Guido Frohnhaus has been Managing Director Technology & Engineering at Arburg for a good two years now. The pandemic restrictions meant that he has made very few appearances outside the company so far, but, as he says himself, he spent the time getting to know the in-house processes at all levels and in great detail. In this interview with Kunststoffe, the 52-year-old talks about the course he plans to set and how crucial the high level of in-house manufacturing and programming expertise is for the company’s independence.

16:9

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Kreislaufwirtschaft

“Gestica Will Be the Fixed Star in the Customer’s Universe”

The ninth broadcast by arburgXvision was about strategies for significantly increasing the utilization rate of injection molding machines.

Moderator Guido Marschall and Arburg experts Christian Homp and Christoph Blöchle (from right) discussed how the right mold strategy pays off for injection molding companies

Automatisierungstechnik

“Mold Strategy 2.0 – New Ideas for Reducing Costs”

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.

Fig. 1. Smart Operation – the machine is operated with only four buttons (© KraussMaffei)

Injection Molding Trends at K 2019

Schaumspritzgießen

Smart Factory

Energieeffizienz

Mikrospritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrieroboter

Montagetechnik

Montage-Spritzgießen

Knickarmroboter

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

In the second part of the series, calculations were carried out on the throughput behaviour, pressure build-up capacity and the melting process on the basis of an exemplary geometry. These results are now to be examined in more detail and subsequently optimized.

Through empirical tests and simulation-supported test series, a screw can be designed in a tailor-made manner for the respective application 

Part 3 of the Series Deals with the Tests to Optimize the Screw Geometry

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

All about Plasticizing Screws

iQ process observer, the new process monitoring platform from Engel monitors hundreds of parameters from the injection molding cell in the background.

The injection molder is truly not a friend of changes – if they occur in the running process. The iQ process observer helps him to keep an eye on the process and thus keep a handle on the quality

A Process Monitoring Platform Monitors Several Hundred Parameters Simultaneously

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Prozessvisualisierung

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

An Eye on the Process –  a Handle on Quality

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.

Two displays are seamlessly integrated into the continuously 3D-formed instrument panel

Innovative Injection Molding in Times of Pandemic

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

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

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

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

There Is More beyond the Horizon

Which injection molding machine is the right one for which application? Below we will demonstrate why performance is not always performance, but physics is always physics.

Direct drives such as planetary roller screw drives are very precise and durable

How Feed Rate, Injection Volume and Filling Time Correlate with Injection Unit Performance

Kugelgewindetriebe

Maschinenelemente

Getriebe

Elektrische Antriebe für Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

Elektromechanische Maschinen

A Question of Class

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 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. 

New Webviewer Merges Web and Control Applications

Bedienterminals

Computer Hardware

Central Control Unit Makes Use  of Web Technology

The digital shadow is the core concept of the Cluster of Excellence “Internet of Production” at RWTH Aachen University. It represents the data trace of an asset to describe its real behavior. In the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0 (PIC 4.0), digital shadows, e.g. the data trace of a sensor, are used to optimize processes taking into account real behavior and to determine simulation quality.

The construction of the PIC 4.0 proceeds and throws its shadow on the Campus Melaten.

Part 7 of the Series: How the Digital Shadow Enlightens Real Processes in the PIC 4.0

Sensorik für Kunststoff-Verarbeitungsmaschinen

Digitaler Zwilling

Out of the Shadow into the Light

Internal pressure loads are typical for fiber-reinforced plastic components. To increase the burst strength of components, the fiber orientation can be modified in a targeted way during injection molding by means of a rotating mold core. A newly developed simulation method allows this modified fiber orientation to be taken into account at the design stage.

Practical implementation of a mold system with rotating core.

Mold System with Rotating Core Improves Mechanical Properties

Werkstoffprüfung, mechanisch

Messtechnik

Werkstoffprüfung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Design Methodology for Parts Subject to Internal Pressure

CoreTech System announced the appointments of Dr. David Hsu as its new Chairman, and Dr. Venny Yang as the new CEO. Dr. Rong-Yeu Chang, founder of CoreTech System, announced his resignation and assumed new roles.

