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.

Injection Molding Trends at K 2019

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Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Schaumspritzgießen

Smart Factory

Energieeffizienz

Mikrospritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Spritzgießmaschinen

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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

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Montage-Spritzgießen

Knickarmroboter

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

“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.

Messe Fakuma

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Individual Automation and Digitalization

At Fakuma 2021, Engel is expanding its product range of intelligent assistance systems. The new iQ motion control allows Engel viper series linear robots a reliable early start combined with fully automatically optimized motion planning. Users benefit twofold: from a time-saving in teach-in and shorter production cycles.

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

Medizintechnik

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Optimized Motion Planning for Shorter Cycle Times

In injection molding, the component weight reflects the process consistency and the component quality. Components are therefore often weighed manually after production or automatically placed on a scale and picked up again. Engel has now developed a high-precision load cell for inline weight measurement that can be integrated directly between the rotary axes and the end-of-arm tooling of a linear robot.

Weight Measuring System Directly on the Robot Ensures Process Quality

Automatisierungskomponenten

Wiege- und Dosiersysteme

Logistik

Verpackungstechnik

Weighing without Time Overhead

The aim of the project was clear: a highly automated turnkey system must replace several decentralized, operator-guided machines in order to be able to mass produce enclosures for a vacuum sensor with three inserted pins in a way that is smooth, automated and therefore faster than before in large-scale production, and error-free. The plastics processor Goerlich chose the machine manufacturer Arburg as a partner in its goal of achieving greater production efficiency.

At Goerlich, a Turnkey Plant Replaces Two Machines with a Vertical Clamping Unit

Automatisierungszellen

A Machine Strategy with  Extra Automation

As an all-inclusive injection molding supplier, the Wittmann Group will also use the Fakuma to showcase its latest innovations in automation and peripherals. In 2019, the Sonic range of robots replaced the high-speed UHS series robots. Sonic robots now come with a new design and are fitted with the latest R9 robot control system.

Extensions to Several Robot Series

NP Germany’s turnkey system around a vertical Arburg injection molding machine takes up a quarter of the production hall.

NP Germany: Extraordinary Turnkey System for Automotive Products

Inspektionssysteme

Fertigungsautomation

Bildverarbeitung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

Dance of the Robots

The new, 232 m2 sales and service center in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, unites robot sales, service, parts, and robot-commissioning activities under one roof.

Sepro UK to Open New Robot Sales and Service Center

The introduction of fiber direct compounding at deller plastics Uwe Braselmann was driven by tangible economic advantages. The plastics processor uses the lightweight construction process for manufacturing cable drive housings for operating electric power windows in car doors.

deller plastics Uses Competitive Advantages of Fiber Direct Compounding

Faserverarbeitung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Lightweight Components  from the Roll

iQ process observer, the new process monitoring platform from Engel monitors hundreds of parameters from the injection molding cell in the background.

A Process Monitoring Platform Monitors Several Hundred Parameters Simultaneously

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Prozessvisualisierung

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

An Eye on the Process –  a Handle on Quality

With its Industry 4.0 solution portfolio, the Wittmann Group is receiving a positive echo in the market. This virtually extends the injection-molding machine into a smart workcell. For the near future, the company is tooling up for the demands of a circular economy – and declining demand.

Wittmann Continues to See Itself Well Placed as a One-Stop Supplier

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

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Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Immediately Ready for Use

With advanced process integration and a higher degree of automation, the complexity of injection molding processes is cumulative. This trend also increases the demand imposed on control technology. The clearer, more convenient and more intuitive the control system is for the operator, the safer and more efficient it can be to operate even large production plants and manufacturing cells that combine different technologies. Engel now goes one step further with tutorials integrated directly into the control of the injection molding machines.

Tutorials Directly on the Operator Panel of the Injection Molding Machine

Control Complex Processes Easily

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.

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

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Schneidmühlen

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

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

With the increasing digitalization of injection molding, new process parameters are coming under the spotlight. Engel, together with the Polymer Competence Center Leoben and Montan University Leoben, Austria, is using machine-learning methods to explore the potential of mold breathing for quality assurance in rubber injection molding. This research project was supported by the partner company SKF Sealing Solutions Austria.

Automatic Process Monitoring with iQ Clamp Control and Machine Learning

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Machine Learning für die Qualitätssicherung

Rubber Injection Molding with  Quality Recognition

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.

