For a cutlery series made of a new biopolymer, three full hot runner molds with digital process monitoring were developed in close cooperation with mold maker Uniform and hot runner specialist Ewikon.

The 16-drop family mold on the machine. The removal and packaging of the parts are fully automated

16:9

Complete Digital Hot Runner Solution for Automated Biopolymer Processing

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Virtual Reality für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Process Reliability Is Crucial

Over past months, many in-house workflows and development processes have slowed down and also changed. Nevertheless, time has not stood still, also not in injection molding technology. The debate and development have been shaped by two themes: digitalization and the circular economy. Below are some examples of developments and projects that underpin this trend.

Two displays are seamlessly integrated into the continuously 3D-formed instrument panel

Innovative Injection Molding in Times of Pandemic

Schaumspritzgießen

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

Software

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

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

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Spritzgießsimulation

Simulation

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Spritzgießmaschinen

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Lasermarkieren

Oberflächentechnik

Laserbearbeitungen

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Kreislaufwirtschaft

There Is More beyond the Horizon

Bio-Fed and Günther Heisskanaltechnik have performed various trials, which show that even supposedly sensitive bioplastics can be reliably processed in hot runner molds.

Fig. 4. Interchangeable inserts for various test samples can be installed in the two-cavity trial mold.

Bio-Fed and Günther Heisskanaltechnik have performed trials, which show that even supposedly sensitive bioplastics can be reliably processed in hot runner molds.

While Processing Trials Proved Highly Successful, an Intuitive Feeling Is Required

Processing Bioplastics  in Hot Runners

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

Temperiertechnik

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Automatisierungstechnik

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Energieeffizienz

Digitalisierung

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Compoundieren

It Can Be Done!

Production systems for large molded parts can be flexibly and economically reconfigured or expanded using hot runner adapter plates.

Melt transfer from two on the side injection units of an Engel v-duo 2300 RTM into the middle of the hot runner intermediate plate mounted on the sliding table. 

Economical Solution for the Production of Thermoplastic Large-Structure Components

Normalien und Heißkanaltechnik

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Flexible Injection Solutions  with Adapter Plates

We look behind the cavity walls and along the data cable at what hot runner technology now offers in terms of mechanical, electronic and digital expertise.

The smart Control monitoring unit permits integrated monitoring of the injection molding production cell, including the mold, hot runner system and all ancillary components. The “Luer connector” application case was on show at K 2022.

State-of-the-Art Injection Molding Solutions at K 2022: Hot Runner Technology

Mikrospritzgießen

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Temperaturregler

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Additive Fertigung

Everything under Control

Witosa is replacing titanium with 3D-printed steel elements in its hot runner systems. Its long-term goal is carbon neutrality.

Reducing the CCF through Titanium-Free Mold Constructions

Hot Runner, Carbon Neutral

Injection molding: Family molds can produce a wide variety of parts in a single shot. Where the challenges lie in process control.

Three at once: a six-axis robot removes the final injection-molded assembly, consisting of door trim, map pocket and sill.

One Tool, One Shot, Three Parts

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.

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

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

Award-Winning Packaging Solution Increases Productivity

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

Temperiergeräte

Gießanlagen

Normalien für die Kunststofffertigung

Normalien

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.

Two thermally separated cube molds rotate in opposite directions at a 90° angle. Bottom: injection and cooling of component 1 (roller made of PP) and component 2 (female connection made of POM), staggered by 180°

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

Montage

Montagetechnik

Werkzeugtemperatursensoren

Industrieroboter

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.

For its complex functional mechanism, the inhaler requires 14 components

Glittenberg Supplies Tools for Vital Medical Devices to Celon Pharma

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Plastic in the Service of Medicine

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

Jessica Poliner has been appointed President of Barnes Molding Solutions

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

New Management to Head Barnes Molding Solutions

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.

The experimental mold with the cavity of a bicycle saddle has a servo-electrically driven hot runner

20:7

Cavity-Specific Pressure Control to Increase Process Consistency

The Hot Runner Valve Pin  as Actuating Variable

Pipette tips feature a challenging wall thickness/length ratio, an inner geometry that is key for analysis results, and a tip opening just a few tenths of a millimeter wide. They have been in extremely high demand during the coronavirus pandemic, which is why the mold construction and hot runner specialist Männer has developed a mold with an innovative cluster concept.

At the Männer test center in Bahlingen, Germany: an injection mold for manufacturing pipette tips, shown here in operation. Automation of the system is currently being set up

Pipette Tips: Männer Presents a Mold with Replaceable Clusters

Maintenance During (Nearly)  Uninterrupted Production

Compostable Bioplastics:  Italy Sets the Standard

Synergistically combining know-how and skills, a group of Italian companies has developed three automated injection molding lines for the production of single-use compostable cutlery: a solution that optimizes productivity, quality and costs.