Dr David Hsu (left) and Dr Venny Yang (right) have taken over the roles of chairman and CEO, respectively, from Dr Rong-Yeu Chang (centre)

CoreTech System Appointed New Chairman and CEO

Skilful application of the evaluation and analytical options afforded by process simulation, including designing the best temperature-control system and making comparisons with alternative manufacturing processes, smoothes the way to efficient product development and manufacturing. Doing this from the very start of a project enables investments to be weighed and qualified, and technical, economic or environmental concerns to be taken into account, as exemplified here by a part with a high-gloss surface.

3D CAD view of the conformal temperature-control system for injection molding a fascia with a high-gloss surface.

Predicting the Surface Finish of High-Gloss Plastic Parts

Dynamische / variotherme Temperierung

Lackieren

Chemisches Bearbeiten (Auftragen)

High Gloss – Paintless and Painless

Arburg has adopted a clear message for its trade fair appearance at the K 2022 in Düsseldorf: „There is only a Plan A“.

In the arburgGreenworld pavilion of the VDMA Circular Economy Forum, an Allrounder 370 A with recyclate package is manufacturing “Greenline” wall plugs from Fischer.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Sustainability thanks to Digitalization

The injection molding machine manufacturer Arburg and the simulation software supplier Simcon presented the first filling simulation directly on the injection molding machine three years ago.

The new tool works on any Arburg injection molding machine with Gestica control.

Exclusive Interview with Werner Faulhaber of Arburg and Paul Filz of Simcon

“We Tear down Walls”

In the conception of functionally integrated and injection molding-appropriate designs, SimpaTec supports the company with up-to-date simulation expertise.

Flooded with water: the new generation of e-bike frames is manufactured by the WAIM process.

Holistic Product Development of a Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Bicycle Frame

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Verstärkungsstoffe

Analysetools, FEM

Drop by Drop

5. arburgXvision: „Savings through Hidden Benefits!“

The fifth broadcast by arburgXvision was all about the exciting question of how productivity can be optimized by bringing together technology, organization and digitalization in the ideal manner.

The fifth broadcast by arburgXvision entitled “Savings through hidden benefits! Savings – there’s still some to be had”, was all about the exciting question of how productivity can be optimized by bringing together technology, organization and digitalization in the ideal manner. Around 400 viewers tuned in live to the interactive Arburg TV broadcast online.

Arburg experts Christoph Kiefer, Team Manager for Technical & Commercial Sales Support, and Dr Thomas Walther, Head of Application & Process Development, were guests in the studio. What’s more, there were two live streams from the Arburg Training Center, providing specific tips on potential savings.

The program highlighted both in theory and in practice how processes can be optimized using the Arburg host computer system ALS and digitally networked machines, and what role a “smart” machine controller plays in this. In interactive polls, the audience answered questions on how important this is for everyday injection molding operations.

Around 64 % of German and 50 % of international viewers felt that the topic of cost savings was very important. Almost every company is already looking specifically for hidden opportunities to make savings, also known as hidden benefits. Two out of three German companies, but only one in four international companies, are already using software tools for production organization purposes. German viewers felt that the work planning function and reliable processes offered the greatest potential for increasing profit margins in equal measure (46 % in each case). Among international participants, reliable processes were streets ahead (75 %), followed by transparency (25 %).

