Starting with the systematic design of manufacturing processes and the precise simulation of part manufacture, through smart tooling technology and sophisticated melt guidance, to efficient mold temperature control, numerous exhibitors have many innovations in the field of tooling technology on offer at K 2019.The current debates concerning marine pollution as well as anthropogenic climate change and its consequences seem to be having an effect at this world-leading trade show for plastics processing in Düsseldorf, Germany. A number of companies are noting the growing customer interest in sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient modes of production, and offering products and services intended to satisfy this interest.

Resource-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Products Are the Trend in  Tooling Technology

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Temperiergeräte

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Gießanlagen

Temperiertechnik

Normalien für die Kunststofffertigung

Normalien

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Spritzgießsimulation

Software

Simulation

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kaltkanalsysteme

Exhibitors See Green

The new Reverse Cube developed by Foboha manufactures various components or multi-component parts from varying materials in one step and assembles individual parts into finished products independently from the cycle time using an integrated handling robot. The automated process improves quality, accelerates cycle times by up to 40 % compared to separate injection molding and assembly processes, and thus enables substantial productivity gains at lower costs.

Manufacturing and Installing Multi-Component Parts on a Two-Part Cube Mold

Montage

Montagetechnik

Steuern, Regeln

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Werkzeugtemperatursensoren

Industrieroboter

Spritzgießmaschinen

Reverse Rotation

A Polish pharmaceutical company is developing inhalation therapy for the treatment of lung disease and the appropriate drug delivery drug. The inhaler has a complex interior and consists of 14 components. In order to be able to produce these with the required precision, Celon Pharma has formed a partnership with the mold making company Glittenberg and its hot runner sister Witosa.

Glittenberg Supplies Tools for Vital Medical Devices to Celon Pharma

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Plastic in the Service of Medicine

The Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University is investigating a new control approach for injection molding in which the cavity pressure is controlled by different positions of the hot runner valve pin. The influence on the cavity pressure of different strokes in the holding pressure phase is investigated.

Cavity-Specific Pressure Control to Increase Process Consistency

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

The Hot Runner Valve Pin  as Actuating Variable

Jessica Poliner has been appointed President of Barnes Molding Solutions. She replaces Norbert Scheid, who retired from Barnes Group in December 2020.

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Normalien und Heißkanaltechnik

New Management to Head Barnes Molding Solutions

At K 2019, the metrology experts at Kistler AG, Winterthur, Switzerland, showed how artificial intelligence will pave the way for the smart factory. ComoNeoPredict, a module of the ComoNeo process monitoring system, allows model-based prediction of the desired part quality based on the cavity pressure and temperature profiles. 

Kistler Puts Artificial Intelligence into Plastics Processing 

Networked Production with an Adaptive System 

An electric valve gate cylinder, which moves the valve pin directly, and in so doing sits on the manifold, is as compact and easy to maintain as conventional hydraulic cylinders, which would represent combining the best of both worlds. So does this work? 

Introduction of New Electric Valve Gate Cylinder 

Compact User-Friendly Electric Valve Direct Drive 

In the production of plastic parts for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for cleanroom environments are becoming increasingly stringent. In this area, not only the demand for all-electric injection molding machines is increasing. There is also an increasing use of electric drives for the implementation of mold movements, which meet the high requirements for cleanliness and reliability.

Electrical Drives in Injection Molds

Elektrische Antriebe

Antriebe

Mess- / Regel- und Prozessleittechnik

Prozessautomation

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Mold Technology

Marbling is often a real eye-catcher in plastic components. However, the effect is difficult to create and there are some pitfalls when it comes to reproducibility. Novel nozzles for injection molding machines in combination with a special dosing technology allow marbled molded parts to be produced far more easily in a much more robust process.

A 3D-Printed Nozzle and Modified Dosing Method Deliver Reproducible Marbling  in a Robust Process

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Additive Fertigung

Farben, flüssig

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Additive

Exciting Design instead of  Exciting Manufacturing

At the 2019 K fair, Arburg and Simcon showcased a filling process proceeding in real-time, as a 3D animation, on the display of a machine control panel, for an example of sunglasses, made of PA12. All that was needed to prepare this, was to load the simulation model, as well as the geometry of the part, directly onto the machine controls. This sounds almost too easy to be true. Right?

Interview with Eberhard Duffner and Paul F. Filz by the Magazine Kunststoffe

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Interview

The toolmaker Siebenwurst uses injection molding simulation to optimize part design and production processes in its routine workflows. Among other things, Simcon’s software ensures the quality and dimensional accuracy of the plastic frame for the first series-produced injection molded e-bike.