A group of Italian companies has developed three automated injection molding lines for the production of single-use compostable cutlery.

Bioplastics is a market destined to grow, reaching a global capacity of 6.3 million t by 2027, the association European Bioplastics expects. Consumption should follow at the same pace, driven by changing consumer environmental awareness and regulations that will come into force in the future. Italy already stands out as a bioeconomy case study. Considering a total of 320,000 t of bioplastics processed in Europe in 2021, Italy has in fact recorded a demand for 125,350 t of compostable bioplastics out of a total of 220,000 t of plastics processed according to the Italian consulting company  Plastic Consult.

This data is the result of a targeted strategy adopted in 1990s that demonstrates how lawmakers can stimulate process and product innovation throughout the entire life cycle. It also shows how reconciling environmental and economic sustainability is possible.

“The change began in the early 1990s, when the city of Milan adopted a new approach to waste management by implementing a separate collection model. This was based on the separation between the dry fraction and the organic fraction of urban waste,” explains Armido Marana, CEO of Ecozema (based in Santorso, near Vicenza) and Vice President of Confindustria Vicenza for Sustainability, Circular Economy and Environment. “The measure paved the way for the ‘Decreto Ronchi’ of 1997, an organic reform which implemented three European directives on waste, hazardous waste and packaging.”

This marked the beginning of a new era of research and development. In 1992, the first compostable shopper made from Novamont‘s biopolymer Mater-Bi was launched; in 2012, a Legislative Decree banned traditional HDPE shopping bags. A few years later, the European Commission also adopted this measure. It is therefore evident why the first compostable plastic item was a shopper. “It was the perfect container for taking organic fraction to the composting plants,” continues Armido Marana.

Today in Italy, there are 359 composting plants, of which 65 include an anaerobic digestion section for the production of biogas. “The obligation to separately collect the organic fraction throughout the national territory as from 1 January 2022 did not catch us unprepared. Again, Italy is setting a new standard, because there will be a similar commitment introduced in the rest of the European Union in early 2024,” concludes Armido Marana.

The availability of a highly organized system throughout Italy is the reason that led Italian lawmakers to focus on compostable bioplastics in the implementation of the SUP Directive (SUP: single-use plastics). This should guide the European Commission for the draft of the packaging regulation which is currently in the approval phase.

Antonio Munarini (Title figure), President of Ecozema, believed in this circularity-oriented project, and in 2005, he restructured his company’s production, opening up the business of disposable cutlery (Fig. 1) and tableware made of compostable biopolymers and plant fibers. Success came later, when Ecozema cutlery echoed in the international press for arriving on Olympic Village tables during the 2012 London Olympics. The factory continued to expand. A couple of years ago Antonio Munarini decided to further increase productivity by investing in

<ul><li>two new Engel all-electric e-mac 740/280 injection molding machines,</li><li>a 16-drop valve gate family mold for the production of a complete cutlery set with knife and fork,</li><li>another 16-drop valve gate system for a single fork and</li><li>a 24-drop system for the production of an ice cream spoon</li></ul>

The strong improvement in demand led to the purchase of another injection molding machine, an Engel e-mac 765/280, which has been up and running since June 2023.

Overall Process Efficiency  as Decisive Factor

For Ecozema the e-mac series proved to be a good choice because of its compact design, achieved by a short clamping unit with a very large opening stroke, low power consumption, and high precision due to electric movements, including injection and extraction. “Thinking about the new production cell, we did not only focus on the efficiency of the injection molding machine. Our goal was to find the best possible balance between energy consumption and machine output for the product to be manufactured, keeping in mind that the decisive factor is the overall efficiency of the process,” explains Antonio Munarini. Therefore, some adaptions were made in the order of the latest e-mac.

“The plasticizing unit was optimized by implementing a 50 mm diameter screw, slightly larger than the 45 mm screws installed on other machines. In the injection molding of Novamont’s fourth Generation Mater-Bi, this solution allowed us to reduce the cycle time and increase the plasticizing capacity without material degradation, despite the longer residence time in the cylinder. This way, we are able to produce cutlery that is stiffer and therefore safer for consumers,” explains Antonio Munarini.

“iQ melt control also improved plasticizing performance,” explains Matteo Terragni, Managing Director of Engel Italia. “The intelligent assistant automatically determines the optimum plasticizing time for each application. Instead of plasticizing at the maximum possible speed, the software takes advantage of the part’s in-mold cooling time. The machine operator only has to enter the screw type and the material to be processed.” Benefits are considerable. iQ melt control provides consistently high-quality melt and longer service life for the screw, improved part quality and greater efficiency.

Systematic Approach to Smart Injection Molding

Another adaption was made by upgrading the software. In addition to iQ melt control, iQ weight control and iQ clamp control have also been installed. “We aimed better quality, so we decided to make the injection molding process smarter,” emphazises Antonio Munarini. The abbreviation iQ stands for “intelligent quality”, meaning the integration of expert knowledge into the injection molding machine control. The aim is to increase the productivity and reproducibility and to reduce rejects by adaptation of parameters throughout the running process.

