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.

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

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Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

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Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

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Antriebe

Elektrische Antriebe

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Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

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Qualitätssicherung

How about a Little Bit Faster?

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.

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Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

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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

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Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

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It Can Be Done!

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.

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Transparency as a Basis for  Energy Efficiency

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

The ComoNeoPredict process monitoring system is a proven option for ensuring the required quality in the injection molding production of medical devices.

In the medical technology industry, a high and validated product quality is inevitable.

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When Validated Quality Is Not a Competitive Advantage

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.

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Intelligent Assistance Relieves the Strain on Production Staff

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.

Fig. 1. Smart Operation – the machine is operated with only four buttons (© KraussMaffei)

Injection Molding Trends at K 2019

Smart Factory

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Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

 At KraussMaffei’s booth, automotive door modules are produced from former caps of insulin pens. The system supplier is presenting not only the machine hardware necessary for this but also new digital solutions.

Digital solutions are an essential component of the material loop from the insulin pen cap to the car door module.

Digitale Transformation

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From the Insulin Pen Cap to the Automotive Door Module

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.

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Polyethylenterephthalat

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Processing rPET by Thin-Wall  Injection Molding

Arburg has now packed numerous digital services into an app for smartphones and tablets. Among them: assistance in saving energy.

Via the customer portal, the individual apps – from the Arburg host computer system (ALS) to the ordering function – can also be operated using a smartphone.

Review of the Arburg Anniversary Days from March 8 to 11, 2023

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A Machine Park in the Pocket

Engel’s new “Parameter Limits” feature provides a remedy. It supports injection molders in keeping the parameters constant within a process window.

With the new Parameter Limits feature, tolerance ranges for up to 150 process parameters can be fixed directly in the machine control system for up to 150 process parameters. A change of the selected setpoint values is then only possible within the defined process window.

Simple Determination of Process Windows and Quality beyond Parameter Limits

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

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Keeping Setting Parameters  under Control

Maintaining competitiveness while producing in Germany requires not only cost-efficient production, but also high-quality products. Vorwerk Elektrowerke is accepting this challenge. In collaboration with the Institute of Product Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, the company is testing a 100 % inline quality monitoring system as well as a quality prediction using machine learning.

Customers who choose the Kobold VK 200 vacuum cleaner expect top quality. To ensure this, efforts for the introduction of Industry 4.0 measures are taken in the production plant in Wuppertal, Germany

Successfully Managing Digital Transformation with Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Künstliche Intelligenz für die Qualitätssicherung

Kameras, intelligente

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Inline Quality Monitoring and  Data-Based Quality Prediction

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 is truly not a friend of changes – if they occur in the running process. The iQ process observer helps him to keep an eye on the process and thus keep a handle on the quality

A Process Monitoring Platform Monitors Several Hundred Parameters Simultaneously

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

An Eye on the Process –  a Handle on Quality

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.

The new SmartPlus machine is equipped with the HiQ Flow software and the CMS Light condition monitoring system

Messe Fakuma

Injection Molding Innovations In-House, Live and in Color

iQ hold control Determines the Optimum Holding Pressure Time

The iQ product family from Engel will gain a new member at K 2022. iQ hold control automatically determines the optimum holding pressure time for the particular mold with no input from the operator.

The iQ product family from Engel will gain a new member at K 2022. iQ hold control automatically determines the optimum holding pressure time for the particular mold with no input from the operator. This saves the processor a lot of time for mold trials while also increasing both productivity and energy efficiency.

Ten years ago, Engel launched iQ weight control and laid the foundation for a whole range of intelligent assistance systems [1–3]. The abbreviation “iQ” stands for intelligent quality, meaning the integration of expert knowledge into the injection molding machine control.

The aim is to improve the quality of the production process and thus also of the manufactured products. The iQ product family has grown steadily in recent years. All iQ software products support the practitioner through at least one of the following factors (Fig. 1):

<ul><li> Transparency – making the process status intelligible by means of meaningful parameters and a clear presentation.</li><li>Assistance – the automated determination and setting of process parameters.</li><li> Efficiency – increasing the productivity and reproducibility and reduction of rejects through the continuous automated adaptation of process parameters while the process is running.</li></ul>

The new iQ hold control falls into the group of set value assistants. The software serves for automatic objective determination of the optimum holding pressure time. The innovation brings us a little closer to fully automated optimization of the entire injection process.

