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

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Schaumspritzgießen

Smart Factory

Energieeffizienz

Mikrospritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Spritzgießmaschinen

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

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

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

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Schneidmühlen

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

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

In the second part of the series, calculations were carried out on the throughput behaviour, pressure build-up capacity and the melting process on the basis of an exemplary geometry. These results are now to be examined in more detail and subsequently optimized.

Part 3 of the Series Deals with the Tests to Optimize the Screw Geometry

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

All about Plasticizing Screws

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.

Messe Fakuma

kunststoffe-international.com

Spritzprägen

Injection Molding Innovations In-House, Live and in Color

Munich-based mechanical engineering group KraussMaffei is repositioning itself and uniting all divisions under a single brand. At a time of accelerated technological change, the company is increasing its efforts to develop new products for digital solutions and new business models – and that includes plastics recycling.

KraussMaffei Consolidates Three Divisions and the Previous Group Brands under a Single Brand

Extrusion

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Kunststoff-Recycling

Compoundieren

Moving with the Times

HASCO Hasenclever GmbH + Co KG was founded in 1924 in Lüdenscheid, Germany.

HASCO Hasenclever GmbH + Co KG  

https://www.hasco.com

Angießeinsätze

Antriebselemente

Lineartechnik

Maschinenelemente

Armaturen

Mechanische Konstruktionselemente

Drucklufttechnik

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Beratung und Consulting

Dienstleistungen

Beschichten (CVD, PVD)

Chemisches Bearbeiten (Auftragen)

Oberflächentechnik

Beschichtungen

CAD Werkzeug-, Formenbau

Dichtungen

Druckluftarmaturen

Druckmessgeräte (Gas, Wasser, Dampf)

Messung von Gasen und Flüssigkeit

Messtechnik

Edelstähle

Stähle

Metall Werkstoffe

Erodiermaschinen

Werkzeugmaschinen für die spanende Fertigung

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Filter

Konstruktionselemente-Fluidtechnik

Getriebe

Gießmaschinen / Urformen

Maschinen für die spanlose Fertigung

Gleitlager

Lager

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Heißkanaltechnik

Messung von Umgebung (Klima)

Heizung

Haustechnik

Hydraulik-Komponenten

Hydraulikzylinder

Fluidtechnik

Antriebe

Induktive Sensoren

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Kühlelemente, aktive

Kühlkörper

Elektromechanik

Kupplungen

Linearführungen

Markiersysteme

Messzubehör

Mathematik-Software

Medizintechnik

Messdatenerfassung und -verarbeitung

Messgeräte

Messgeräte, sonstige elektrisch

Elektrische / Magnetische Messtechnik

Näherungsschalter

Normalien und Heißkanaltechnik

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Normteile

Normteile / Normalien

Platten

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Pneumatik-Komponenten

Reinigung

Schläuche aus Kunststoff

Schmelzefilter

Schrauben

Spanneinrichtungen

Systemperipherie

Spritzgieß-Zubehör und Einzelteile

Stähle, hochfeste

Steuern, Regeln

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Temperaturmessgeräte

Temperiertechnik

Tribologie

Umformwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge

Ventile

Verbindungstechnik

Wälzlager

Waschen und Entfetten

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Werkzeugstähle

Werkzeugwechselsysteme

Werkzeugwechselsysteme, Spritzgieß

Zähler

Mechanische Messtechnik

Zahnräder

The new head of the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Greater China) will be responsible for sales, service and project management.

Spritzgießmaschinen, Spritzpressen

Kunststoffverarbeitungsmaschinen

New Vice President of Asia-Pacific Region

A consistent flow of data and information is essential for digital solutions and meaningful analytics. The introduction of potential solutions is therefore often associated with high costs for data preparation.

Standardization Guarantees High Data Quality for Future Applications

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

To Get the Information Flow in a Row

The required screw diameter can be ascertained on the basis of the shot volume. The formula for the average residence time can be used to estimate the degree of utilization and the thermal load on the material.

Part 1 of the Series Discusses the Basic Design of a Plasticizing Unit and the Correct Choice of Injection Unit

Infrared heating technology has become established as the standard in the processing of thermoplastic composite materials. The focus is on process control. On the one hand, it is important that the heating process is fast, on the other hand, the material must not be overheated. It is also important to achieve excellent temperature homogeneity. Simultaneous processing of blanks with different thicknesses is a particular challenge.