Controlling Complex Development and Manufacturing Processes, Using Simulation

Composite-Halbzeuge

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

A Bike Frame from an Injection  Molding Machine

Hybrid production chains have been increasingly in the spotlight in recent years. This also applies to the combination of conventional manufacturing and additive processes in tool construction. With the example of an injection molding tool, it is shown how mold inserts produced by additive manufacturing can greatly shorten cycle times, and thereby significantly reduce unit costs. The important thing is to find a suitable combination of processes from the variety available.

Additive Manufacturing and Hybrid Molds in Combination with Conventional Machining

HSC- / HPC-Bearbeitung

Spanende Verfahren

Werkzeugkonstruktion

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, Metall

Anlagen für die Additive Fertigung

The Potential of Redesign and  Part Consolidation

Increasing demands on component functionality and the need for efficient manufacturing processes are keeping multi-component injection molding squarely in the focus of plastics processing. Not all materials can be processed reliably in the desired combination. The new InMould-Plasma process, which is fully integrated into the injection molding process, facilitates more-efficient production and paves the way for completely new material combinations.

More Material Combinations,  Lower Costs

Thermoplastische Elastomere

Thermoplaste

Plasmabehandlung

Oberflächentechnik

Reinigen und Vorbehandeln

Dichtungsschäumen

Schäumen / Reaktive Verarbeitung

InMould-Plasma Streamlines the 2-Component Process and Expands  the Material Spectrum

Mold breathing provides useful information about the processes that occur in the mold and the cavity. Mold-maker Schneider Form and injection molding machine-maker Engel have recognized the potential which this process variable offers and have worked intensively on it for several years, albeit by adopting different approaches. They recently carried out joint tests on bumper molds using a two-platen injection molding machine with a clamping force of 40,000 kN and then swapped experiences.

Comparative Methods for Determining Mold Breathing

Energiemanagement / Smart Home

Installationstechnik

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Druck- / Kraftsensoren

Using Breathing Signals for  Process Optimization

The newly developed Compactcube mold system from Foboha can be used on slightly modified standard machines in the low to medium clamping force range. This means that the advantages of cube mold technology are now also available for applications with smaller production volumes.

Compactcube Reduces Initial Capital Outlay and Maintenance Requirements

New Application Areas for Cube Molds on Standard Machines

Award-Winning Packaging Solution Increases Productivity

Fully Automated Production Line with Stack Mold and In-Mold Labeling

A solution, which is unique in Europe, significantly increases productivity and comprises the production from a 12+12 stack mold with fully automated in-mold labeling and removal with visual 100 % inspection of the parts. The process significantly increases productivity compared to conventional tooling solutions. The Thuringian mold making specialist roth was responsible for the design and construction of the stack mold. Ewikon supplied the customized valve gate hot runner system.

A solution, which is unique in Europe, significantly increases productivity and comprises the production from a 12+12 stack mold with fully automated in-mold labeling and removal with visual 100 % inspection of the parts.

Packaging manufacturer Amaray won the UK Packaging Award 2019 in the “Investment Project” category with a fully automated production line for manufacturing a hinged lid for a wet wipe dispenser softbox (Fig. 1). The center of the 100 m2 plant is an injection molding machine with a clamping force of 5800 kN (type: El-Exis, manufacturer: Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH, Schwaig, Germany) and a sophisticated stack mold. The one-piece hinged cover made of polypropylene (PP) is injection molded in a single operation and labeled using the IML (In-Mold Labeling) process.

A linear handling system per parting line positions the labels precisely and within fractions of a second in the cavity removes the finished parts after the injection process and closes them to achieve a compact packing size. This must be done quickly while the polypropylene is still moldable. After an optical 100 % inspection by a camera system, 38 hinged lids are stacked and banded into packaging units. Nine of these units are packed – also automatically – into bags and then into transport cartons.

Fully Balanced Melt Channel Layout on Several Levels

Since the type and size of the injection molding machine and thus the maximum possible mold dimensions and weights were defined by the customer, roth Werkzeugbau GmbH, Auma-Weidatal, Germany, faced a challenge in developing the mold concept. For maximum productivity, a 12+12-cavity stack mold solution optimally adapted to the limited space available was required (Fig. 2). “With a mold installation height of 1250 mm, we achieved a very compact mold size”, explains Benjamin Noack, project manager at roth, “nevertheless, the development of a special set-up concept was necessary, as the mold is just 4 mm smaller than the clear width between the machine tie bars”.

Therefore, the mold features a modular design with special plug connections for the electrical connections between the plates to ensure optimum dismantling and ease of maintenance, even on the injection molding machine. There were additional restrictions on the weight. With a total mold weight of 12 t, 8 t could be allotted to the central block with hot runner system due to limited crane capacities at the production site. This required a weight-optimized design of the entire mold structure, to which the hot runner manufacturer (Ewikon Heisskanalsysteme GmbH, Frankenberg, Germany) also had to contribute .

