A tool logbook on paper is often not to hand just when you need it most. Or it is incomplete, since it is time consuming to keep the information up to date. A cloud-independent, electronic tool log, which is directly integrated into the tool could make all the relevant data available directly.

The installed ImPro module in use on a demonstrator tool under production conditions 

The Electronic Tool Logbook as a Combination of Operating Manual and Check List

Werkzeuginnendrucksensoren

Messtechnik

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Messdatenerfassung und -verarbeitung

Software

Papierlose QM-Dokumentation

Qualitätsmanagement

Dokumentationsmanagement

Werkzeugkonstruktion

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Werkzeugüberwachung

Toolmanagement

Mobile Datenerfassung

Logistik

Lagertechnik

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Fernwartung / Ferndiagnose

Instandhaltung

Dokumentenmanagement, CAQ

Qualitätssicherung

Data Management at the Tool

Susanne Schröder will become editor-in-chief of the magazines Kunststoffe and Kunststoffe international on December 1, 2020. The current editor-in-chief Dr. Karlhorst Klotz will leave the company by mutual agreement.

Susanne Schröder will become editor-in-chief of the magazines Kunststoffe and Kunststoffe international on December 1, 2020. Until now she has been editor-in-chief of the trade journal FORM+Werkzeug

16:9

Werkzeuge für Leichtbauwerkstoffe

Präzisionswerkzeuge

Tiefziehwerkzeug

Werkzeugwechselsysteme, Spritzgieß

Modulare Werkzeugsysteme

Absaugungen für Werkzeugmaschinen

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Absaugvorrichtungen

Fluorkunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Werkzeugverwaltungssoftware

Prüfen von Kunststoffen

Biokunststoffe

Presswerkzeuge, Kunststoff

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

Standardkunststoffe

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Lohnfertigung

Technische Kunststoffe

Füllstoffe für Kunststoffe

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Kunststoffhandel

Handel

Betriebstechnik für Kunststoffverarbeitung (Peripherie)

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststofffasern

Verstärkungsstoffe

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Change in the Chief Editorial Office of Kunststoffe

The consumables required for In-vitro diagnostics are manufactured in a production process that is subject to high requirements in terms of precision and quality, but also the complex cleanroom manufacturing environment. This has implications for the entire plant technology – especially toolmaking.

64-cavity tool for pipette tips. The hot runner system is balanced across all cavities

Strategic Approach through Classification according to Product Groups

Spritzgießen

Medizinprodukte

Medizintechnik

Mold Platforms for IVD Consumables

Munich-based mechanical engineering group KraussMaffei is repositioning itself and uniting all divisions under a single brand. At a time of accelerated technological change, the company is increasing its efforts to develop new products for digital solutions and new business models – and that includes plastics recycling.

Everything remains different: Dr. Frank Stieler, CEO of KraussMaffei

KraussMaffei Consolidates Three Divisions and the Previous Group Brands under a Single Brand

Extrusion

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Spritzgießmaschinen

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrie 4.0

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

Compoundieren

Moving with the Times

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

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Steuern, Regeln

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

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

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Spritzgießsimulation

Simulation

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Machine Learning / Künstliche Intelligenz für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Lasermarkieren

Oberflächentechnik

Laserbearbeitungen

Inline- / Online-Messsysteme

Kreislaufwirtschaft

There Is More beyond the Horizon

Since 2007, one major construction project has followed another at Arburg in Lossburg, Germany: customer center, assembly hall, tradeshow logistics hall, training center and currently the next assembly hall. While environmentally friendly construction and production methods have long been established at the site, the company is now announcing an eco-efficiency program for the injection molding world, bearing the name “Arburg Green World.”

Gerhard Böhm, Sales Director at Arburg (left), and Michael Hehl, Managing Partner: “We have understood the challenge.” 

Arburg Is Pursuing a Closed Value Chain for Plastics

Energieeffizienz

Green Wave

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

Mikrospritzgießen

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

Automatisierungstechnik

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrieroboter

Montagetechnik

Montage-Spritzgießen

Knickarmroboter

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

The latest trend in digitization  is the Artificial Intelligence of Things. It amounts to “marrying” Artificial Intelligence with the Internet of Things. In the following interview, Martin Dimmler and Martin Rugfelt discuss how companies can profit from AIoT and what plastics manufacturers can learn from its pioneers in other industries.

Where Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) is used, value-adding opportunities for more efficiency, quality, and thus higher sales can be realized in every industry

Artificial Intelligence of Things: Trends and Models for the Plastics Industry

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

IoT-Plattformen für die Qualitätssicherung

Produkt- / anbieterspezifische Automatisierung

Automatisierungszellen

Fertigungsautomation

Datenanalyse

IoT-Plattformen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

“Intelligent Automation Brings Systems Closer to their Optimum”

During this year’s pandemic, maintaining supply capability has become a key necessity among processors. Closer involvement of suppliers is only logical in these circumstances. In toolmaking, new challenges are emerging for services related to molds.

