Many so-called “low carbon footprint technologies” are already available and could be utilized immediately in plastics processing. But what carbon reduction measures are not only environmentally effective? Using practical examples, gwk shows how the use of efficient temperature-control technology rapidly pays off economically, too.

Fig. 1. Differences in power consumption and quantity ratio

Even in Difficult Economic Times, It Is Worthwhile Investing in Energy-Efficient Temperature Control

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Temperiergeräte

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Gießanlagen

Temperiertechnik

Energieeffizienz

Advantages through Sustainable Temperature-Control Technology

New polymer composites for the production of multi-layer small tubes are being developed to give products specific functions. With suitable co-extrusion dies and a thermal barrier option, even complex layer composites with melt temperature differences of more than 50 °C can be processed reliably and in high quality.

CV-T 5-layer co-extrusion die in pilot plant operation: tubes with small cross-sections that fulfill a multitude of demands can be produced by  co-extrusion

Combining Polymers with Very Different Processing Temperatures

Extrusion

Baugewerbe (Hoch- und Tiefbau)

Medizintechnik (KU)

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Bautechnik, Sanitär

Rohr- und Profilextrusion

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Extruder-Folgeeinrichtungen

Extrusionsanlagen

Extrusions-Zubehör

Automotive

Fahrzeugbau

Co-Extrusion with Thermal Control

In order to minimize the risk of contamination in the production of medical products, Scholz HTIK (High Tech in Kunststoff) decided to change its temperature control processes from oil to water as a heat transfer medium.

P230S temperature control unit with mobile water treatment system waterCare in operation

Processing of High-Performance Plastics without Purity Problems

Medizintechnik

Temperature Control with Water up to 230 °C as a Substitute for Oil

Starting with the systematic design of manufacturing processes and the precise simulation of part manufacture, through smart tooling technology and sophisticated melt guidance, to efficient mold temperature control, numerous exhibitors have many innovations in the field of tooling technology on offer at K 2019.The current debates concerning marine pollution as well as anthropogenic climate change and its consequences seem to be having an effect at this world-leading trade show for plastics processing in Düsseldorf, Germany. A number of companies are noting the growing customer interest in sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient modes of production, and offering products and services intended to satisfy this interest.

Resource-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Products Are the Trend in  Tooling Technology

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Normalien für die Kunststofffertigung

Normalien

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kaltkanalsysteme

Exhibitors See Green

Hammann markets its own developed pulsed flushing process under the name Comprex. The flushing technology is a purely physical process, which does not use any chemicals – just air and water.

Multi-cavity mold for manufacturing preforms for PET bottles © Hammann

Cleaning of Mold Cooling Channels for PET Preforms

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Avoiding Shutdowns

The ZKW Group manufactures premium lighting systems for automotive customers. In order to be able to produce trouble-free and in permanently high quality in the injection molding process, several hundred temperature control units from HB-Therm are also used, among others.

ZKW manufactures both complete lighting systems and the necessary components, such as diffusers and lenses or the associated electronics

16:9

The ZKW Group Manufactures Innovative Lighting Systems for the Automotive Industry

Kfz-Leuchten, Beleuchtung

Elektronik

Kfz-Systeme

KFZ-Zulieferer

Dienstleistungen

Where Night Becomes Day

Comprehensive standard equipment, lifetime warranty on key components – HB-Therm presented at Fakuma 2021 the new Series 6 generation of temperature control units. With the Thermo-6 temperature control units, the Swiss company has also further developed equipment technology, improved energy efficiency and expanded digital services.

This is what the Thermo-6 series looks like. The smallest of the three was introduced to the market in October 2021. The larger and more powerful variants are expected to follow in 2022 and 2023.

HB-Therm: Sixth Unit Generation Celebrated Premiere at Fakuma

Spritzgießen (KU)

Tailored to Injection Molder’s Needs

Frigel introduces the latest developments in cooling and mold temperature control solutions at K 2022.

