The “HiQ Melt Premium” assistance system is an indicator of melt quality and reduces the reject rate through interaction with the IM machine operator.

Software helps machine operators select the most resource-saving  settings.

16:9

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Automatisierungstechnik

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Mahlen

Resource-Saving  Assistent

Asset administration shells form the basis for interoperable production. In the InterOpera project, four submodels were developed for injection molding.

Asset administration shells attribute asset types (here: injection molding machines) with standardized properties and characterize the instances with specific values.

Big Data

Datenanalyse

The Interoperable  Injection Molding Production

Engel has used its new “e-connect” strategy to expand its existing customer portal into a scalable digital ecosystem.

Networked into the future with digital solutions from Engel.

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

One Platform for All Injection Molders

The mold breathing signal provided by the iQ clamp control digital assistance system can serve as an effective instrument for process optimization and quality monitoring – provided that one knows how to interpret it.

With the aid of the iQ clamp control assistant, the mold breathing is measured and analyzed to determine the optimum clamping force.

iQ clamp control digital assistance system can serve as an effective instrument for process optimization and quality monitoring 

Sensorik für Kunststoff-Verarbeitungsmaschinen

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Mold Breathing as the Key to Process and Product Quality

With the duo 5500 combi M technology center machine, Engel offers the opportunity to implement a variety of injection molding technologies for large components.

32 m long, 13  m wide, 6.8 m high and weighing 545 t: The large Engel duo 5500 combi M machine with a clamping force of 55,000 kN has recently been installed at the Technology Center in St. Valentin, Austria, for customer trials.

Composite-Halbzeuge

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Schaumspritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

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

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Spritzprägen

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Oberflächentechnik

Injection Molding Technologies  on a Mega Scale

At K 2022, Engel, with its partners Alpla Group, Brink and IPB Printing, is presenting a quantum leap for the packaging industry. Thin-wall containers can for the first time be produced from PET directly by injection molding in only one process step.

Fig. 1. The thin-walled containers are injection molded from rPET.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

kunststoffe.de

Schmelzefilter

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Polyethylenterephthalat

Thermoplaste

Energieeffizienz

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Processing rPET by Thin-Wall  Injection Molding

Netstal presents new solutions for high-performance injection molding in Düsseldorf.

aXos control unit with “Smart Operation:” the guided machine operation enables users to achieve additional productivity increases.

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Fast, Precise and Networked

Under the motto “It‘s all Wittmann”, Wittmann Battenfeld is presenting its machines and systems in the new Wittmann design for the first time.

Automation cell with SmartPlus 90 for manufacturing a spirit level.

Biokunststoffe

Naturmaterialien

Verstärkungsstoffe

Green DC Current for the Injection Molding Machine

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

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Instandhaltung

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Digitalisierung

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Compoundieren

It Can Be Done!

The iQ motion control assistance system from Engel optimizes the acceleration phases of mold movements and thus shortens cycle times.

The pressure to work efficiently is huge, especially in the packaging industry. The production of thin-wall containers clearly shows the potential of  iQ motion control to shorten cycle times.

iQ motion control Shortens Cycle Times in High-Performance Injection Molding

Software

Elektrische Antriebe für Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

How about a Little Bit Faster?

The road to the energy-optimized injection molding cell is often stony. A saving plan can be drawn up when there is transparency about the individual consumers.

The most varied measures help to save energy, but not all of them are equally profitable for every company.

Transparency as a Basis for  Energy Efficiency

The algorithms for identifying faults and optimization possibilities stored in assistance systems of injection molding machines are continually being expanded.

Intelligent assistance systems in the injection molding machine control help the machine operator to perform the work more efficiently.

Intelligent Assistance Relieves the Strain on Production Staff

New process technologies, new machines – a selection of what will be on show at Fakuma 2023.

Making its debut at Fakuma 2023 is the next representative of the hybrid Hidrive series with new machine technology: an Allrounder 520 H in the “Premium” performance variant.

Solutions for Injection Molders

Over 1000 participants accepted the invitation to the Wittmann Competence Days 2024 and gained an impression of the company’s current products.

In the Smart WorkCell, all components of the production cell exchange information and coordinate their work processes with the aim of maximizing overall efficiency.

Mikrospritzgießen

Digital Technology in the Spotlight

HiQ Flow is Wittmann Battenfeld’s answer to the challenge of fluctuating shot weights in injection-molded parts. The assistant system modifies the process parameters in the course of the same shot to counteract viscosity fluctuations caused by batch fluctuations in the material or by the use of regrind.