The holding pressure time is a key process parameter for the part quality. It takes effect at the end of the injection step, in a phase of the injection molding process at which the cavity is completely volumetrically filled. Due to the cooling of the melt and the resulting volume shrinkage, surface defects such as sink marks and voids, but also invisible negative effects on quality, such as internal stresses, may arise in this phase. These quality reductions can be prevented by applying holding pressure to the melt for a specific time.

However, the holding pressure prolongs the cycle time and thereby has an unfavorable effect on the cost-efficiency and energy consumption. The question is thus the minimum time for which the pressure must be applied to ensure high part quality. From the point of view of processing, the holding pressure can be ended when the sealing point is reached. The sealing point is the time at which the material solidifies at the gating point of the cold runner or in the region of the nozzle when a hot runner is used.

The conventional method for identifying this point is described as the sealing point determination in the literature. With this technique, the holding pressure time is increased in successive cycles until the weight of the parts no longer changes (Fig. 2). However, the disadvantages are the high time consumption and susceptibility to defects. The machine operator must manually adjust the holding pressure time in the injection molding machine control system, remove the produced parts and weigh them in the quality lab. A faster method for determining the sealing point is to observe the curve of the screw position or screw velocity in the holding pressure phase. The (approximate) halting of the screw corresponds to the sought sealing point. However, since the curves approach this point asymptotically and the leakage via the locking ring may fluctuate from shot to shot, the method requires experience and is less precise.

Optimum Holding Pressure Time  with One Click

With iQ hold control, fully automatic determination of the holding pressure time is performed with just one click. The software operates in two steps. In the first step, the screw position is analyzed to determine a rough start value. In the second step, this start value is used as the basis for cyclically varying the holding pressure time, cooling time and plasticizing delay, and the optimum holding pressure time is determined by analyzing the mold breathing signal.

Since, for the sake of simplicity, often only the holding pressure time is varied in practice, the cycle time and residence time of the melt in the melt cylinder are undesirably prolonged. With iQ hold control, on the other hand, the holding pressure time, cooling time and plasticizing delay are altered cycle by cycle so that the cycle time can be kept constant during the optimization phase and, on the other hand, the plasticizing can be started at the identical point in the cycle in each case (Fig. 3). In this manner, it is possible to create a constant process by evaluating the holding pressure time as independently as possible from other influences.

In summary, automatic holding pressure time determination with the aid of the assistance system offers a combination of both of the methods that have been used until now. The difference is that the mold breathing signal is used instead of weight information. Although this does not provide any information about the absolute value of the part weight, the comparison of the mold breathing signal of two cycles indicates whether the weight has changed from one cycle to the next, or not. This, too, can be used to determine the optimum holding pressure time, as with conventional sealing point determination.

In an experiment, the mold breathing signals at different holding pressure times are shown (Fig. 4). In the cycle describing the green curve, the holding pressure phase is terminated one second before the sealing point. The result is that material from the cavity is forced back into the space in front of the screw, which leads to a reduced part weight and smaller integral of the mold breathing compared to a cycle with sufficient holding pressure time. If the holding pressure time is prolonged beyond the sealing point, no more material can flow into the cavity due to the solidified gate region. Consequently, neither the part weight nor the integral mold breathing is changed, as described by the red and orange lines. Thus, by means of mold breathing and its cyclic variation, it is possible to automatically determine the sealing point, which once again highlights the great benefit of this process signal [5].

In a practical example for determining the optimum holding pressure time, the conventional sealing point determination is compared with the new set value assistant iQ hold control (Fig. 5). For better comparison of the two parameters part weight and integral of the mold breathing, the values were standardized to the maximum value in each case.

The sprue requires special attention here, since there are several possible sprue versions. With the cold-runner gate, it is possible, with careful observation, to distinguish between the sealing point of the part and the sealing point of the sprue rod or sprue runner system. The height of the mold breathing signal is the result of the integral of the cavity pressure over the projected area. Since the projected surface area of the sprue is usually very small compared to the part surface area, the deviation can usually be neglected.

The same argument applies in hot-runner applications with open nozzle since the molten region in front of the hot-runner nozzle usually has a very small area.

Production of Plugs Clarifies the  Mode of Operation

At the Engel booth, visitors to K 2022 can see the new iQ hold control in action. An all-electric e-mac injection molding machine is producing plugs for vehicle electronics. The machine is equipped with all the assistance systems available in Engel’s “inject 4.0” program. They can be individually activated and deactivated so that the visitors can follow the mode of operation live.

