For the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany, 2020 is an anniversary year in three different ways. The RWTH Aachen University is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and is marking the occasion, by hosting the International Colloquium of Plastics Technology for the 30th time – with special feature on the previous day. A preview of the celebrations.

Institute Director Professor Christian Hopmann expects 800 participants to attend the 30th International Colloquium of Plastics Technology

A Varied Menu

Extrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Spritzgießen

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Temperiertechnik

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Additive Fertigung

Extrusionsanlagen

Reason to Celebrate 30th International Colloquium of Plastics Technology and  70 Years of the IKV

Maintaining competitiveness while producing in Germany requires not only cost-efficient production, but also high-quality products. Vorwerk Elektrowerke is accepting this challenge. In collaboration with the Institute of Product Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, the company is testing a 100 % inline quality monitoring system as well as a quality prediction using machine learning.

Customers who choose the Kobold VK 200 vacuum cleaner expect top quality. To ensure this, efforts for the introduction of Industry 4.0 measures are taken in the production plant in Wuppertal, Germany

16:9

Successfully Managing Digital Transformation with Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Kameras, intelligente

Fertigungsautomation

Bildverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Datenanalyse

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Inline Quality Monitoring and  Data-Based Quality Prediction

The Circular Economy is not only the theme topic at the K 2019. It is also the “green” thread running through the fair exhibit by Engel, the provider of injection molding machines and integrated system solutions. Industry 4.0 is turning out to be a driving force for recycling. This is a most timely insight, since the branch is in for several economically cool years.

Dr. Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group: “The plastics industry bears a  global responsibility.”

Engel Supports Strong Involvement by the Plastics Industry in a Circular Economy

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

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Spritzgießmaschinen

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Organobleche (gewebeverstärkte Thermoplast-Halbzeuge)

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

A Second Life for Plastics

Lightweight parts, energy-saving processing or the practice of combining several process steps into one can all be subsumed under one current buzzword: sustainability. A technology that is highly promising in this regard is thermoplastic foam injection molding.

In physical foam injection molding, a blowing gas is injected into the polymer melt during plasticizing

New Developments in Thermoplastic Foam Injection Molding

Schaumspritzgießen

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

A Special Process that Is Becoming a Sustainable Normal Case

According to researchers of the University of Sydney recycling robots could help solve soft plastic waste crisis.

Abfallverwertung

Energieeffizienz

Prozess- und Umwelttechnik

Technik Trend

kunststoffe-international.com

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Artificial Intelligence against Soft Plastic Waste

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

Steuern, Regeln

Software

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Biokunststoffe

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Spritzgießsimulation

Simulation

Lasermarkieren

Oberflächentechnik

Laserbearbeitungen

There Is More beyond the Horizon

The latest trend in digitization  is the Artificial Intelligence of Things. It amounts to “marrying” Artificial Intelligence with the Internet of Things. In the following interview, Martin Dimmler and Martin Rugfelt discuss how companies can profit from AIoT and what plastics manufacturers can learn from its pioneers in other industries.

Where Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) is used, value-adding opportunities for more efficiency, quality, and thus higher sales can be realized in every industry

Artificial Intelligence of Things: Trends and Models for the Plastics Industry

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

IoT-Plattformen für die Qualitätssicherung

Fernwartung / Ferndiagnose

Instandhaltung

Produkt- / anbieterspezifische Automatisierung

Automatisierungstechnik

Automatisierungszellen

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

“Intelligent Automation Brings Systems Closer to their Optimum”

From aerospace and defense to digital dentistry and medical devices, 3D printed parts are used in a variety of industries. They are comprised of many thin layers of materials, plastics in this case, deposited on top of each other to form a desired shape. These layers are prone to fracturing, causing issues with the durability and reliability of the part when used in a real-world application, for example a custom printed medical device. That is why they are currently used only in the prototyping phase of materials or as a toy for display.Brandon Sweeney and his advisor Dr. Micah Green discovered a way to make 3-D printed parts stronger and immediately useful in real-world applications. Sweeney and Green applied the traditional welding concepts to bond the submillimeter layers in a 3-D printed part together, while in a microwave. 

Welding of 3D Printed Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites 

Stronger 3D Printed Parts 

SMS Group, Düsseldorf, Germany, introduces 3D spray heads that cut cycle time and increase tool service life in closed-die forging. 