Spritzprägen

Injection Molding Innovations In-House, Live and in Color

iQ Motion Control Brings the Injection-Molding Machine and Robot Closer together

iQ motion control from Engel now allows reliable early start combined with fully automatically optimized motion planning. The assistance system has been part of the standard kit of all new Engel viper-type linear robots since October 2021.

If the injection-molding machine and robot coordinate their movement sequences, this shortens the cycle time in many applications. iQ motion control from Engel now allows reliable early start combined with fully automatically optimized motion planning. The assistance system has been part of the standard kit of all new Engel viper-type linear robots since October 2021.

Fluid movements arise when movements harmoniously intermesh. Only then are they economic and efficient. Every living organism masters this labor- and time-efficient interplay of different limbs – while, in this respect, a robot or automated machines and processes are only as good as the human being is at programming them via the system controls.

In an injection-molding cell, there are many different movable “limbs.” Some of them critically also determine the cycle time of the injection molding process. They include the removal robot’s entry and exit movements, as well as the mold opening and closing time. It is illuminating that much cycle time is wasted when a removal robot only starts moving when the injection mold is completely opened. To achieve fluid movements in the production cell, Engel Austria GmbH always focuses on the entire injection-molding cell and the interplay of the movements of injection-molding machine and robot. If Engel supplies the entire production cell, from the injection-molding machine, via the automation and other ancillaries, as far as the process engineering from a single source, all the components of the cell access the same control platform and the same database, and thereby have the best prerequisites for a short overall cycle time.

Since an injection-molding cell does not have command of these intermeshing parallel movements per se, the operator must specify the movements via the central control panel or the mobile handheld unit. He must teach-in the robot – specifying the path, velocity and acceleration of the insertion movement. The “iQ motion control” assistance system reduces this teaching effort to a few clicks.

Optimized Motion Planning Saves Cycle Time

Linear robots generally move from point to point. These individual points are specified during teaching. The plant operator determines the trajectory manually and specifies many points to optimize the paths (Fig. 1). In the iQ motion control feature, which has the new Engel viper series linear robot on board as standard, optimized motion planning was already implemented. The linear robot calculates its path and significantly fewer parameters therefore need to be set or positions taught. This significantly shortens the cycle time of the injection molding process as well as the setup time and the time required for teaching (Fig. 2).

iQ motion control is the latest product in Engel’s range of intelligent assistance systems. To offer the greatest benefit for users, operation of the assistance systems must be very simple. iQ motion control, too, therefore has an intuitive dialog with all the available options for setting the removal (Fig. 3).

Optimized Motion Planning  in Three Steps

To plan the robot motion during entry such that it reaches the removal position at precisely the point when the mold terminates its opening motion, certain background conditions must be taken into account: first the parameters set by the user, such as position and linear clearances, as well as the motion of the mold; on the other hand the robot-specific threshold values for velocity, acceleration and other parameters. Determining the optimum entry motion requires the following steps, which are processed automatically with the iQ motion control activated:

<ul><li>Determine the optimum trajectory time: based on the last cycle, the time from reaching the set early-start position until mold opening is measured. This time period tF, opt corresponds to the robot’s trajectory time, so that the robot and mold reach their respective end positions simultaneously.</li><li>Calculate the shortest possible robot trajectory: the robot-specific kinematic limits (maximum velocity, maximum acceleration, etc.) of the individual axes and of the linear clearance defined by the operator can be used to calculate a robot trajectory. Here, the trajectory time tR,opt is the shortest possible trajectory time that can be achieved taking into account the particular boundary conditions. If the early start function is deactivated, this trajectory is used; the robot performs the insertion movement exploiting its limits.</li><li>Scaling the trajectory: with the early start function activated, it should be ensured that the trajectory time of the robot motion tR,opt is greater than or equal to the determined optimum time tF,opt. If this is the case anyway then, because of the robot’s limits, it is not possible for it to reach the target position simultaneously with the mold. However, if tR,opt &lt; tF,opt, the robot would approach the mold. To avoid this, the trajectory is scaled so that the condition tR,opt = tF,opt is satisfied.</li></ul>

The function compensates for any long-term effects, such as differences in the running behavior of a cold and warm machine, temperature influences, etc.