The HiQ Flow software corrects viscosity deviations during the injection and holding pressure phases within the same shot, based on the measurement values taken from the injection molding machine

Dynamic Adjustment of Switchover Pressure and Holding Pressure to Achieve a Constant Part Weight

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

No More Weight Problems

The Assistance System iQ Weight Control Promises Greater Clarity and New Functions

At Fakuma 2021, iQ Weight Control will be unveiled with its new interface and expanded functionality. The new developments have been driven by feedback from customers. With its consistently user-centered development approach, Engel is one of the pioneers.

Almost ten years ago, iQ weight control launched a range of intelligent assistance systems to support Engel injection molding businesses in the digitization of their production processes. Today that product range is a comprehensive one. At Fakuma 2021, the software will be unveiled with its new interface and expanded functionality. The new developments have been driven by feedback from customers. With its consistently user-centered development approach, Engel is one of the pioneers.

Paul is responsible for the sampling of new molds and optimizing injection molding processes. Having spent many years working with Engel injection molding machines, he utilizes the potential of innovative digital solutions wherever the option presents itself. Paul may be fictitious, but his requirements are very real: he represents the sum of experience with digital solutions gained by Engel customers in all regions of the world. The creation of personas – typical representatives of a target group – in the first phase of the development process (user research) provides the basis for user-focused development (Title figure).

Who uses our product? What is he or she doing with our product? What are his or her needs and expectations? To arrive at precise answers to these questions, Engel involves customers in the development and enhancement of products at a very early stage, analyzes their working environments and conducts interviews with a view to gathering specific information on user behavior.

As an expert in injection molding, Paul is receptive to digital products and has high expectations of them. Knowing the added value offered by iQ weight control, he has a clear idea of how the software could make his work easier in the future. Here he shares his ideas with Engel in the form of feedback.

During the speed-controlled injection process, iQ weight control continually analyzes the pressure profile in real time via the screw position and compares measured values against a reference cycle [1]. On this basis, new process parameters are calculated and settings are automatically readjusted for the current cycle. This calculation and readjustment takes place in fractions of a second, and is repeated for each cycle. The regulation influences the speed profile during injection, the switchover point and the holding pressure profile. In this way, fluctuations in environmental conditions and in the processed material are balanced out, thereby ensuring consistently high product quality while proactively preventing rejects.

Since its launch in 2012, the software has been updated several times (see Box p. 61). At first it was only available for injection molding machines with electric injection units; some time ago, though, it also became possible to equip injection molding machines using hydraulic injection units with iQ weight control. Shortly after this, the application range was expanded when adjusting the holding pressure profile became the third control variable. While automatic readjustment of the switchover point and injection profile increases weight consistency, especially in the production of thin-walled parts, the holding pressure phase is critical to quality in the production of thick-walled components. In the case of molds with several hot runner nozzles which are opened and closed in a cascade, iQ weight control can also be used to improve process consistency.

Time Needed for Referencing Significantly Reduced

One new feature to be unveiled at Fakuma 2021 is the new referencing concept. Let us get back to our process engineer. Paul wants to implement iQ weight control as fast as possible following process optimization, a material change or mold maintenance (for example). On the “Injection” screen, he is quickly able to find the product and also perform referencing; beforehand, he would have to wait through 20 cycles for this, which took a great deal of time. Thanks to the new version of iQ weight control, in which referencing is always running automatically in the background, Paul is able to save that time. As soon as a process is stable, a new reference can be set at any time – practically at the touch of a button.

The monitoring screen page indicates whether a process is stable; the specific process parameters of iQ weight control (injection volume, change in viscosity and alignment of pressure profile) over the last 50 cycles are displayed in the form of a trend graph. In the ongoing development of the interface, one priority was to create a clear display. All of the key information is now available at a glance. Information that is not relevant to a quick assessment of process consistency has been omitted.

Setting Upper and Lower Tolerance Limits Independently

Where a production process requires validation as in the case of medical technology, readjustment can only be performed within very narrow and clearly defined limits. Paul now wants to transfer this process window to the upper and lower limits for the two parameters adjusted by iQ weight control (switchover point and holding pressure). The fact that the process window is not always symmetrical presents a challenge here: in many cases, the reference value from the validation is closer to either the maximum value or the minimum value, rather than the middle of the reliable adjustment range. Excessively high holding pressure, for example, could result in overmolding of the component and damage to the mold; for this reason, it is a more critical consideration than holding pressure that is too low.

