Up to now, the integration of electronic components and consequently, the production of customized 3D-printed sensors has presented a challenge. Now, together with the companies Arburg and Balluff, Fraunhofer IPA has achieved a breakthrough.

Demonstration model of customized sensor at different production stages: CAD concept (top left), after integrationof the electronic components (top right) and as a finished demonstration model (bottom)

16:9

Technik Trend

kunststoffe-international.com

Sensoren

Logistik

Lagertechnik

Additive Fertigung

Arburg Kunststoff Freiformen

Verfahren für die additive Fertigung

Freiraumverfahren

Sensors from the Printer

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

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Software

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Elektrische Antriebe für Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

How about a Little Bit Faster?

The ComoNeoPredict process monitoring system is a proven option for ensuring the required quality in the injection molding production of medical devices.

In the medical technology industry, a high and validated product quality is inevitable.

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Medizintechnik

When Validated Quality Is Not a Competitive Advantage

Susanne Schröder will become editor-in-chief of the magazines Kunststoffe and Kunststoffe international on December 1, 2020. The current editor-in-chief Dr. Karlhorst Klotz will leave the company by mutual agreement.

Susanne Schröder will become editor-in-chief of the magazines Kunststoffe and Kunststoffe international on December 1, 2020. Until now she has been editor-in-chief of the trade journal FORM+Werkzeug

Werkzeuge für Leichtbauwerkstoffe

Präzisionswerkzeuge

Tiefziehwerkzeug

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Werkzeugüberwachung

Toolmanagement

Werkzeugwechselsysteme, Spritzgieß

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Modulare Werkzeugsysteme

Absaugungen für Werkzeugmaschinen

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Absaugvorrichtungen

Fluorkunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Werkzeugverwaltungssoftware

Prüfen von Kunststoffen

Biokunststoffe

Presswerkzeuge, Kunststoff

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Standardkunststoffe

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Lohnfertigung

Technische Kunststoffe

Füllstoffe für Kunststoffe

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Kunststoffhandel

Handel

Betriebstechnik für Kunststoffverarbeitung (Peripherie)

Kunststofffasern

Verstärkungsstoffe

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Change in the Chief Editorial Office of Kunststoffe

Products made from bio-based plastics must undergo the same testing procedures as conventional plastic products to access the market of the European Union (EU). Thereby a health risk for consumers is excluded. Biodegradable or compostable plastics must undergo additional tests.

Biodegradable plastics certified for industrial composting have to meet a fixed limit for heavy metals and other toxic and hazardous substances

Kunststoffe, biobasiert

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Kunststoffe, bioabbaubar

Bioplastics Meet All EU Safety Standards

During this year’s pandemic, maintaining supply capability has become a key necessity among processors. Closer involvement of suppliers is only logical in these circumstances. In toolmaking, new challenges are emerging for services related to molds.

Tool qualification in the test center in Bahlingen, Germany. After that, the tool is ready for the “site acceptance test”, i . e. for the acceptance on site directly at the customer

The Advantages of a Network for Global Qualification for Injection Molding

Erstbemusterung, Erstmusterprüfbericht

Qualitätsmanagement

Werkzeugbau

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

Fast and Effective Start of Production

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

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Big Data für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Energiemanagement

Energieeffizienz

Completely Joined to the Host Computer System

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

Successfully Managing Digital Transformation with Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Kameras, intelligente

Fertigungsautomation

Bildverarbeitung

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Datenanalyse

Inline Quality Monitoring and  Data-Based Quality Prediction

Without measurement and testing technology, it would be impossible to ensure consistently high product quality. To tackle such quality assurance tasks, plastics processors can increasingly turn to the blessings of Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence methods in order to process measurement data more comprehensively, and use the results to improve processes and products.

Digital Data Processing is Breaking New Ground with Connectivity and  Artificial Intelligence

Precision Measurement,  Smart Optimization

Composite materials are often the key to lightweight design for many applications. However, these hybrid materials face a major challenge where recycling is concerned.

The experimental components were manufactured in a fully automated SMC manufacturing cell, developed by Engel, with an Engel v-duo 700 machine and an easix KR35 articulated robot

A Research Project Highlights the Recycling Potential of Lightweight Composites

Composite-Halbzeuge

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Anlagen zur Composite-Herstellung

Spritzprägen

Bruchmechanische Prüfung

Werkstoffprüfung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Harzsysteme für Composite-Herstellung

UD-Tapes

Pressen von Kunststoffen

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Zero-Waste Concept for Carbon SMC

The quality of a part design or a strength proof depends to a large extent on how well the material property in question meets the design conditions. For this paper, information about the influences exerted on the strain limits of “microdamage”, as a criterion for mechanical material failure, was compiled from the literature, evaluated and prepared for application as far as possible.

