The K 2022 offered an immense range of innovations and application examples for – and with more – sustainable materials. Interestingly hereby was that bio-based versions were extremely popular.

Shoes made from waste gas: genetically modified bacteria produce ethanol from waste gas, which is then used to create plastic, e.g. for the Cloudprime shoes from On.

16:9

Thermoplastische Elastomere

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Silikone

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

kunststoffe.de

Masterbatches

Additive

Polyethylen

Streifinger, Florian

Polylactid

Polyamide

Biokunststoffe

Effektpigmente

Polypropylen

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Is Bio the New Standard?

LSR optics offers a wide range of applications due to the optical brilliance, the possibility to produce undercut shapes not to mention the competitive pricing. The adhesive surface which is almost impossible to clean however makes the LSR parts vulnerable against contaminations. This characteristic however limits the possible application fields. To overcome this limitation Wilhelm Weber has partnered with Fraunhofer IFAM in a recent research project.

Half of the board was treated with VUV while the other half has covered. Afterwards norm dust was applied onto the board uniformly and than knocked off (once) in upright position. The dust sticks to the untreated areas while falls of the treated areas

Surface Modification of LSR Components Hinders Adhesion of Dirt

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

LED / OLED-Systeme und Faseroptik

Lichttechnik

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Oberflächentechnik

No Chance for Dust and Contaminations

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

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Spritzgießmaschinen

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Schneidmühlen

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

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

Space-saving machine concepts for demanding production environments are booming. A real-life example of a slit micro-membrane for pharmaceutical glass vials shows how intelligent machine functions make an important contribution to supporting machine operators and continuous documentation of the production process.

Injection molding and slitting of an LSR membrane for a glass-vial closure for pharmaceutical products make high demands on precision

KraussMaffei Delivers a Customized Solution for LSR Processing

Automatisierungszellen

Automatisierungstechnik

Mikrospritzgießen

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Transparency in Production

Datwyler’s production plant in Silao, Mexico, has become the latest facility to receive an upgrade in order to provide Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) components.

New Line for LSR Production at Datwyler Mexico

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.

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

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

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Solar / PV

Energieerzeugung

Erneuerbare Energie

Schaumspritzgießen

Temperiertechnik

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Energieeffizienz

Digitalisierung

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Compoundieren

It Can Be Done!

The adhesion between LSR and thermoplastic is not only influenced by the applied polymers, but also by injection molding parameters, oven cure, surface treatment and storage conditions or environmental impacts.

Weichmacher

Structure-process-properties-relationships of injection molded thermoplastic-liquid silicone rubber-combinations

starlim and the Software Competence Center Hagenberg are developing software that promotes the sustainable production of silicone parts without rejects.

Hundreds of injection molding machines work simultaneously at starlim and deliver large amounts of data.

Big Data für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

How Big Data Ensures  Consistent Quality

In the production of rigid/flexible combinations, either thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), rubber, or liquid silicone (LSR) are used as the flexible component, depending on the case in question. As a specialist producer of multicomponent injection-moulded parts, Weigelt has a great deal of experience in processing all three materials. There are a number of challenges to be mastered when it comes to the application technology, however... 

Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations 

Elastomeric materials are increasingly making their presence felt. For the thermoplastic segment in particular, color is becoming increasingly important, but haptics are also playing a large role. What was new at K2010 were the first attempts to produce scented elastomers in order to address the most sensitive of all human sensory organs – the nose – as well. 

Trends at the K 2010 Fair: Appealing to (almost) all the Senses 

In addition to improved plant technology, new materials are being developed for additive manufacturing processes. These include elastomers which, by their irreversible cross-linking, have a different behavior than thermoplastics. An investigation shows that commercially available silicone rubbers can be processed via additive manufacturing – with high strength in relation to conventionally manufactured silicone rubbers. 