Efficient and Precise Heating up of Thermoplastic Composites

Infrarotstrahler

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Organobleche (gewebeverstärkte Thermoplast-Halbzeuge)

Software-Based Control of IR Ovens

To be able to carry out the practical test in a resource-saving manner, the designers use simulation tools to assess the screw geometry. What is important here is explained using a 3-zone screw as an example.

Part 2 of the Series Deals with Basic Methods for Evaluating a Screw Geometry

ENGEL, headquartered in Schwertberg, Austria, is one of the globally leading companies in plastics processing machines. From individual injection moulding machines to integrated and automated production cells, ENGEL offers customised solutions for thermoplastic, thermoset and elastomer processing from a single source. ENGEL injection moulding solutions are used, for example, to manufacture automotive components, housings and other parts for electrical and electronic products, household goods, toys and leisure articles, packaging, and products for medical technology and health care. ENGEL‘s leading market position is founded on two cornerstones: on the one hand, high-technology business that initiates permanent further development and on the other hand, large-scale production to make our cost-intensive development work financially affordable. With nine production plants in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as subsidiaries and representatives in more than 85 countries, ENGEL has a global presence. From its foundation in 1945 to the present day, ENGEL has always been 100 percent family-owned.

Engel Austria GmbH  

https://www.engelglobal.com

The new injection-molding machine Engel duo speed combines productivity and efficiency with short cycle times in a high clamping force range. The two-platen machine is thus making inroads into a range of packaging applications that were formerly the domain of toggle machines.

Engel Duo Speed Expands the Machine Portfolio for Packaging Applications

High-Speed Machine with a  Small Footprint

The resource-economical determination of an optimized operating point in injection molding is still a challenge. Machine learning offers great potential for re-using knowledge from a flow simulation that has already been generated.

Machine Learning: Combining Simulation and Experimental Test Data

DOE-Software

Qualitätsmethoden

Digitaler Zwilling

Quicker Evaluation of the Optimum Operating Point

The fifth broadcast by arburgXvision was all about the exciting question of how productivity can be optimized by bringing together technology, organization and digitalization in the ideal manner.

5. arburgXvision: „Savings through Hidden Benefits!“

An Eye on the Process –  a Handle on Quality

A Process Monitoring Platform Monitors Several Hundred Parameters Simultaneously

iQ process observer, the new process monitoring platform from Engel monitors hundreds of parameters from the injection molding cell in the background and presents deviations in such a way that the injection molder can easily identify them and their cause. In many cases, the new assistance system from the iQ product family even suggests a solution itself. In this way, the data analytics solution helps to reduce rejects and downtime.

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

The injection molder knows how varying environmental conditions, sudden changes in the material properties and increasing wear on the mold and machine result in continually new boundary conditions. In addition not infrequent problems with material feed and automation lead to short production interruptions. They disturb the thermal equilibrium in the melt cylinder and mold. On the other hand, newer injection-molding machines feature control of many parameters, e. g. axial movements, temperatures and pressures. In addition, water manifolds are increasingly used in mold temperature control to ensure controlled conditions <a href="http://[1]">[1]</a>. Recently, process controllers such as iQ weight control are even ensuring that the injection volume remains constant <a href="http://[2]">[2]</a>.

The fact is that they can correct many, but not all, changes. When “non-controllable” process changes occur, they are often recognized too late, or not at all – the production of rejects is predestined. The search for the causes is time-consuming and requires experts. But experts with process knowledge and experience are in short supply.

One hundred percent quality control is expensive and therefore only appropriate for special applications. In general, it is thus advisable to monitor the process instead. A stable process that does not vary is not a guarantee, but an indication of and prerequisite for uniform part quality. But when is the process stable? Until now it was normal to choose particular process parameters, provide them with tolerances and monitor them. But it is not so simple: while there are clearly defined specifications and tolerances for the quality of parts, in process monitoring the choice of parameters and specification of tolerances is usually performed subjectively based on individual experience. Once again, this requires the expert and time, though different experts usually reach different results.

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