In modern systems, the cycle time is also unnecessarily prolonged if, while opening, the mold has to wait for the robot to enter into the removal area and demold the parts. Since, thanks to the integrated control system, the robot in an Engel injection-molding cell has direct access to the machine data, such as mold opening stroke and position of the moving platen, the robot and machine execute a co-ordinated movement and, ideally, are at the removal position and mold-open position respectively at the same time for removal. In this case, the cycle is not prolonged by entry of the robot.

The cycle time is shortened with the aid of the iQ motion control, since the mold does not have to wait for the robot. This is achieved by the fact that the robot does not have to wait for the complete mold opening stroke during entering but can enter into the machine area at an early stage due to the already familiar “early start” feature, which is completely integrated in the software.

The settings dialog displays a suggestion for the early start position, which is based on the robot and machine setting parameters. This allows even less experienced machine operators to efficiently and reliably leverage the advantages of the assistance system.

Multistage Reliability through Intensive Data Exchange

Despite the early entry into the machine area, a collision between the robot and moving mold half can be ruled out with certainty, since iQ motion control operates with a two-stage safety net. The first stage corrects the robot movement at an early stage in the event of identified deviations from the planned mold movement. The second stage ensures that the robot can brake in good time before contact with the mold in the event of an exception situation or an emergency stop.

Since the robot knows the exact position of the movable mounting plate, it consequently also stops if such a collision threatens. In this way, damage to the mold and gripper system due to unforeseen incorrect positions or faulty settings can be reliably avoided thanks to the direct data exchange within the common control system of the integrated system solution.

Even processes with simple removal movements can be very readily optimized by iQ motion control. Users producing deep injection molded parts – for example housing components, boxes or containers with a long core (Title figure) benefit particularly greatly, since the machine must execute a particularly large mold opening stroke.

To exploit the potential, Engel has performed tests with a viper 12 linear robot. With a mold-opening stroke of 490 mm and a maximum velocity of the movable mold mounting plate of 1465 mm/s, an overall cycle time of 15 s was achieved. The robot early start was at mold position 303 mm. A greatly shortened waiting time was found (Fig. 4).

The waiting time means the time that elapses between the completion of the mold motion and the end of the phase during which the gripper enters into the mold space. It directly forms part of the cycle time because the mold is blocked by the robot during this time span. With an overall cycle time of 15 s, for an assumed continuous operation of 24 h, with iQ motion control and with early start, 236 more parts per cavity can be produced per day than with sequential three-point removal (Fig. 5).

The use of iQ motion control is independent of the injection-molding machine type and the type of removal. The assistance system automatically adapts to the respective removal variant. This comprises both vertical and – in the case of tiebarless machines – horizontal removal for the known construction variants, as well as deposition at the operator side, non-operator side and at the end side in the case of longitudinal constructions.

This feature will not remain the only one targeted at an even closer interplay between the machine and robot. However, iQ motion control is Engel’s first assistance system comprising the machine-robot.

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If the robot travels into the mold area already during the mold opening movement, this can shorten the cycle time. The effect is particularly large in the case of parts with long cores, such as boxes

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Fig. 1. iQ motion control operates with optimized motion planning (right). The path is computed as a whole and not generated by approximate positioning of single-axis movements

Fig. 2. The juxtaposition illustrates the high potential of iQ motion control for cycle time reduction

Fig. 3. Intuitive user guidance is a prerequisite for the acceptance and success of intelligent assistance systems

Fig. 4. The trials confirm the greatly reduced waiting time with iQ motion control and early start

Fig. 5. The reduced cycle time leads to a significantly higher output 

Fig. 6. Examples of smooth movement profiles of robot axes. Vibrations of the robot axes can also prolong the cycle time

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Due to the protruding kinematics, linear robots systemically tend to vibrate. Thanks to iQ vibration control, the intelligent motions in robots of the Engel viper series prevent undesirable deflections. Waiting times at the end of the motion are therefore no longer required. iQ motion control goes a step further. By the fact that smooth fourfold-constant motions do not excite vibrations, there is no loss in cycle time due to the compensation of large vibrations (Fig. 6).

Deborah Lidauer is head of Product Management Automation at Engel Austria GmbH, Schwertberg, Austria; <a href="mailto:deborah.lidauer@engel.at">deborah.lidauer@engel.at</a>

DI Dr. Matthias Oberherber is control systems engineer at Engel; <a href="mailto:matthias.oberherber@engel.at">matthias.oberherber@engel.at</a>