“iQ weight control can automatically adjust variations in melt viscosity, one of the major challenges to molders of recycled plastics. Bioplastics show a similar behavior. We therefore thought that software could help us to approach the regulation of the process parameters in a more scientific way,” explains Antonio Munarini. iQ weight control compares the injection pressure curve of each cycle with a defined reference curve. In case of deviations, for example due to external influences, the software reacts directly in the current cycle. As a result, the accuracy of the injection molding process increases and the weight of the parts remains constant.

“The growing attention on energy saving led Ecozema also to install iQ clamp control,” explains Matteo Terragni. “The intelligent assistant automatically reduces the clamping force to the minimum required while maintaining optimum part quality. This means that the drive energy needed for clamping force build-up can be reduced. This saves energy and cycle time. Moreover, using the software protects the mold and the injection molding machine.”

Competitive Mass Production thanks to Automation

The reason for putting much effort in plant construction and for the choice of software solutions is not difficult to understand. “Cost-efficient mass production and at the same time maintaining high hygienic standards are essential factors for being competitive in single-use cutlery production, so it is important to have a high level of automation with minimal human involvement and optimal process control,” explains Antonio Munarini.

The cell for the simultaneous production of fork and knife is the most complex of the three in terms of automation. In addition to the automated removal of the parts by means of a handling system, the complete packaging is integrated into the process. After the forks and knifes have been placed on a conveyor belt, they are picked up in pairs under camera control, automatically placed on a paper napkin and finally packed and sealed.

Another complex component of the production cell is the family mold (Fig. 2), considering the substantial different in weight and shape of the two parts. It is a 16-cavities mold, designed and manufactured by Italian toolmaker Uniform (Marostica, near Vicenza). For the development, Uniform involved the German hot runner supplier Ewikon.

To optimize the process, the hot runner has been designed to ensure high reliability, material savings and a consistent cavity filling, to minimize scraps, production stops or delays in the following steps of the automated process. The cavity balancing, with the forks and knives divided in groups of eight parts, was achieved with a rheological study and different melt diameters to compensate the differences, with a single actuator plate for the valve pins. This solution was the most compact and efficient from the tool design point of view.

A similar approach was used for the 16-cavities fork mold, in this case with naturally balanced hot runner system. However, the design for the 24-cavities ice cream spoon tool (Fig. 3) substantially changed during the development process. “Extensive tests in cooperation with Ecozema and Novamont highlighted the excellent performances of Ewikon’s direct side gating HPS III-MH nozzle, as alternative to traditional hot tip solutions,” comments Riccardo Passuello, Uniform Sales Manager. “The tool is smaller, runs with a faster cycle time and reduced operational costs, proving to be the ideal technical solution and also the most cost-effective one.”

Needle valve gate systems installed on the other tools are using HPS III-NV nozzles, with direct heating and melt channel with 6 mm diameter. All needles are installed on a synchronous plate, equipped with position sensors in the clamping plate and moved by pneumatic drives installed in the clamping plate. To simplify maintenance, the tool has been supplied with exchangeable gate inserts, wear resistant and easy to replace. Thanks to their contour, they can be individually replaced, without any actions on the cavity plate.

Today, the three fully automated Engel lines continuously produce 150 million parts per year. In addition, three long-serving production cells also based on Engel injection molding machines complete the cutlery production (Fig. 4). An excellent result achieved thanks to a technological cooperation that allows to attain the best possible solution.

Engel Austria GmbH  

https://www.engelglobal.com

Ausgabenartikel

Fig. 2. The 16-cavity family mold  for the production of knives and forks on the Engel e-mac. Removal and packaging of the cutlery are fully automated.

Armido Marana (left) and Antonio Munarini of Ecozema in front of the Engel e-mac 280 for the production of single-use cutlery in compostable bioplastics.

Fig. 4. Six fully automated production lines turn out millions of parts every year. Automation also includes digital process monitoring.

Fig. 3. Particular of the 24-cavity mold for the production of ice cream spoons.

Fig. 1. To manufacture disposable cutlery, Ecozema invested in an e-mac injection molding machine.

Hauptartikel

Production of Single-Use Compostable Cutlery

This article is part of the Plastics Discovery Tour, a joint campaign of VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery and Plastics Insights: <a href="http://www.plasticsinsights.com/plastics-discovery-tour" target="_blank">www.plasticsinsights.com/pdt</a>

Ph. D. Nicoletta Boniardi is Marketing and Communications Manager at Engel Italia S.r.l., Vimercate (MB), Italy; <a href="mailto:nicoletta.boniardi@engel.at">nicoletta.boniardi@engel.at</a>