Christoph Kiefer’s key message was: “There’s no way around digitalization when it comes to a notable improvement of efficiency in your production!“. One of the challenges is the acute shortage of skilled workers. For example, in Germany, only 1500 people started apprenticeships to become process mechanics in the field of plastics and rubber technology in 2020 – almost 40 % fewer than in 2018. Therefore, digital systems have an even greater role to play in assisting specialists with process optimization. Christoph Kiefer presented the Arburg host computer system ALS as a digital representation of the entire injection molding production system, and went into detail about how this facilitates efficient production management along the entire value chain. Viewers learned how they can use it to make organization, processes and procedures transparent at production level, analyse them and monitor them in real time, and use capacity to the full. In addition, injection molding machines and systems from other manufacturers can be integrated into Arburg’s own MES and mold programs can be managed centrally. “Digital production management is a kind of navigator that reliably alerts us to impending faults and offers enormous potential in terms of saving time and cutting costs,” Christoph Kiefer emphasized. “In a production system with 20 injection molding machines and ten daily set-up processes, around 250 hours of additional production time can be gained every year simply by providing all the necessary tools and peripheral devices,” explains the expert. Furthermore, automatic recording and documentation of the machine and order counters saves close to the entire working time of an employee over the course of the year; an employee who can, instead, be assigned to more productive activities.

Reliable Processes thanks to “Smart” Assistance Functions

“A solid process – that’s what I’m living for!” emphasized application technology expert Dr Thomas Walther. “Because if it’s not solid and reliable, it cannot be optimized.” He mentioned that the digitalized machine with its “smart” assistance functions was a quality monitor and an essential component for tapping into hidden benefits. This would result in reproducible processes, meaning that good parts could be manufactured efficiently and time and money could be saved. “All of the devices and components that have an impact on the process can be parametrized, adjusted and monitored via the central machine controller.” He demonstrated how the machine communicates via the OPC UA and Euromap interfaces and exchanges data with the peripheral equipment and higher-level systems. Temperature control devices, dosing systems and hot runner controllers were the application examples that he mentioned. Robotic systems that are fully integrated into the controller, thereby facilitating significant cycle time reductions, are the icing on the cake. The expert also explained how states can be monitored to ensure stable production of good parts – for example, by displaying signal curves and envelope curves as well as a controlled soft start when restarting a machine. The question of how the mold status can be “sensed” – for example, using networked temperature control devices, flow value measurements and ejector force recording, was of particular interest.

Important Savings Opportunities Presented Live

During the first live stream from the Training Center in Lossburg, Germany, ALS expert Peter Kowalewski provided specific practical tips regarding the host computer system and detailed planning. He explained how the planning chart can be used to assign production orders, molds and peripheral equipment to individual machines and adapt them to the current workload. The viewers also learned how to load orders directly onto the machine and track part production in real time using a mobile machine terminal. Finally, Peter Kowaleswki addressed the wealth of analytical possibilities.

In the second live stream, Philipp Jarosch, Team Manager of the Arburg injection molding facility, demonstrated how cycle times can be significantly reduced by optimizing the production process. One example was to move ejectors at the same time as opening and closing the mold. He also talked about how to synchronize robotic systems that are integrated into the Gestica or Selogica control systems.

In the concluding round of discussions with presenter Guido Marschall, Christoph Kiefer summarized the following key finding: “In Germany, a far greater number of customers are already using software tools to optimize their production systems because cost pressure started to set in here before it did in other countries. But this trend is spreading throughout the world – our customers there are becoming more and more open to the topic of digitalization.” Dr Thomas Walther underlined this point: “The automotive industry in particular is under enormous cost pressure. For this reason, our application technology consultants provide assistance even before the purchase is made so as to get the best out of each machine and application.” Besides the technology, optimized organizational processes are the most important factor in getting the most out of existing capacity and lowering costs further still.

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG  

https://www.arburg.com

Christoph Kiefer, Team Manager Technical & Commercial Sales Support (left), and Dr Thomas Walther, Head of Application & Process Development (center), had a discussion with presenter Guido Marschall on how to increase production efficiency by taking advantage of “hidden benefits“

2021-06-09 Arburg xvision EN

“Totally digital – arburgXworld in detail” is the title of the next topic. Guests on the sixth show are Arburg experts Benjamin Franz, Team Manager Digital Solutions, and Stephan Reich, Head of IT Application Development. They will address the added value provided by digital customer services and networked machines and will show viewers how the arburgXworld customer portal makes operational sequences easier and quicker along the entire value chain. In addition, practical tips will be provided during two live streams from the Arburg Customer Center inLossburg<br/><span class="webadresse">https://www.arburgxvision.com/en/</span>