The Microgel RS series includes high-performance single- and dual-zone temperature control units.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

kunststoffe.de

High-Performance Mold Cooling

It is a hot runner nozzle such as had never been seen before Fakuma 2021: with a honeycomb structure on the outside and, in the nozzle interior, integrated insulation gaps manufactured in one part by the additive SLM process, in which even the fastening nut is captively printed on the nozzle body. The pride of the concept is the special algorithmic modification of the nozzles for any application case.

A mold-making job with up to 30 nozzles is processed in the SLM machine in about 24 hours. 

The First Additively Manufactured One-Part Hot Runner Nozzle

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Selektives Laserschmelzen von Kunststoff, Metall, Keramik

Verfahren für die additive Fertigung

Pulverbettverfahren

Additive Fertigung

Algorithmically Modified  Inner Workings

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

Werkstoffprüfung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Design Methodology for Parts Subject to Internal Pressure

The aim of this joint project is to develop a production cell in which a rear license plate light can be manufactured with hybrid processes without any additional steps such as bonding. Some of the necessary analyses and pre-testing of the material combinations resulting from the structure of the product – plastic housing and optics plus metal conductive tracks – are presented in this article.

Lighting  solutions on various products. 

Manufacture of a Rear License Plate Light in a Highly Integrated Production Cell

LED / OLED-Systeme und Faseroptik

Lichttechnik

Polymethylmethacrylat

Thermoplaste

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Polycarbonat

What Is the Most Suitable  Material Combination?

Family molds belong to the state-of-the-art in injection molding – at least when wall thicknesses and volumes of individual components vary considerably. Using a trial mold soon ready for series production, Synventive demonstrates that – though demanding – optimal process control can be achieved using the right technology. The filling of each mold cavity is controlled individually and in real time. The Kunststoffe editorial team were among the first guests at the new Tech Center.

View into the mold space of the Engel Duo 2700 at the Tech Center. In the background, a 6-axis robot with 180 kg load-bearing capacity which removes the components.

Single-Shot Injection Molding of Heterogeneous Components

Schröder, Susanne

Leading-Edge Process Control

The plastics processor TKW Molding, which specializes in safety-related automotive components, is responding to the increasing requirements of its tier 1 and OEM customers by extensively automating its injection molding production. This also encompasses downstream process steps, such as integrated component testing, traceable part deposition and packaging. The company has been working closely with Arburg in this field since 2020.

A robotic system removes the parts from TKW’s 8+8-cavity mold.

Fully Automated In-Mold Assembly Process at TKW Molding

Optische Mess- und Prüftechnik

Montage-Spritzgießen

Safely Belted in

Arburg presents a total of four Allrounder exhibits and two Freeformers on show. All machines will be connected live to the Arburg host computer system ALS for demonstration purposes and to the arburgXworld customer portal, another focus of the trade fair display. Detailed information on the arburgGreenworld environmental and recycling program will round off Arburg‘s involvement in Chinaplas.

Arburg will be demonstrating the potential of freeformers for additive manufacturing on two exhibits at Chinaplas 2022.

Spritzgießmaschinen

Arburg Kunststoff Freiformen

Freiraumverfahren

High-End Wherever You Look

The new “Heat-Inject” product from Incoe International Europe stands out in that it uses the hot runner system as a carrier platform, but instead of melt, it brings heat into the cavity.

The heat pulse from heat-inject ensures good surface quality where a weld line may otherwise be visible due to the part geometry and gating.

Targeted Heat Pulses in the Cavity

Sixth Unit Generation Celebrated Premiere at Fakuma 2021

Comprehensive standard equipment, lifetime warranty on key components – HB-Therm presented at Fakuma 2021 the new Series 6 generation of temperature control units.

According to HB-Therm CEO Reto Zürcher, insights such as the practicality of the units in daily use and a brilliant touchscreen for convenient operation with modern designs and colors were not only derived from a comprehensive market analysis, but also from collaboration with key customers who brought the needs of injection molders into the evolution phase. “Our thoughts were influenced not only functionally but also visually. In addition, of course, we verified our findings repeatedly in practice for their suitability for everyday use. For us, highest quality has a clear foundation: And that means testing, testing and testing again!”

