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 ZKW Group manufactures premium lighting systems for automotive customers. In order to be able to produce trouble-free and in permanently high quality in the injection molding process, several hundred temperature control units from HB-Therm are also used, among others.

The ZKW Group Manufactures Innovative Lighting Systems for the Automotive Industry

Kfz-Leuchten, Beleuchtung

Elektronik

Kfz-Systeme

KFZ-Zulieferer

Dienstleistungen

Where Night Becomes Day

Many so-called “low carbon footprint technologies” are already available and could be utilized immediately in plastics processing. But what carbon reduction measures are not only environmentally effective? Using practical examples, gwk shows how the use of efficient temperature-control technology rapidly pays off economically, too.

Even in Difficult Economic Times, It Is Worthwhile Investing in Energy-Efficient Temperature Control

Energieeffizienz

Advantages through Sustainable Temperature-Control Technology

New polymer composites for the production of multi-layer small tubes are being developed to give products specific functions. With suitable co-extrusion dies and a thermal barrier option, even complex layer composites with melt temperature differences of more than 50 °C can be processed reliably and in high quality.

Combining Polymers with Very Different Processing Temperatures

Extrusion

Baugewerbe (Hoch- und Tiefbau)

Medizintechnik (KU)

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Bautechnik, Sanitär

Rohr- und Profilextrusion

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Extruder-Folgeeinrichtungen

Extrusionsanlagen

Extrusions-Zubehör

Automotive

Fahrzeugbau

Co-Extrusion with Thermal Control

Hammann markets its own developed pulsed flushing process under the name Comprex. The flushing technology is a purely physical process, which does not use any chemicals – just air and water.

Cleaning of Mold Cooling Channels for PET Preforms

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Avoiding Shutdowns

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

HASCO Hasenclever GmbH + Co KG  

https://www.hasco.com

Angießeinsätze

Spritzgießmaschinen

Antriebselemente

Lineartechnik

Maschinenelemente

Armaturen

Mechanische Konstruktionselemente

Drucklufttechnik

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Beratung und Consulting

Beschichten (CVD, PVD)

Chemisches Bearbeiten (Auftragen)

Oberflächentechnik

Beschichtungen

CAD Werkzeug-, Formenbau

Dichtungen

Druckluftarmaturen

Druckmessgeräte (Gas, Wasser, Dampf)

Messung von Gasen und Flüssigkeit

Edelstähle

Stähle

Metall Werkstoffe

Erodiermaschinen

Werkzeugmaschinen für die spanende Fertigung

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

Kühlelemente, aktive

Kühlkörper

Elektromechanik

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kupplungen

Linearführungen

Markiersysteme

Messzubehör

Mathematik-Software

Medizintechnik

Messdatenerfassung und -verarbeitung

Messgeräte

Messgeräte, sonstige elektrisch

Elektrische / Magnetische Messtechnik

Näherungsschalter

Normalien und Heißkanaltechnik

Normteile

Normteile / Normalien

Platten

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Pneumatik-Komponenten

Reinigung

Schläuche aus Kunststoff

Schmelzefilter

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Schrauben

Spanneinrichtungen

Systemperipherie

Montagetechnik

Spritzgieß-Zubehör und Einzelteile

Stähle, hochfeste

Steuern, Regeln

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Automatisierungstechnik

Temperaturmessgeräte

Tribologie

Umformwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge

Ventile

Verbindungstechnik

Wälzlager

Waschen und Entfetten

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Werkzeugstähle

Werkzeugwechselsysteme

Werkzeugwechselsysteme, Spritzgieß

Zähler

Mechanische Messtechnik

Zahnräder

In the injection molding of engineering plastics, mold temperature control consumes more than one third of the total energy input. A novel technology offers the opportunity to reduce this continuous major cost factor – and eliminate hotspots.

Reduced Energy Consumption and Shorter Cycle Times due to Structurally Integrated  Heat Pipe Mold Cores

Cooling with Heat Pipes

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

Medizinprodukte

Plastic in the Service of Medicine

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.

Pipette Tips: Männer Presents a Mold with Replaceable Clusters

Maintenance During (Nearly)  Uninterrupted Production

Space-saving machine concepts for demanding production environments are booming. A real-life example of a slit micro-membrane for pharmaceutical glass vials shows how intelligent machine functions make an important contribution to supporting machine operators and continuous documentation of the production process.

KraussMaffei Delivers a Customized Solution for LSR Processing

Automatisierungszellen

Mikrospritzgießen

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Transparency in Production

RKT has been manufacturing plastic products for medical and industrial technology for 45 years. Discs for the rapid analysis of multi-resistant hospital germs are a lighthouse project within the sophisticated product portfolio.

High-Tech Production of Life-Saving Disks for Fast Analysis of Dangerous Germs

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

An All-Round Winner

Zahoransky Automation & Molds GmbH has entered into a partnership with the Swiss company Kebo AG. The result of this collaboration is a new mold concept for the production of pipette tips, which features a double quick-change system.

Messe Fakuma

kunststoffe-international.com

Double Quick-Change System Speeds up Production

At Fakuma 2021, Engel is expanding its product range of intelligent assistance systems. The new iQ motion control allows Engel viper series linear robots a reliable early start combined with fully automatically optimized motion planning. Users benefit twofold: from a time-saving in teach-in and shorter production cycles.