“It was most important that the mold weight was not reduced at the expense of mold stability”, says Noack, “here Ewikon was able to support us with a special manifold design. The element technology used allows a very compact, fully balanced flow channel layout on several levels. This made it possible to integrate recesses for additional stabilizing supports in the manifold. The very space-saving arrangement of the valve gate drive units also helped to reduce the dimensions and weight of the center block. In the end, this flexibility was the decisive factor for us to choose Ewikon”.

Despite the weight reduction, however, additional measures were required to stabilize the mold, which is operated by four rack drives, on the machine. For example, the central block is guided in the reinforced machine bed and additionally supported by an adjustable crosshead.

Valve Pins for the Two Gating Points Are Actuated as a Group

To enable a most convenient one-handed operation when removing the wet wipes from the pack, the hinged lid is opened by a push mechanism. To ensure a reliable opening and closing over the entire life cycle, the thin-walled component with a shot weight of around 7.4 g and a wall thickness of 0.8 mm must be manufactured with high dimensional accuracy. A good filling is essential for this.

Initial tests to gate the part via only one gating point by using a prototype tool which has been purchased locally by the end customer showed unsatisfactory results in terms of filling behavior. So it was decided to use two gating points. In order to determine the optimum injection point positions, roth and Ewikon carried out MoldFlow filling analyses as well as pressure loss and shear calculations for the hot runner and the part in close cooperation. The results were validated in a 1-cavity pilot mold. The article is gated over a gate diameter of 1.2 mm with an injection time of 0.15 s. The first gating point is positioned centrally on the surface of the lid, the second on the frame structure of the removal opening. In order to achieve the highest possible part stability the valve pins are opened sequentially to that the weld line of the melt fronts is moved to the desired area 5 mm behind the film hinge.

In each parting line of the production mold, twelve parts are arranged in in four horizontal rows of three parts each. For each row, the valve pins for the first and second gating point are actuated as a group via a corresponding design of the supply channels. This requires 16 pneumatic control circuits which are activated by the pneumatic control system of the injection molding machine.

48 Valve Gate Hot Runner Nozzles  Vary in Length

Per parting line two manifolds are installed. Each of it has two melt inlets. Each inlet feeds six nozzles or three mold cavities. Thus, one manifold features two completely separated, fully balanced 6-drop flow channel layouts, which are arranged in such a way that the recesses for the supports could be easily integrated. A centrally located bridge manifold with outlets on both sides supplies all manifolds with melt (Fig. 3).

The leakage-free melt transfer from the machine nozzle is achieved by using a valve gate transition snorkel with a cooled pneumatic drive unit screwed onto the bridge manifold. The length of the valve pin is 1000 mm, the diameter is 6 mm. The 48 installed valve gate hot runner nozzles vary in length by approximately 10 mm, depending on the position of the injection point.

The pneumatic drive units are integrated in two middle plates in an extremely compact back-to-back arrangement (Fig. 4). In addition, cooled gate bushes are used. They do not only optimize the cycle time but also improve the gating point quality. In total the mold features 78 control zones and 58 cooling circuits.

Finally, a cycle time of less than 10 s was achieved. Since its start-up in spring 2019, the production line has been producing with a capacity of over 50 million units per year. As comparable in-mold labeling stack molds for the packaging sector have so far only been realized in 8+8-cavity versions at the most, it represents the most demanding and highly sophisticated mold technology solution of its kind in Europe.

The compact design of the mold and the hot runner system, the high productivity and the high degree of automation, which enables the parts to be produced under highly hygienic conditions without any human contact at any point in the production process, were reason enough for the UK Packaging Award jury to award the end customer Amaray the prize for the investment project of the year.

EWIKON Heißkanalsysteme GmbH  

www.ewikon.de

roth Werkzeugbau GmbH  

www.roth-werkzeugbau.de

Ausgabenartikel

Before relocation to the production site, extensive functional tests and the final trial were carried out at the roth technical center

Fig. 1. The hinged lid is injected and labelled fully automated within one working cycle. The original label may not be shown here in consideration of the OEM

Fig. 2. Modular, compact 12+12-cavity stack mold with valve gate full hot runner system

Fig. 3. Hot runner layout of the 12+12-cavity stack mold with valve gate transition snorkel

Fig. 4. The compact design with back-to-back arrangement of the drive units contributed to the weight reduction of the mold

Name - Hauptartikel

<b>Henning Becker</b> is Head of Marketing at Ewikon Heisskanalsysteme GmbH, Frankenberg, Germany.