In addition to the lifetime warranty on the heater uniquely offered by HB-Therm for the predecessor units, customers of Thermo-6 units also benefit from a lifetime warranty on the ultrasonic flow meter. All components were designed to be extremely robust and durable. Martin Braun, CTO of HB-Therm says: “This step has been made possible by the expertise gained from the development of the high temperature water units Thermo-5 up to 230 °C!”

Based on the proven technology of the Thermo-5, the new units have been consistently enhanced, standardized and modelled with useful aids such as a visual alarm via LEDs in the front base area. The very low maintenance requirements also make the Thermo-6 attractive in terms of upkeep.

HB-Therm considers the standard integration of a speed-controlled pump in the new unit series to be part of its environmental commitment. With the Energy-Control Assistant, an optimal operating point can always be achieved, even without any prior knowledge on the part of the user.

The result is up to 85% less power consumption. In addition, a new sealless Direct-Drive pump is used for the units up to 100 °C, which was developed exclusively for HB-Therm together with a renowned pump supplier. This canned motor pump sets new standards in efficiency and compactness.

“A pump that does not always run at full load not only saves energy, but also has a longer service life. In addition, speed-controlled pumps can be used universally for large and small molds, thus reducing the variety of types of temperature control units. One unit for all tasks”, explains Martin Braun, Head of Development at HB-Therm.

A difference to the Thermo-5 that immediately catches the eye is the touch display of the Thermo-6, which is four times larger at seven inches. The operation is clearly oriented towards modern smartphones, allowing users to master the Thermo-6 in no more than ten minutes. Individual settings and favorite selection modes, plain text instructions with QR codes for further information, wizards for setting up the units, swiping and scrolling also make it easy to find the desired operating pages quickly on the display of the new Series 6 units. Graphic and text pages make intuitive navigation easy. The Expert system helps, warns, reports and optimizes unit operation. In this way, even complex setting procedures are very easy to handle.

The process data is recorded locally. Unit history and unit-specific documents such as certificates, calibration data, operating and assembly instructions can be displayed quickly and clearly on the new, large screen. Clearly arranged, setters and operators can always find exactly the parameter page they need quickly and with just a few clicks.

HB-Therm defines digitalization as contemporary, mobile, independent, useful and supportive. The future-oriented hardware and software architecture of the Series 6 allows comprehensive access to the digital world of HB-Therm. The digital solutions in addition to the standard OPC-UA Ethernet interface on each Thermo-6 are called Gate-6 and e-cockpit.

Gate-6 is an interface server that establishes the connection (gateway) to the Android app e-cockpit and the digital services of the HB-Therm world as well as between several Thermo-6 and/or Thermo-5 units and other external systems such as injection molding machines.

Gate-6 accesses the functions of the HB-Therm cloud via the LAN connection of the units. This allows users to send analysis data, track the “digital twin” in the company’s Ticket system, generate unit statistics and overviews as a part of customer service, the keeping of a maintenance overview as well as the preventive maintenance of the connected units.

The e-cockpit app is a mobile application for smartphones and tablets and accesses a Gate-6 locally as well as the temperature control units connected to it. It secures access to the company’s Ticket portal with several functions. Via this access, the user can, among other things, process error messages and warranty cases as well as obtain technical support. Ticket is therefore a central application that brings together data from several Gate-6 interface servers and temperature control units and makes it available online. This requires a central data server and Internet access. Recorded data and settings are only sent to HB-Therm Support if they have been released by the customer and in accordance with the highest security standards.

In addition to the standard features already mentioned, the Cleanroom package, OPC UA interface and pump status monitoring are now also standard. A separate screen protector is also no longer necessary, as the new screen has a very robust design. Also new, but available at a later date, will be filter screen monitoring. This makes it easy to clean clogged filters whenever the need for it actually arises.

HB Therm AG  

https://www.hb-therm.ch

This is what the Thermo-6 series looks like. The smallest of the three was introduced to the market in October 2021. The larger and more powerful variants are expected to follow in 2022 and 2023

HB-Therm attached great importance to the design from the very beginning. The units can also be customized in terms of color according to the customer’s wishes

The smallest of the new Thermo-6 series was presented for the first time at Fakuma 2021