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

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Optimized Motion Planning for Shorter Cycle Times

Single Temperiertechnik GmbH, Hochdorf, Germany, and Sauer Product, Dieburg, Germany, are now marketing a variotherm mold temperature control system under the brand name Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT). ATT which was presented for the first time at K2007 is a complete system for the variotherm fluid temperature control of injection and compression molds using cooling channels arranged near the mold surface. It contains an alternating temperature control unit as well as a specific arrangement of mold inserts and elements. 

System Solution for High Mold Quality 

Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT) 

If the cooling time in injection molding is overly long, it is often because difficult to reach hot zones, so called hot spots, cannot be efficiently cooled with a conventional mold cooling system. A new system from Stemke Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Döbeln, Germany, that is based on the same function principle as a fridge addresses exactly this area. A coolant circulates in a closed circuit between the injection mold and the refrigerating unit. The circulation of the coolant and therefore the mold cooling is controlled via a thermocouple. 

Closed Circuit Hot Spot Cooling 

Miniaturized high performance cooling 

Temperature Control with Water up to 230 °C as a Substitute for Oil

Processing of High-Performance Plastics without Purity Problems

In order to minimize the risk of contamination in the production of medical products, Scholz HTIK (High Tech in Kunststoff) decided to change its temperature control processes from oil to water as a heat transfer medium. As practical experience has shown, the P230S pressurized-water temperature control unit developed by Regloplas meets all the requirements for utilizing the better physical temperature control properties of water in the temperature range up to 230 °C.

In order to minimize the risk of contamination in the production of medical products, Scholz HTIK (High Tech in Kunststoff) decided to change its temperature control processes from oil to water as a heat transfer medium.

Semi-crystalline high-performance plastics, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and (polyphenylene sulfide) PPS, which are high temperature-resistant thermoplastics, are nowadays used in high-precision applications in the fields of industrial components, medical technology, diagnostics and the automotive industry. Thanks to the high strength and durability of the plastic, these plastics are increasingly used as metal substitutes in the manufacture of medical implants.

In injection molding the temperature control process for plastics with melting points above 300 °C and mold temperatures greater than 200 °C was, until now, determined by temperature control units with oil as the heat transfer medium. With the development of the high-precision P230S temperature control unit with a patented, integrated pressurizer (manufacturer: Regloplas AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland), it is now possible to carry out the temperature control of injection molding machines, on which high-quality plastics are injected, with water as the heat transfer medium.

Compared with oil, water has double the specific heat capacity (describes the property of how much heat energy a heat transfer medium can transport) (Table 1). Another advantage is the low viscosity over the entire range of application compared with oil. With a system pressure of approx. 30 bar, water has the feature of becoming less viscous.

As a heat transfer medium, water also offers many advantages in its application: alongside at least double the heat transfer coefficient, it also offers a reduction of oil-dependent contamination. There is no evaporation of oil, which means higher purity in the machine as well as a significantly minimized risk of injury to the machine personnel in the event of leaking heat transfer medium.

Lower Flow Temperature,  Shorter Heat-up Time

Weighing these arguments, Horst Scholz GmbH & Co. KG, Kronach, Germany, decided to change its temperature control processes in the manufacture of medical products from oil to water. The mold sizes in production at owner-managed family business, which has maintained a business relationship with temperature control unit manufacturer Regloplas for more than 20 years, move in a range of 50 to 250 kg. An oil temperature of 236 °C must be configured in the temperature control unit in the case of a mold temperature of 220 °C with an oil temperature control unit, whereas a flow temperature of just 224 °C is needed in the device with water as the heat medium. The temperature control process is thereby shortened, which is especially evident in the heat-up time that is almost halved.

High-performance plastics such as PEEK are attractive alternatives to metal. Scholz uses the material for a wide range of applications. In the field of medical technology, Scholz produces rotors made of PEEK material for use in heart pumps. Due to the purity in the production process, the P230S temperature control unit is used in this application, which works with the temperature control medium water in the temperature range up to 230 °C.

Rotor and Bearing Cage for a Cardiac Support System

Miniaturized components, which are directly used in the bloodstream, belong to the highest risk class. This includes the various types of ventricular assist devices (VAD). This is a mechanical pump that supports the heart when it is too weak due to illness. Extremely high demands are placed on the durability of the rotor (Fig. 1), whose blade profile with a wall thickness of 200 µm must be able to withstand rotations of 30,000 to 50,000 rpm in use [2]. PEEK has various advantages in this case, such as its very low weight, high chemical resistance, simple sterilization, biocompatibility and high specific strength.

The rotor made of PEEK is used in a heart pump (Fig. 2) manufactured by Abiomed. With an outside diameter of just 4 mm, this is one of the smallest support systems in the world according to the manufacturer. A ball bearing cage (Fig. 3) is also used in the Abiomed heart pump. This component is also made of PEEK – in a single tool with seven radially aligned sliders. With an outside diameter of 2.3 mm and a molded part weight of 0.8 mg, it is the lightest injection-molded part that Scholz HTIK currently produces. A small component in a high-performance application – the processor also uses the P230S pressurized-water temperature control unit for this manufacturing process.

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