This year, the world’s leading trade show K has succeeded in presenting practical solutions for greater resource efficiency on a broad front. A first foray through the trade show grounds.

K 2022 gave numerous practical examples showing visitors how recyclates can be reliably processed with digital aids.

16:9

State-of-the-Art Injection Molding Solutions for Greater Resource Efficiency.

State-of-the-Art Injection Molding Solutions at K 2022

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Solar / PV

Energieerzeugung

Erneuerbare Energie

Schaumspritzgießen

Temperiertechnik

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Automatisierungstechnik

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Oberflächentechnik

Energieeffizienz

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Digitalisierung

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Compoundieren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

It Can Be Done!

The road to the energy-optimized injection molding cell is often stony. A saving plan can be drawn up when there is transparency about the individual consumers.

The most varied measures help to save energy, but not all of them are equally profitable for every company.

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Elektrische Antriebe für Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

Transparency as a Basis for  Energy Efficiency

The iQ motion control assistance system from Engel optimizes the acceleration phases of mold movements and thus shortens cycle times.

The pressure to work efficiently is huge, especially in the packaging industry. The production of thin-wall containers clearly shows the potential of  iQ motion control to shorten cycle times.

iQ motion control Shortens Cycle Times in High-Performance Injection Molding

Software

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

How about a Little Bit Faster?

At the introductory press conference for K 2022, Dr Thorsten Thümen, Senior Director Technology, outlined the company’s evolving strategic focus.

Senior Director for Technology Dr. Thorsten Thümen announces several premieres at K 2022.

kunststoffe.de

New High-Speed Machine for the Packaging Market

Arburg has now packed numerous digital services into an app for smartphones and tablets. Among them: assistance in saving energy.

Via the customer portal, the individual apps – from the Arburg host computer system (ALS) to the ordering function – can also be operated using a smartphone.

Review of the Arburg Anniversary Days from March 8 to 11, 2023

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Hydraulik-Komponenten

Maschinenelemente

A Machine Park in the Pocket

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

Mikrospritzgießen

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Messe Fakuma

Spritzprägen

Injection Molding Innovations In-House, Live and in Color

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

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

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

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Spritzgießsimulation

Simulation

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Kunststoff-Recycling

Lasermarkieren

Laserbearbeitungen

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

There Is More beyond the Horizon

Three solutions for increasing the productivity in the automotive, medical and packaging industries are presented by Tederic at K 2022 with the Neo injection molding machine series. T

The Neo·Ec combines electrical and hydraulic drives.

Polylactid

Thermoplaste

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Applications in Three Key Sectors

PlastiVation Machinery will present a production cell with Neo-E230/e620 electric toggle injection molding machine producing a business card box at Fakuma 2023.

High-performance Tederic Neo-E230 electric toggle injection molding machine.

PlastiVation Launches the Second Generation

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

Smart Factory

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

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

Thin wall packaging manufacturers think in terms of efficiency gains in tenths of a second. Every cycle time reduction leads to increased productivity. Another factor influencing part costs is the energy efficiency of the production equipment. In these two key dimensions, Netstal was able to optimize the smallest model in the Elios series with 4500 kN clamping force.

The optimized Elios 4500 with electrically operated toggle levers enables users to achieve cycle time reductions and savings in power consumption (the photo shows the previous variant).

Higher Output and Reduced Energy Consumption

Clamping Unit of the Elios 4500 with Fully Electric Drive Concept

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.

Sustainability thanks to Digitalization

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

“At our trade show presentation this year, we are concentrating on the automation and digitalization of our injection-molding machines,” says Alfred Schiffer, marketing partner at Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG, explaining the activities planned for Fakuma. Three of the four applications at its own tradeshow booth – four more can be seen at its partners – are equipped with Dr. Boy’s own LR 5 linear handling unit.

On the Boy 35 E, the LR 5 compact telescopic handling system is use for a medical LSR application

Individual Automation and Digitalization

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

Getriebe

Elektromechanische Maschinen

A Question of Class

New process technologies, new machines – a selection of what will be on show at Fakuma 2023.

What are the topics for injection molding machine manufacturers and process engineers at this year‘s Fakuma? Energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainability play an important role in all new developments. However, none of these concerns must be at the expense of productivity and product quality. In addition, the user must be able to manage the tasks with the available personnel resources. The magic word for this challenge is often: digitization.

Arburg: Solutions for the Meta-Topics of Energy, Resources and Efficiency

At Fakuma 2023, Arburg wants to show how more sustainability, digitalization and automation can be realized in plastics processing. One highlight is the premiere of the Allrounder 520 H. This will be Arburg’s second machine size this year featuring new hybrid machine technology.