It becomes clear what additional benefit the new assistance system can provide processors. The fully automated set value assistant determines the optimum holding pressure time objectively and reproducibly with minimum time outlay. The process engineer can start the optimization at the touch of a button. The automatic process saves time and in many cases can also shorten the cycle time. The automatically determined holding pressure time is often lower than that previously determined manually. Overall, productivity, energy efficiency and cost efficiency are increased. Even if qualified specialists are not present in every shift, a high product quality can be obtained throughout.

Completely Exploiting the  Machine’s Potential

Intelligent assistance is a key feature of the Smart Factory. Assistance systems determine the optimum production parameters while production is running, suggest them actively or automatically establish them. In this way, the full potential of the injection molding machine can be tapped. With the strictly modular approach to its “inject” 4.0 program, Engel makes it easy for plastics processors to take advantage of the opportunities of digitalization. Individual solutions like iQ hold control provide a high benefit.

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

[2] Wollstadt, H.: Qualität und Ersparnis stehen im Vordergrund. Plastverarbeiter 65 (2014) 2, pp. 20–22

[3] Pillwein, G; Willnauer, P.; Steinbichler, G.: Opening up a Broader Range of Applications for Recyclates. Kunststoffe international 110 (2020) 4, pp. 26–30

[4] Pillwein, G.; Lettner, J; Giessauf, J; Steinbichler, G.: Breathing Exercises for Process Optimization. Kunststoffe international 105 (2015) 10, pp. 81–84

[5] Pillwein, G.; Lettner, J.; Giessauf, J.; Steinbichler, G.: Using Breathing Signals for Process Optimization. Kunststoffe international 110 (2020) 1, pp. 26–31

[6] Schläger, M.; Balka, C.; Giessauf, J.: Working with instead of against One Another. Kunststoffe international 107 (2017) 1, pp. 17–20

[7] Jaroschek, C.: Technical Excellence thanks to Digital Assistance. Kunststoffe international 109 (2019) 10, pp. 9–18

[8] Giessauf, J.; Pillwein, G.; Kapeller, P.; Kilian, J.: An Eye on the Process – a Handle on Quality. Kunststoffe international 111 (2021) 5, pp. 16–19

Engel Austria GmbH  

https://www.engelglobal.com

Ausgabenartikel

Fig. 1. The iQ products can be subdivided into the stages transparency, assistance and efficiency depending on the type of support. The new iQ hold control set value assistant serves to optimize the holding pressuretime.

 The optimum holding pressure time is often lower than that established at the beginning. In these cases, the cycle time is shortened.

Fig. 2. Sealing point determination by weighing the molded parts while varying the holding pressure time: the sealing point corresponds to the time from which no weight gain can be ascertained as the holding pressure time is increased.

Fig. 3. Variation of the process parameters during optimization of iQ hold control: the cycle time remains constant during optimization and feeding starts at the same time in the cycle.

Fig. 4. Mold breathing over three cycles with different holding pressure times: if the holding pressure time is reduced and the part is not yet sealed, mold breathing stops. If the holding pressure time is prolonged beyond the sealing point, mold breathing remains unchanged.

Fig. 5. Comparison of conventional sealing point determination with the result of iQ hold control: for a visual comparison, the maximum values of weight and integral mold breathing were standardized to 1.

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The ancestral gallery of the iQ product family for injection molding machines:

<ul><li>2012 iQ weight control: automatic real-time control of the injection process for constant shot volume [1–3] despite fluctuations in the raw material and in the ambient conditions</li><li>2015 iQ clamp control: automatic setting of the clamping force via determination of the mold breathing directly at the machine [4, 5]</li><li>2016 iQ flow control: automatic single-circuit flow control for constant temperature-control conditions and energy saving in mold temperature control [6]</li><li>2019 iQ melt control: automatic adjustment of the screw rotational speed for reduction of wear and material stress by exploiting the available cooling time [7]</li><li>2019 iQ process observer: comprehensive automatic process data analysis including an AI-based platform for optimizing the process [8]</li><li>2022 iQ hold control: automatic determination of the optimum holding pressure time for potential cycle-time reduction</li></ul>

Dr. Johannes Lettner is project manager in the Process Analysis and Assistance Systems team at Engel Austria GmbH, Schwertberg, Austria; <a href="mailto:johannes.lettner@engel.at">johannes.lettner@engel.at</a>

Dr. Georg Pillwein is team manager for Process Analysis and Assistance Systems at Engel; <a href="mailto:georg.pillwein@engel.at">georg.pillwein@engel.at</a>

Engel is presenting the system to the public for the first time at K 2022:

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/mit-nachdruck-zu-hoeherer-qualitaet-2853365" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>