The Wilhelm Böllhoff GmbH & Co. KG employs Arburg’s ALS host computer system as a uniform MES at locations all over the world. Not only all their injection molding machines are networked with information technology via ALS, but hundreds of machines and turnkey systems for metalworking and assembly, as well. Some 3000 injection molds are also managed. This generates transparency in everything from order planning and process optimization to maintenance.

The process status of every machine can be viewed via the ALS terminal

Böllhoff Uses ALS as a Uniform Global MES for Injection Molding and Metalworking

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Spritzgießmaschinen

Big Data für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

Energiemanagement

Energieeffizienz

Completely Joined to the Host Computer System

Aimplas closed 2021 with revenue of EUR 17.6 million, 20% more than in the previous year.

Aimplas reported nearly EUR 18 million in revenue in 2021.

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kreislaufwirtschaft

20 Percent Increase at Aimplas

Kraiburg TPE is expanding its portfolio of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for automotive interiors with grades with a recycling content of up to 38 %.

The post-industrial recycled raw material used is waste material derived from the manufacturing process for plastic products. © Kraiburg TPE

Thermoplastische Elastomere

Thermoplaste

Recycling Content for Automotive Interiors

Additive manufacturer Grafe has developed a new update for its matting agent in 3D printing.

Compared to its predecessor, the matting agent halves the gloss level once again. 

Farbstoffe und Pigmente

Additive

Filamente für additive Verfahren

Andere Werkstoffe

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Additive Fertigung

3D Printing with Less Gloss

Colors can turn plastics products into real eye-catchers. Kunststoffe asked colorant manufacturers to predict which colors will be trending in the coming year.

16:9

Trend Report on the Coloring of Plastics

Pigmente

Masterbatches

Farbstoffe

Farben, flüssig

Garish or Necessarily Plain?

Effect pigments can be used to injection mold thermoplastic parts with a shiny metallic surface. However, non-uniform pigment orientation can lead to optical defects. Suitable simulation methodology enables defects to be predicted and prevented.

There is huge demand for automobiles that have metallic finishes. Plastic parts are often painted or electroplated for this purpose. Metallic effect pigments constitute an alternative. Audi and PEG are working on a simulation process for these pigments with a view to ruling out surface defects. 

Simulating Surface Defects in Parts Using Effect Pigments

Simulation

Software

Effektpigmente

Effective Prediction

High-performance plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) offer many interesting opportunities for improving gears. However, precise statements about the relevant characteristic values are crucial for their effective use.

The mass balancer gear made of Vestakeep 5000 G is the first plastic gear used  in Mercedes-Benz transmissions. It replaces the metal gears previously used there. 

Designing Quieter, More Energy-Efficient Gears with PEEK

Polyetherketon

Zahnräder

Maschinenelemente

Lager

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Getting to the Heart of Wheels

The combination of injection compression molding, direct coating and partial film insert molding enables a novel design for the front module of the BMW iX electric vehicle. Important in the development were extensive trials carried out by plastics manufacturer Covestro in its technical lab.

Various production processes are combined to manufacture the front module of the BMW iX, known as the kidney.

Producing Large Exterior Parts with Integrated Functions and High-Quality Finishes

Technische Kunststoffe

Polyurethan

Polycarbonat

Facelift for Electric Vehicles

Aimplas participates in European Space Agency project to develop new materials under microgravity conditions in the Earth’s orbit.

View of the northern region of the Earth.

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Unternehmen

kunststoffe.de

Aimplas Supports ESA Project

Due to the aspect of sustainability, natural fibers are interesting as reinforcements for plastics. To keep their ecological footprint as low as possible, it is advisable to use fibers from regionally grown plants.

The “perennial cup plant” is cultivated in Germany for biogas production. The fibers of the plant can be extracted from the resulting fermentation residues and subsequently used for composites.

Fermentation Residues from Biogas Production Are Turned into Fibers for Composites

Fasern

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Biokunststoffe

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Lightweight Construction with  Regional Plant Fiber

The HolyGrail 2.0 Initiative aims to improve the sorting of plastic waste. But the method also has certain drawbacks. Here, luminescent pigments provide an alternative.

Marker masterbatches enable different information to be embedded in plastics. This can be used to improve the recycling circle.

Improved Sorting of Plastic Waste with Luminescent Pigments

Messtechnik

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Additiv-Batches

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Luminous Markers instead of Holy Grail

With the change from internal combustion engines to hybrid and electric vehicles, peak operating temperatures have dropped from 135 °C to 110 °C. At the same time, the number of operating hours compared to combustion engines has increased nine-fold. This has an influence on material selection.