After presenting the first model Allrounder 470 H of the retreaded Hidrive series in the spring of 2023 on the occasion of the anniversary “100 years of the Hehl family business”, the company is now taking the next step: Starting at Fakuma, the 520 and 570 sizes will be available. They combine an electric energy-efficient and precise clamping unit with a powerful and dynamic hydraulic injection unit, making them particularly energy-saving, production-efficient and reliable. According to the manufacturer, the new hybrid Allrounders are further characterized by significantly reduced acquisition and operating costs as well as a smaller CO2 footprint. Available are the “Comfort,” “Premium” and “Ultimate” performance variants. Thanks to numerous options, the machines can be precisely adapted to the respective customer requirements. The exhibit, an Allrounder 520 H “Premium”, uses a 1+1+1- cavity mold to produce a machine stand made of ABS on a scale of 1 : 18. The “Moldlife Sense” computer system from partner Hack Formenbau enables the mold to be monitored over its entire life cycle. It can also communicate with the machine and mold via an OPC UA interface.

Arburg experts provide advice on the meta-topics of energy, efficiency, shortage of skilled workers and future orientation in the “arburg Solution world”. On this new interactive exhibition area around a 4 m high LED column, the “Action Plan: Energy,” for example, is presented, which includes energy consulting, machine updates and consumption measurements, among other things, in order to save resources and energy, especially in economically and politically tense times. The eye-catching LED column also documents the importance of the topic for Arburg in terms of trade show design. The level to which quality standards can be maintained despite enormous price and cost pressure will be demonstrated using the example of the Arburg host computer system ALS as well as with individual processes and customer-specific manufacturing solutions. Last but not least, trade visitors will learn how to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers and remain fit for the future with digital services such as the arburgXworld customer portal and smart assistance functions of the Gestica control system.

Reliable processing of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) – this is demonstrated by an Allrounder 470 E Golden Electric machine with Yaskawa six-axis robot. Toy dolphins are produced in a technically demanding process. In turn, an Allrounder 375 V vertical machine overmolds inserts with single-origin post-industrial recyclate (PIR) based on a glass-fiber-reinforced PA66/6 into ready-to-use bicycle tools.

How digitalization and automation go hand in hand to produce plastic parts efficiently and with 100 % traceability is shown, among other things, by the practical example of a tire lever. A turnkey system with an Allrounder 375 V vertical machine and a space-saving suspended six-axis robot produces this bicycle tool “ready to use”. The Scada system Arburg Turnkey Control Module (ATCM) and “Invisible Tracing” from the partner Detagto allow each product to be clearly traced and identified.

Energy-efficient 2-component injection molding is demonstrated by an Allrounder More 1600 equipped with two electric injection units. A container made of PBT and liquid silicone (LSR) is produced. The LSR metering system from Reinhardt Technik is integrated into the Gestica control system via OPC UA and the Euromap interface 82.3.

As an energy-efficient, resource-saving application and alternative to thermoforming, an all-electric Allrounder 720 A “Ultimate” packaging machine produces IML round cups with a wall thickness of just 0.37 mm. This is done using injection-compression molding, which reduces energy requirements and mold wear.

An IML process specifically for medical technology will be presented using the example of labeled centrifuge tubes. In addition to Arburg, the partners Kebo, MCC Verstraete, Beck Automation and Intravis are involved in this innovative joint project around an electric machine Allrounder 520 A with 8-cavity mold.

The company’s 100-year history is presented in a special exhibition area. It, too, is intended to demonstrate that environmental protection and the responsible use of resources are firmly rooted in Arburg’s DNA.

<b>Arburg at Fakuma: hall A3, booth 3101</b>

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG  

https://www.arburg.com

Fakuma 2023 - Injection Molding_compressed.pdf

Making its debut at Fakuma 2023 is the next representative of the hybrid Hidrive series with new machine technology: an Allrounder 520 H in the “Premium” performance variant.

Arburg - Messe-Produkt 01

Outlook Fakuma 2023: Injection Molding

Here you can download our Fakuma preliminary report „Injection Molding“ as a <a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/sternwald-systems/raw/upload/v1/hugoprd/ARTIKEL_ATTACH/006B5BD6_84797F6A69FC/43258cae734f2e8902a2bf732f224bc576d9734d/Fakuma%202023%20-%20Injection%20Molding_compressed.pdf" target="_blank">PDF</a>.

You can find more articles on the topic of injection molding in the <a href="https://en.kunststoffe.de/fakuma">Fakuma special</a>.