Silicones as a Material Group for Additive Manufacturing on the Test Bench 

Additive Fertigung

Elastomers of the Third Dimension 

Not only on Earth do elastomers make an important contribution to everyday life in demanding applications but they are also in demand for satellites or probes. Alongside typical worldly properties such as temperature and chemical resistance, materials deployed in space are subject to other conditions specific to this environment, such as enormous centrifugal and gravitational forces. These place special demands on the polymers we are familiar with.  

Properties of and Demands on Silicone Rubbers in the Space and Aerospace Industry 

Compound

Compoundeure

Galactic Compounds 

Emerald‘s high performance antioxidants, plasticizers, nucleating agents, epoxy resins and modifiers are the key components you need to ensure lasting performance and optimize processing characteristics. Today‘s toughest, most flexible plastics rely on Emerald‘s innovative chemistry and expertise. Featuring:

Emerald Performance Materials  

https://www.emeraldmaterials.com

Antioxidantien

Beschichten von Kunststoffen

Chemisches Bearbeiten (Auftragen)

Beschichten von Metallen, allgemein

Duroplaste

Farbstoffe

Harze

Holz

Klebstoffe

Chemisches Fügeverfahren

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Lackieren

Pigmente

Pultrusion

Stabilisatoren

Verarbeitungshilfmittel

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Vernetzungsmittel

Until now, old car tires have only been recycled to a limited extent. A process from Evonik is now set to bring about a breakthrough.

Crumb rubber from end-of-life tires before processing (left), after processing without devulcanization agents (center), and after processing with devulcanization agents (right): The objective of the project at Evonik is to increase the proportion of recycled material from end-of-life tires that can be reused in the production of new tires.

Recycling

Kunststoff-Recycling

On the Road Again

In a world of high tech and future visions, a renaissance is taking place in our interest in the values and works of former ages. Conserving and preserving our cultural heritage are thus ongoing concerns, in which silicones have a firmly established position. 

Silicones: Preserving a Heritage 

Thermally Conductive LSR with Short Processing Time

At Fakuma, Momentive Performance Materials will be showcasing thermally conductive liquid silicone rubber (LSR) grades designed for high-temperature applications.

These LSRs, known as NL9360 and NL9330, have a thermal conductivity that renders them ideal for dissipating heat from sensitive components. They are intended for use in, e. g., the manufacture of components found in the drive and charge-management systems of electric vehicles and for other electronic devices. Thermally conductive NL9360, which has a hardness of 60 Shore A, is designed for injection molding and, says Momentive, combines short processing times with high stability and flexibility. It has a low compression set of just 10 % and a thermal conductivity of 1.5 W/(m·K), or about five times that of conventional LSR. NL9330, which has a hardness of 30 Shore A, is said to be just as thermally conductive and has also been developed for injection molding. It has a compression set of just 9 %.

Both LSRs have been specified for the production of heat-conducting pads and gaskets, as well as cooling units under the hood. Momentive claims they are resource-efficient and low-maintenance due to their low weight and longevity, compared to alternative materials.

The polymers manufacturer will also be exhibiting low-temperature-cure liquid silicone rubber (LTC-LSR). This crosslinks at just 110 °C, and thus at a significantly lower temperature than hitherto available types. According to Momentive, tests showed that the mold temperature can be reduced by 30 °C as a result, without the need to extend the heating time. Instead of lowering the processing temperature, there is also the possibility of reducing the crosslinking time, relative to that of a standard LSR. Apparently, it can be reduced by up to 45 %.

According to the company, this also opens up new material combinations for LSR, such as a combination with heat-sensitive polymers. Downstream annealing is not required. Parts are produced faster and the risk of burns during demolding is reduced. At its booth, Momentive will be demonstrating how the material is processed on an electric Allrounder 470 A injection molding machine from Arburg.

Momentive Performance Materials GmbH 

https://www.momentive.com

Processing of the low-temperature-cured LSR will be demonstrated at Momentive’s booth

2021-10-03 werkstoffe_Momentive

Messe Fakuma

issue 05/2025

issue 04/2025

issue 03/2025

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