A Comparison of PA66 and PPA for Electric Vehicles

Elektromotoren

Antriebe

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Polyamide

Higher Performance in Water

Plastic recyclates and plastics containing natural materials often have an unpleasant odor. That severely limits the application range of the plastics concerned. However, an odor barrier layer can help.

A skin layer containing additives prevents the emission of unpleasant odors that adhere to the recyclates.

Method to Prevent Odor Emission from Plastic Recyclates

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Keeping the Smell in

Plastic manufacturer Dow has announced the launch of more sustainable polyolefin elastomers. The new brand will help the footwear industry to unlock a lower carbon footprint and develop more sustainable products.

Crocs is the first footwear brand to go-to-market with this new material technology.

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Walking on Bioplastics

Innovative particle foams, bio-based filler materials and sustainable engineering plastics.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Asahi Kasei Introduces New Materials

The materials manufacturer has set itself high targets for making production and products climate neutral.

Already in 2021, Covestro cut specific greenhouse gas emissions, those generated per metric ton of product produced, by 54 percent compared to 2005 and thus overachieved its previous sustainability target set for 2025. Covestro has now defined a further bold target: the Group aims to become climate neutral and achieve net zero emissions by 2035 for scope 1 and scope 2. On the path to achieving this goal, the company plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its own production (scope 1) and from external energy sources (scope 2) by 60 percent (base year 2020) to 2.2 million metric tons by 2030. In addition, indirect greenhouse gas emissions from upstream and downstream processes in the value chain (scope 3) will be further reduced. Covestro intents to announce a reduction target for this by 2023.

To achieve net zero emissions, Covestro anticipates dedicated investments of an accumulated EUR 250 million to EUR 600 million by 2030, resulting in lower operating expenses of expected EUR 50 million to 100 million annually due to growing energy efficiency. On its path to achieve net zero emissions, Covestro also expects an increase in operating expenses in the magnitude of a low three-digit million EUR amount annually. These cost assumptions are based on the historic experience that prices for fossil-based energies are lower than prices for renewable energies.

How Covestro Intends to Achieve its Goals

<ul><li> Production processes will be improved further and energy efficiency enhanced to achieve even more sustainable manufacturing. One focus is on reducing nitrous oxide emissions. That will be possible through greater use of innovative catalyst technology. In addition, production plants can be controlled more efficiently thanks to further digitalization of the facilities and the use of digital technologies, while processes can be optimized using digital simulations. Digital technologies also help collect and track emissions data throughout the value chain.</li><li>Covestro’s production sites worldwide are to be gradually converted to renewable electricity. That includes the use of offshore wind power, backed for example by a supply agreement with the energy provider Ørsted, which will cover 10 percent of the electricity required by the company’s sites in Germany from 2025 on. Onshore wind energy will also be used, for example under the power purchase agreement with Engie, that covers 45 percent of the electricity needs of the Covestro site in Antwerp, Belgium. About 10 percent of the electricity Covestro needs in Shanghai, China, already comes from the solar parks of Datang Wuzhong New Energy Co. In addition to the existing cooperation models with power suppliers, further agreements are being planned in order to achieve a net zero carbon footprint.</li><li>Steam is an important energy source for chemical production processes. Converting steam generation from fossil to renewable energy sources is a challenge that Covestro intends to solve by various routes. To this end, the company is looking into the use of biogas and green natural gas as an energy source to generate renewable steam. Green hydrogen and green ammonia or green electricity could also be used as energy source for steam generation.</li></ul>

A Climate Neutral Version for Every Product

Focused on customer centricity, Covestro is already expanding its portfolio of climate neutral products continuously. Urbanization, for example, increases the focus on constructing new energy-efficient buildings and renovating old ones. Large quantities of MDI are used worldwide as a raw material for making rigid polyurethane (PU) foam, a very effective insulation material for buildings and refrigerators. Now Covestro has added a climate neutral MDI to the product portfolio. 40 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent could be saved by using PU insulation. The new MDI types are climate neutral from the cradle to the gate thanks to the use of precursors from ISCC Plus-certified mass-balanced organic waste and residual materials.

Another groundbreaking example for sustainable products is Covestro’s world first climate neutral polycarbonate, made using raw materials from mass-balanced organic waste and residual materials as well as renewable energy. With the increasing trend of electromobility and the regulatory push for electric vehicles (EV), charging systems need to grow continuously, too. Using the climate neutral polycarbonate for EV charger could enable savings up to 450 kilotons CO2 equivalent by 2030. Covestro’s climate neutral polycarbonate is being shipped to customers since 2021.

Covestro AG  

https://www.covestro.com

2022-03-25 Covestro

issue 04/2023

issue 03/2023

issue 02/2023

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