To rule out part failure, it is important to consider strain limits

Strain-Based Design of Plastic Parts

Elastizitätsprüfgeräte

Messgeräte für Kraft, Masse, Dehnung, Druck, Dichte, Viskosität, Drehmoment

Mechanische Messtechnik

Dehnungs- / Drehmomentmessung

Produktentwicklung(sprozess)

Influences on Microdamage  Strain Limits

Ceflex and partners PCEP, Petcore Europe, Styrenics Circular Solutions and MORE Recycling team up to understand the reality of today’s collected household packaging waste.

The study aims to understand the reality of today’s collected household packaging waste, in order to help to define and accelerate the development of infrastructure, systems and end market applications required to enable progress in delivering a circular economy.

Infrarottechnik

Elektronik

Study of Plastic Packaging Waste Helps to Deliver a Circular Economy

Recyclates usually show altered properties compared to virgin plastics due to initial processing and influences during the product’s life. This often leads to problems during processing. Especially in melt-expanding processes such as injection stretch blow molding, blow molding, film blow molding or thermoforming a fast incoming goods inspection method for recyclates is important. The Institut für Kunststofftechnik (IKT) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, has developed a new test method for this purpose.

Fig. 1. The new and fast test method analyzes and identifies the melt extensibility of recyclates prior processing

Incoming Goods Inspection of Recyclates Ensures Reject Minimization

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Recyclates on the Test Bench

At the beginning of every quality assurance effort lies the individual measurement value. If this value is measured incorrectly, the collected data is unreliable and has an undesirable effect on all downstream quality management processes. The Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid relies on CAQ AG’s software solutions for gauge and qualification management

Qualification and Gauge Management Software for Injection-Molded Thermoplastic  and Thermoset Parts

CAQ-Systeme in der Rechnergestützten Qualitätssicherung

Quality Right from the Start

Kistler’s ComoNeo process monitoring system is now much more precise thanks to an envelope curve adapted to the process, and is WLAN-compatible for the first time.

Growing numbers of injection molding professionals seek resource efficiency and high product quality. The solution: the ComoNeo process monitoring system

Everything under Control

At Fakuma 2023, Kistler will show what smart process monitoring can already achieve today, and which trends are set to shape the industry‘s evolution in the coming years.

At Fakuma 2023, Kistler will show what smart process monitoring can already achieve today. Highlights at the booth include the advanced production data solution AkvisIO, which offers extensive data analysis.

The plastics industry is facing radical changes: new regulations require a new approach to resources. At the same time, the advance of digitalization (and even the use of artificial intelligence) are developments that harbor enormous potential.

At Fakuma 2023 in Friedrichshafen (Germany), the Kistler Group will show what smart process monitoring can already achieve today, and which trends are set to shape the industry‘s evolution in the coming years. Highlights include non-contact measuring sensors for the medtech sector, sensors for 3D printing, and also the AkvisIO production data solution – now expanded to offer far-reaching options for data analysis. Optical testing systems complete Kistler‘s portfolio for the plastics processing sector.

Intelligent Process Monitoring and Optimization

Intelligent process monitoring and optimization that can automatically detect deviations from the standard during the injection molding process, adjust parameters, and separate bad parts by itself: This scenario is already possible today if the right sensor technology is combined with appropriate hardware and software. At this year‘s Fakuma, Kistler will demonstrate what a complete solution of this sort can look like in action: two of the latest sensors for injection molding and 3D printing (Types 4004 and 9239B) will be featured.

The KVC 821 automatic sorting and testing system on display at Kistler‘s booth represents the latest generation of optical inspection systems, while new versions of the firmware for ComoNeo and ComoScout illustrate the extended functionalities of these process monitoring systems. Kistler‘s Stasa QC Optimizer – with new features – is another highlight at Fakuma. This software optimizes the settings on the injection molding machine to ensure that products of the best possible quality are manufactured. Improvements to the Stasa QC Optimizer include a new user interface, extended functionalities, and intuitive handling.

Complete process monitoring systems play a key part in achieving product quality and process efficiency. This is particularly true when companies make more use of recycled materials for their processes, and in higher proportions.

„It‘s clear that the use of recycled materials in plastics manufacturing and processing will continue to increase,“ according to Felix Früh, Head of BU Plastics at Kistler. „But higher proportions of recycled material also have a negative impact on the stability of injection molding processes. The viscosity of the melt changes, for example. Process monitoring systems based on cavity pressure detect these fluctuations immediately and compensate for them continuously during the process. This allows users to guarantee homogeneous part quality even if the material characteristics vary.“

The piezoelectric 9239B miniature longitudinal measuring pin – a sensor for no-contact cavity pressure measurement – will be center-stage at Fakuma. Available on the market since last year, this model takes up virtually no space when installed in the injection mold thanks to its diameter of only 2.5 mm. The 9239B uses a PiezoStar crystal grown specially by Kistler to measure the pressure-induced compression of the mold during the injection molding process – so it measures the cavity pressure indirectly. Unlike sensors that measure directly, the 9239B can be mounted between two and four millimeters behind the cavity wall, so it is protected from direct contact with the melt and its influences.

