Direct Compounding Injection Molding, KraussMaffei is elevating the technology to a new performance level now so that even articles weighing 50 g or more can be produced more efficiently and cost-effectively. The major benefit is the material cost savings that the user achieves with this.

Over 20 years of experience in direct compounding with the injection molding compounder (IMC) was brought to the development of the DCIM technology. For the IMC, which KraussMaffei presented in the year 2000, an extruder was integrated into the injection molding process for the first time [1]. Due to the high investment costs, however, the twin-screw extruder used here requires products with a shot weight of 1.5 kg or more to be economically attractive. DCIM now combines a single-screw extruder and the injection molding machine, thereby offering an alternative for small to medium-sized components (Title figure).

The new concept pursues the same goal as IMC technology, namely, compounding and homogenizing various materials directly on the injection molding machine to produce an injection molded part with significant cost savings and comparable product quality. The process combines cost benefits and process advantages. The difference lies in the preparation of the material mixture.

The reason for the change to a single-screw extruder is simple: For small to medium throughputs, a single-screw extruder is already very well suited for blending polymers and for mixing in additives, reinforcing or charging a mold. By combining the product segments of extrusion and injection molding under one roof, KraussMaffei gave crucial impetus to the development because it was possible to utilize their combined expertise (Fig. 1).