Tool qualification in the test center in Bahlingen, Germany. After that, the tool is ready for the “site acceptance test”, i . e. for the acceptance on site directly at the customer

The Advantages of a Network for Global Qualification for Injection Molding

Erstbemusterung, Erstmusterprüfbericht

Werkzeugbau

Fast and Effective Start of Production

Unforeseen downtimes in serial production are always accompanied by high costs, making it essential for machines to be serviced in time. Because sensor, transmission and data storage technology have taken a big leap forward in recent years, predictive maintenance has already been realized in some industries, demonstrating a tangible benefit of Industry 4.0. The WZL and the WBA have developed a guideline for this.

Fig. 1. The guideline for the development of predictive maintenance solutions is divided into three phases: analysis, design and implementation

Guideline to the Development of Predictive Maintenance Systems for Serial Producers and Toolmaking Companies

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Sensoren verschiedener Messverfahren

Sensorik / Aktorik

Machine Learning

Dienstleistungsqualität

Instandhaltungsmanagement (TPM)

Vorbeugende Instandhaltung für die Qualitätssicherung

Machine Learning für die Qualitätssicherung

Symbiosis of Toolmaking and  Serial Production

At HRSflow‘s headquarters in San Polo di Piave, Italy, a new production facility for hot runner systems based on lean manufacturing principles was recently completed.

The new HRSflow hot runner plant in Italy

3000 sqm for Lean Manufacturing

Normalien und Heißkanaltechnik

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

HRSflow Expands Headquarter

Right from start, the goal was to create a trade show "by the industry, for the industry." Mission accomplished: about half of the roughly 700 exhibitors at the second Moulding Expo were from the tool, model and mold making industry. Here is a small selection from the range of topics. 

Mold and Tool Makers Now Have a New Home: Moulding Expo 

Unmissable 

Some 38 years after it was founded, the tool manufacturer Haidlmair celebrated its first technology open day with an extra special obstacle course. The highlights were the demonstration of a new CNC automation system and an enhancement of an open hot runner nozzle system promising higher productivity chiefly for the production of logistics containers and technical parts. 

Haidlmair Combines the Advantages of Injection Molding and Extrusion in One Tool 

Gate Quality under Control 

The producing industry is increasingly involved in changes due to progressing globalization and derivatization, shorter product lifetimes, and demographic change ¿ with enormous consequences for mold making as well. This is why mold making companies have to continue further development. In actual practice, a so-called 3C approach to "compare, compile, and conduct" has proven effective. 

Compare, Compile, Conduct ¿ Further Strategic Development in the Tool and Die Industry 

Maßnahmenmanagement

Benchmarking

Strategie und Organisation

In between Industry 4.0  and Market Intelligence 

At a time of increasing complexity in production, efficient and rapid production and decision-making processes are essential in order to remain competitive. A fundamental requirement for this is complete transparency throughout the entire process chain ¿ including in tool and mold making. One option for creating the necessary infrastructure and transparency for rapid and improved decision-making is to use apps. 

Towards Agility and the Internet of Production with Mobile Applications 

CAD Werkzeug-, Formenbau

ERP-Systeme

Workflow- / Prozessmanagement

Apps in Individual and  Small-Series Production 

Toolmaking of the Future –  Digitalized and Sustainable

What the Two Trend Topics Mean for Collaboration between Toolmaking and Series Production

The toolmaking industry of the future is facing significant changes in its range of services and its value creation processes. It is difficult to predict exactly how the collaboration of German tool manufacturers with series production will be structured in the future. However, it can be assumed that digital networking and sustainability will play a key role.

The toolmaking industry in Germany is facing a variety of different challenges in 2021. Even before the Corona crisis, the market for new tool purchasing tended to act in a wait-and-see manner – at the same time, more and more high-quality international toolmaking companies are entering the market, many of those have now established their own service locations in Germany. The Corona crisis has led to a further delay in the recovery of the global tool demand. Therefore, the long-term development of the toolmaking industry beyond this time is difficult to forecast and depends on a large number of different influencing factors. However, it can already be identified that all development scenarios have two content-related commonalities.

First of all, digitalization: in the long term, toolmaking companies can only secure their competitiveness if they significantly increase their efficiency and realize new differentiation factors. Both are only possible with digitalization, as the potential of classic lean methods has largely been exhausted and international competitors are increasingly adapting existing differentiation factors.

Besides, sustainability: up to now, political and social sustainability activities have only had a very limited influence on the toolmaking industry. However, since series producers and capital providers are focusing increasingly on sustainability, there is an acute need for action for the toolmaking industry to ensure access to new orders and capital in the long term.

The two aspects digitalization and sustainability will be explained in detail regarding their significance and implementation in toolmaking.

Digitally Connected Internally and Externally according to Requirements

The digitalized tool shop is connected internally and externally according to requirements to make its own value creation process more efficient and to increase the benefits for series producers. The WBA Tooling Academy target image of a digitalized tool shop describes how the design of concrete applications for realizing the benefits of digitalization in toolmaking has to take place (Fig. 1).

 In addition to the tool shop itself and the series producer, external value creation processes of suppliers also have to be taken into account.

Possible use cases of digitalization are classified in the four maturity levels of

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