Spray heads printed to the 3D method have less weight, are process-optimized in design and more flexible in use (© SMS)  

3D Spray Heads 

90 Percent Lighter than Steel Parts 

A new patent from 3M Deutschland GmbH, Neuss, Germany, makes it possible to process fully fluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by 3D printing. Together with its subsidiary Dyneon GmbH, 3M is driving advances in the additive manufacture of geometrically complex parts from prototypes to small-lot production. In the area of plastics fillers, spherical, hollow glass microspheres (3M Glass Bubbles) are being promoted. They are easy to process, thermally insulating, rapid-cooling or act as a white pigment, and reduce component weight significantly. They are already widely used in the automotive industry thanks to useful programs such as the "weight-volume calculator", which increase understanding of the filler and point up potential applications. In order to further optimize use of the filler in future, 3M has initiated a partner program to assist its customers in the best possible way with technical expertise and training in the use and processing of the filler. 

3D printing of fully fluorinated polymers is suitable for the production of complex components from prototypes to small lots and has been patented (© 3M) 

3M Deutschland 

Innovations and Lightweight Design 

The manufacture of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic components for automotive serial production must be fast and cost-competitive. The ideal solution would be a one-stage process. In a potential study, a selective fiber placement unit was tested that combines fiber placement, resin injection, and curing in a single process step – with placement rates of up to 1 m/s. 

Additive Manufacture of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Components Using UV Radiation 

Automatisierungskomponenten

Harze

Reaktionsharze

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Faserverarbeitung

Fasern

Mastermind in the Fiber Placement Head 

In contrast to recent years, when particular key themes often dominated the fair exhibits of the leading injection molding machine builders, this year’s Fakuma will present more combinations of many different competences in complex production cells. Thus, Industry 4.0 not only takes slowly concrete shape, but is put into context with peripherals and controls in the development of new series. 

Re-Inventing Injection Molding Holistically  

Servomotoren

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Instandhaltung, Wartung in der spanenden Fertigung

ERP-Systeme

Polyurethan

Gasinjektionstechnik

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Machines as the Heart of Production 

After the explosion of developments in polymer formulations over the last year, it is worth taking a closer look during Fakuma at details such as functional additives or application-specific modifications. Overall, lightweight design continues to spur development but defined surface characteristics are also in demand. The reported innovations do not just follow current consumer trends but also provide ideas for advanced product and process developments. 

Functional Modifications Characterize Developments in Additives and Compounds 

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Polyamide

Polypropylen

Compound

Additive

Farbstoffe

Pigmente

Füllstoffe für Kunststoffe

Medizintechnik

Compoundeure

Distribuenten

Polymers Can Be Expected Everywhere 

Materialise and Tailored Fits create the world's first end-to-end digital supply chain for custom-fit ski boots. 

3D-Printed Ski Boot Inserts 

Is there a quantum leap on the horizon for 3D printing? The prototype of a newly developed 3D printer is able to process commercial pellets – also those of high-performance plastics such as PEEK, PPS, PSU, PA and PC, with or without fibers. The machine applies the usual strand-deposition process, though with a simply designed print head that includes a radial screw. 

A Novel Type of Print Head Gives Fresh Impetus to the FDM Branch 

Polysulfone / Polysulfide

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Faser- und Filamentextrusion

3D-Print with Affordable Pellets 

German Scientists want to develop an app for automatic monitoring of print quality in additive manufacturing at batch size 1.

Scientists from Hanover and Aachen are working on a solution to support small and medium-sized companies in particular in the approval of patient-specific medical devices from the 3D printer

3D printing enables a batch size 1 production, meaning no products are alike because each part is individually designed for the customer. Among others, this is interesting for the medical technology sector. Additively manufactured dental splints, hearing aids and even implants can be perfectly adapted to the body of an individual patient and still be produced cost-effectively. One challenge for companies, however, is quality assurance. Personalized medical devices are subject to strict safety requirements. Manufacturers must be able to guarantee that there are no invisible cracks or pores in the component and that the geometric requirements and desired material properties are achieved. Scientists from Hanover and Aachen are working on a solution to support small and medium-sized companies in particular in the approval of patient-specific medical devices from the 3D printer: they want to develop an app that helps with quality assurance.