With this in mind, Paul wants to limit the upward correction more than the lower correction. The new release offers a convenient solution: the upper and lower tolerance limits can now be set independently of one another. Since the readjustments automatically performed by iQ weight control are generally within limits specified by the user, there is nothing to prevent the use of iQ weight control in validated processes [2].

In addition to customer feedback from sales and service dialogue, specific customer surveys, workshops and prototype tests are conducted in subsequent phases of the user-focused development process (concept and design, development and operation). Findings and results are duly applied to the design process (Fig. 1).

Overall, the new iQ weight control incorporates numerous small improvements that are visible to users on first glance. The interface is now even clearer. Another new feature is the compact summary of parameters for a very fast overview.

Not least, Engel’s tutorial concept makes implementing the new software version simplicity itself [3]. Accessed via the machine control unit, the tutorial guides users intuitively through all the steps and clearly shows how to maximize the potential of iQ weight control and the new functions (Fig. 2).

User-centered development is an ongoing process. By the time the new release reaches the market, phase one in the continued development of the product will already have commenced. Paul also stays on the ball, expanding his expertise and gaining experience. Smart assistance systems, which can seem alien and difficult to gauge at first, soon become second nature. Encouraged by early successes, Paul quickly develops ideas for new fields of application; he is now ready to take the text step.

Test Version as Standard in All New Injection Molding Machines

Will iQ weight control prove to be an advantage on his future projects as well? For an easy answer to this question, Engel is planning to integrate a test version as standard in all new injection molding machines, to run for a defined period. This will be available with the next release, which comes onto the market in 2022.

The test version will be of particular benefit to processors who have never worked with iQ weight control before and wish to evaluate its potential. In future, test versions will also be provided for other iQ products.

[1] Giessauf, J.; Pillwein, G.; Steinbichler, G.: Process Control: Switch over to Consistent Quality. Kunststoffe international 102 (2012) 9, pp. 13–16

[2] Razenböck, J.; Lhota, C.: Konforme dynamische Prozesse. Medplast (2019), pp. 18–21

[3] Dimmler, G.; Fritz, H.; Gassner, J.; Voggeneder, J.: Control Complex Processes Easily. Kunststoffe international 109 (2019) 7, pp. 28–30

[4] Giessauf, J.; Kapeller, P.; Maier, C.; Pillwein, G., Steinbichler, G.: Numbers that Count. Kunststoffe international 107 (2017) 9, pp. 28–32

Engel Austria GmbH  

https://www.engelglobal.com

Ausgabenartikel

The new release of iQ weight control is based on feedback from users. In the user-centered development process, Engel closely involves its customers at all stages

Fig. 1. Snapshots from the user-driven development of iQ weight control. The interface, which has evolved over time, now has a new, slimline design 

Fig. 2. Overview of the principal new features of iQ weight control

Name - Hauptartikel

<ul><li>2012: Engel introduces iQ weight control, its first smart assistance system. Available for injection molding machines with electric injection units, the system corrects the injection profile and switchover point.</li><li>2014: Enhancement of software performance spectrum to include correction of the holding pressure profile.</li><li>2015: iQ weight monitor installed as standard in all new Engel injection molding machines [4]. The software includes indicators for monitoring the injection molding process; unlike iQ weight control, however, it does not automatically re-adjust parameters.</li><li>2016: iQ weight control made available for injection molding machines with hydraulic injection units.</li><li>2018: Engel expands the software to include cascade injection for components with very long flow paths. Process parameters can now be adjusted at several injection points connected in series.</li><li>2019: At the K event, Engel unveils iQ weight control complete with a recycled material application – thereby showcasing the major potential of inject 4.0 to the circular economy.</li><li>2021: iQ weight control benefits from a new and clearer interface. Improvements to referencing facilitate very fast commissioning.</li><li>2022: All new Engel injection molding machines are equipped with a viable test version of iQ weight control for a defined period.</li></ul>

DI Philipp Willnauer is a development engineer in the Process Analysis and Assistance Systems department at Engel in Schwertberg, Austria; <a href="mailto:philipp.willnauer@engel.at">philipp.willnauer@engel.at</a>

Dr. Georg Pillwein is Team Leader Process Analysis and Assistance Systems at Engel in Schwertberg; <a href="mailto:georg.pillwein@engel.at">georg.pillwein@engel.at</a>

Johann Voggeneder is Team Leader Usability Engineering at Engel in Schwertberg; <a href="mailto:johann.voggeneder@engel.at">johann.voggeneder@engel.at</a>