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

In cars, LEDs are taking over ever more applications and are increasingly used as differentiating design elements. In order to ensure a high luminous efficiency even with complex geometries and elongated structures, Engel has developed a new plasticizing process for manufacturing light guides.

The transformation of the automobile also strongly affects the vehicle interior. Light is gaining in importance as a design element

The Principle of Starve Feeding: Injection Molding Ultrahigh Purity Light Guides

Farbmessgeräte

Messtechnik

Optische Mess- und Prüftechnik

LED / OLED-Systeme und Faseroptik

Lichttechnik

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Less Granules  Stock Means More Quality

A year to forget is nearing its completion. To brighten up this dreary fall season without a major event like Fakuma, injection molding machine builders have concocted various strategies.

Fig. 1. Ingrinder system solution: the sprue picker guides the removed sprue via vacuum conveyance to the integrated granulator

Injection Molding Machine Builders Are Discovering New Ways to Reach Their Customers

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Schneidmühlen

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

What Can You Do at Fall Fairtime,  When There Aren’t Any?

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

Mikrospritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

Automatisierungstechnik

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

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

The required screw diameter can be ascertained on the basis of the shot volume. The formula for the average residence time can be used to estimate the degree of utilization and the thermal load on the material.

Various shapes of plasticizing screws. The correct design is approached in several steps

16:9

Part 1 of the Series Discusses the Basic Design of a Plasticizing Unit and the Correct Choice of Injection Unit

All about Plasticizing Screws

Infrared heating technology has become established as the standard in the processing of thermoplastic composite materials. The focus is on process control. On the one hand, it is important that the heating process is fast, on the other hand, the material must not be overheated. It is also important to achieve excellent temperature homogeneity. Simultaneous processing of blanks with different thicknesses is a particular challenge.

Three organo sheets of different thickness are heated in two IR ovens in the production of a door structural part

20:7

Efficient and Precise Heating up of Thermoplastic Composites

Steuern, Regeln

Infrarotstrahler

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Organobleche (gewebeverstärkte Thermoplast-Halbzeuge)

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Software-Based Control of IR Ovens

To be able to carry out the practical test in a resource-saving manner, the designers use simulation tools to assess the screw geometry. What is important here is explained using a 3-zone screw as an example.

The screw geometry is finely optimized in several calculation steps until the desired result is achieved. Subsequently, test screws are manufactured in original size and tested in practical tests with various material types

Part 2 of the Series Deals with Basic Methods for Evaluating a Screw Geometry

The new injection-molding machine Engel duo speed combines productivity and efficiency with short cycle times in a high clamping force range. The two-platen machine is thus making inroads into a range of packaging applications that were formerly the domain of toggle machines.

If you want a somewhat larger sized pail: the duo speed large machine was developed specifically for manufacturing pails and transport boxes

Engel Duo Speed Expands the Machine Portfolio for Packaging Applications

High-Speed Machine with a  Small Footprint

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

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)

Prozessvisualisierung

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

An Eye on the Process –  a Handle on Quality

The area of application of cube molds has expanded to take in the production of technical parts. The new Allrounder Cube 1800 from Arburg with a clamping force of 1800 kN is providing the response to this trend. With its compact cube, this machine completes the portfolio of products at the lower end of the range.

At the heart of the cube machine is a compact cube designed by our partner Foboha which can be easily accessed from above. The rotation of the cube is powered servo-electrically and the horizontal movement relies on rack and pinion mechanisms

Arburg Expands Hybrid Cube Series

After a year’s forced break of Fakuma, Wittmann Battenfeld is announcing the new servohydraulic SmartPlus machine as the highlight of this year’s trade show. It is claimed to be characterized by high economic and energy efficiency and repeat accuracy.

The new SmartPlus machine is equipped with the HiQ Flow software and the CMS Light condition monitoring system

Messe Fakuma

kunststoffe-international.com

Spritzprägen

Injection Molding Innovations In-House, Live and in Color

Emilio López has been appointed as the new managing director of Engel de Mexico SA de CV. He succeeds Peter Auinger, who retired on 1st September 2021.

Emilio López is the new managing director of Engel de Mexico SA de CV

New Managing Director in Mexico

Arburg will be showing the hybrid high-performance Hidrive series on its stand no. 21B25 in Hall 2, with an Allrounder 520 H producing 32 pipette tips in around 6 s cycle time.

The hybrid Allrounder 520 H on show at Interplastica is equipped with a 32-cavity mold and produces pipette tips in a cycle time of around 6 s.

High-Tech for Medical Technology

From 25 to 28 January, the OOO Engel team presents its booth in Moscow again. The injection molding machine manufacturer and system solution provider headquartered in Austria is making the huge potential of digital solutions tangible by producing technical parts live on a tie-bar-less victory injection molding machine.

Engel victory injection molding machines with tie-bar-less clamping units.

The Benefits of Tie-Bar-Less Technology

Plastics Machinery Shipments Grew in Third Quarter

Shipments of primary plastics machinery in North America increased in the third quarter according to the statistics compiled and reported by the Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), Washington, USA, announced that shipments of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America increased in the third quarter according to the statistics compiled and reported by the Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).

The preliminary estimate of shipment value from reporting companies totaled USD 333.8 million in the third quarter. It increased 4.0% from the previous quarter and 8.8% from a year earlier. The value of shipments of twin-screw extruders rose significantly by 44.4% in the third quarter and was 61.2% above the third quarter last year. In the third quarter, shipments of single-screw extruders rose by 7.2% from the previous quarter and 15.9% from the third quarter last year. Injection molding shipments edged up 1.6% from the second quarter and 5.7% from a year earlier.

“Plastics equipment shipments picked up in the third quarter as the economy continue to emerge from the pandemic. Moreover, the increase in shipments was consistent with higher plastics production, which in the third quarter rose 4.2% or 5.9% from a year earlier. The upward-sloping demand for plastics equipment has not changed,” according to Perc Pineda, Ph.D. the Chief Economist of PLASTICS.

Survey on Market Conditions and Expectations for the Future

The CES also conducts a quarterly survey of plastics machinery suppliers that asks about present market conditions and expectations for the future.

In the third quarter survey, 75.5% of respondents expect market conditions to either improve or hold steady in the coming quarter – lower than the 92.7% of respondents who expressed the same view in the second quarter’s survey. As for the next 12 months, 75.0% expect market conditions to be steady-to-better. This is lower than the 78.7% of respondents in the previous quarter’s survey who were expecting growth in the next 12 months.

“While the survey results show that growth expectations have moderated it also reveals that plastics machinery suppliers remain optimistic about market conditions four quarters ahead,” said Pineda. 

Plastics machinery exports increased by 6.1% to USD 390.2 million from the second quarter. Mexico and Canada remained the top export markets of plastics machinery from the U.S. The combined exports to USMCA partners in the third quarter totaled USD 172.6 million, which was 44.2% of total plastics machinery exports. Imports fell by 3.0% to USD 848.4 million resulting in a USD 458.3 million trade deficit. The U.S. plastics machinery trade deficit decreased by 9.6% in the third quarter. U.S. trade data in the third quarter are in sync with the improving global trade outlook. The World Trade Organization now expects a 10.8% increase in global merchandise trade this year—an upward revision from its 8.4% projection in March.

“Data we’re seeing at PLASTICS confirm our prior projections that the outlook for plastics machinery in the second half of 2021 is positive albeit shipments will continue to fluctuate. The likelihood that supply-chain issues will continue to be a headwind in 2022 remains high. The globe is still emerging from the pandemic,” said Pineda.