The sensor offers another key benefit that is especially relevant for the medical sector: because of its position, it leaves no marks whatsoever on the manufactured plastic part. This means the longitudinal measuring pin is the solution of choice whenever flawless surfaces are required – on medical lenses, for example, or for automobile interiors. Another advantage: the pin‘s positioning means that it cannot become soiled or contaminated, so it is virtually maintenance-free.

Kistler is also turning the spotlight on another miniature sensor: the 4004A melt pressure sensor. With a diameter of only 3 mm, it can be used directly in injection nozzles and small extruders. The 4004A withstands the extreme temperatures that prevail in these environments thanks to its wide operating and measuring range, which extends up to +350°C.

The sensor is calibrated for two pressure ranges, so it can be used for injection molding applications (measuring range up to 2,500 bar) as well as additive manufacturing (measuring range up to 1,000 bar). This is a truly groundbreaking innovation for 3D printing applications: until now, the high temperatures involved have made it impossible for manufacturers to measure the melt pressure, so they have been unable to implement quality control while the process is actually running.

Kistler‘s Como systems for process monitoring complement the Group’s range of application-specific sensors. Kistler is unveiling the latest versions of two systems at this year‘s Fakuma: ComoNeo and ComoScout 6.0. Both ComoNeo and ComoScout now feature an expanded OPC UA interface so they can make additional data available. Users can now update devices via the network, eliminating the need to do so in situ on the device itself.

As an added benefit, the cycle ID can be transferred from the injection molding machine to complete the dataset. The ComoNeoSWITCH feature and the envelope curve functionality offer additional setting options. All these innovations result in better and more efficient process monitoring and optimization. These updates are fully compatible with Kistler‘s new AkvisIO data analysis software.

Basis for Optimization and Decision-Making

With AkvisIO IME (Injection Molding Edition), Kistler shows what complete solutions for process monitoring will be able to achieve in the future. This modular data analysis software, including a graphic user interface, offers a host of new options for analysis. Going forward, classical methods of statistical analysis – and also data-based artificial intelligence methods – will enable users to perform quality-oriented evaluations of process and machine data directly in the software. This will also make it easier to integrate Kistler devices such as ComoNeo and ComoScout (as well as machines) into the data acquisition.

The software supports communication standards such as the Ethernet-based Euromap 77, so the machine itself becomes the data source and AkvisIO is the Single-Source-of-Truth (SSOT) for reliable production data. This allows users to identify weak points rapidly and leverage potential for optimization. Kistler is also working on the integration of AI solutions for automated data analysis that will make process optimization based on cavity pressure considerably easier for users.

Optical Quality Testing for Injection-Molded Products

Alongside process monitoring, optical inspection at the end of the injection molding process is a major step in achieving complete quality assurance. With its variable camera systems, test modules, and complete solutions that include sorting and batching, Kistler offers diverse options for comprehensive end-to-end inspection and sorting of injection-molded parts. The main inspection criteria for this 100-percent testing are dimensions and surface defects.

Alongside classical image processing, the methods used include AI-based techniques such as anomaly detection. KiVision, the software developed by Kistler, guarantees a reliable inspection process for as many as 4,000 parts per minute: it is the core element of Kistler‘s optical testing systems. The interactive combination of cavity pressure monitoring and optical inspection solutions thus provides the basis for a complete portfolio of process and quality assurance solutions for the production of complex injection-molded parts.

Digitalization opens up many possibilities for injection molders to optimize their production. The newly established Kistler Plastics Academy invites companies to have their staff trained at three levels: Basic Level offers product-specific training; Advanced Level shows participants how to make comprehensive use of Kistler technology; and Expert Level focuses on data-assisted process optimization.

<b>Kistler at Fakuma 2023: hall A2, booth 2302</b>

Kistler Instrumente AG  

https://www.kistler.com

With the AkvisIO IME production data software, users can evaluate data from their injection molding processes as the basis for optimization.

The 9239B miniature longitudinal measuring pin uses a PiezoStar crystal grown specially by Kistler to measure the pressure-induced compression of the mold during the injection molding process – so it measures the cavity pressure indirectly.

Automatic optical quality testing systems from Kistler check the dimensions, colors and surface characteristics of injection-molded products.

Thanks to its diameter of only 3 mm, the 4004A melt pressure sensor is especially suitable for use in injection nozzles and small extruders.

2023-08-25 - Kistler (Fakuma)

Fakuma 2023: Kistler turns the machine into a data source

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