The more individualized the production, the more difficult quality assurance becomes. In the case of goods manufactured in large series, it is often sufficient to carry out quality tests on a few randomly selected products in order to be able to draw conclusions about the entire batch. This is not possible with single-item products. Here, each component must be examined in detail to ensure quality.

Detecting possible defects in patient-specific 3D printed products during production is the goal of a new research project being conducted jointly by scientists at the Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover (IPH) gGmbH and the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University.

Artificial Intelligence to Detect Production Errors

The researchers want to equip an industrial 3D printer with sensor technology to seamlessly monitor the printing process. The sensor data will be evaluated in an app using Artificial Intelligence via a quality model to reliably detect production errors. The scientists at the IPH and the WZL are focusing primarily on medical technology, because in this industry the degree of individualization of products and the associated quality requirements are particularly high, and proof of a quality assurance system must be provided as part of an approval process. In the research project, the IPH is responsible for sensor technology and data collection, while the WZL is responsible for creating the quality model and programming the app.

Quality in 3D printing is influenced by many factors: the type of material used, the ambient temperature, the temperature at which the filament is melted, the printing speed, the vibrations of the print head and quite a few other parameters. “Additive Manufacturing processes are very sensitive to external influences,” says project engineer Anne Rathje from IPH. “Our goal is to get more safety into the process and avoid errors.” Particularly treacherous, she says, is that many errors are no longer visible from the outside once the component has finished printing. “For example, if the print head clogs briefly in between and then continues to print normally, you won’t see it later,” Rathje says.

For the research project, IPH is using the X500PRO industrial printer from German RepRap GmbH. The printing material used is the plastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which has a comparatively high strength but is very sensitive to temperature.

The scientists want to use various sensors to monitor the print quality. Conceivable options include sensors that measure the temperature of the build plate or build chamber, infrared sensors that can be used to determine the temperature directly at the print head, vibration sensors and optical measurement technology. Acoustic signals – in simple terms, sound recordings – are also useful for quality monitoring. These could be used, for example, to determine if the print head is clogged or if the filament breaks in the system. “You can hear that,” says Anne Rathje. “The challenge, however, is to process the signals in such a way that ambient noise is filtered out” – for example, the whirring of the motor in the 3D printer, the noise of the computer or a slammed door. To distinguish important from unimportant sounds, the researchers want to use Machine Learning, a form of Artificial Intelligence. By training the program with as many sound recordings as possible, it learns better and better how to reliably detect errors based on acoustic signals.

The App Provides Data – the Users Have to Interpret It

Ultimately, the goal is to develop an app that automatically evaluates all sensor data. “Our goal is to reduce the effort involved in quality assurance in 3D printing and also to enable laypersons to monitor the print via an intuitive app,” says Anna-Lena Knott from the WZL. Users do not have to interpret the sensor data – the app monitors the entire printing process, documents errors and provides feedback on print quality. In the event of serious errors that could render the component unusable, the app stops the printing process and informs the user. The print settings can then be adjusted and specialist personnel called in if necessary.

The IPH and the WZL are working closely with industry on the research project. The project advisory committee includes manufacturing companies from medical and dental technology and other industries, as well as manufacturers of 3D printers.

The IPH and WZL are working closely with industry on the research project. The project advisory committee includes manufacturing companies from medical and dental technology and other industries, as well as manufacturers of 3D printers. The research project, entitled “Sensor- and app-based validation of process and product quality for effort-reduced certification of personalized medical devices (SAViour),” will run until January 2023 and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Werkzeugmaschinenlabor WZL der RWTH Aachen University 

https://www.wzl.rwth-aachen.de

IPH - Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gemeinnützige GmbH 

https://www.iph-hannover.de

Quality monitoring: the scientists will attach sensors to the printer to detect faults such as a clogged print head

3D printed dental splints: thanks to additive manufacturing, medical products can be individually adapted to the patient’s body and still be produced cost-effectively

3D printers in the dental lab: Rainer Ulbricht Dental-Technik GmbH already uses additive manufacturing and participates in the SAViour research project

Professional 3D printing system: in the research project, IPH uses the X500PRO industrial printer from German RepRap GmbH and equips it with sensor technology