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

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Mikrospritzgießen

Medizintechnik

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Medizinprodukte

An All-Round Winner

ARBURG is one of the world‘s leading manufacturers of plastic processing machines. The product portfolio encompasses ALLROUNDER injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 125 and 6,500 kN, the freeformer for industrial additive manufacturing, plus robotic systems, customer and industry-specific turnkey solutions, and further peripheral equipment.

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG  

https://www.arburg.com

Abkantmaschinen, -pressen, -bänke

Blechbearbeitungsmaschinen

Maschinen für die spanlose Fertigung

Additive Fertigung

Anlagen für die Additive Fertigung

Antriebselemente

Lineartechnik

Maschinenelemente

Ceramic-Injection-Moulding, CIM

Condition Monitoring für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0 für die Qualitätssicherung

Industrie 4.0

Energieeffizienz

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Automatisierungstechnik

Kennzahlen

Qualitätsmanagement

Kennzahlen, Q-Leitstand, Q-Monitor

Qualitätssicherung

Kühlelemente, aktive

Kühlkörper

Elektromechanik

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Management-Informationssysteme

Software

Mehrfarben-Spritzgießmaschinen

Spritzgießmaschinen

Mikrobauteile

Montage

Montagetechnik

Mischer

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

NE-Metalle

Metall Werkstoffe

Partikelschäumen

Schäumen / Reaktive Verarbeitung

Produktionssystem

PUR-Schäummaschinen

Rapid Manufacturing

Rapid Prototyping

Reinraumtechnik

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Reporting-Tools

Rückverfolgbarkeit, Traceability

Schnecken und Plastifiziersysteme

Schnecken und Zylinder

Simulation

Spanneinrichtungen

Systemperipherie

Spritzgieß-Zubehör und Einzelteile

Stetigförderer

Fördertechnik

Logistik

Trockner

Vorbeugende Instandhaltung für die spanende Fertigung

Industrie 4.0 für die spanende Fertigung

Tool and mold makers are detail oriented and innovative. Prof. Thomas Seul and Fabian Diehr met with some industry players to explore different paths they have taken through the thicket of this industry-jungle they have to deal with.

A Journey through the Landscape of the Tool and Mold Making Industry

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Innovationsmanagement

Produktentwicklung (F+E)

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Projektmanagement

Wirtschaft

Produktmanagement

Trend Setting or Following?

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.

Injection Molding Trends at K 2019

Schaumspritzgießen

Smart Factory

Spritzgießmaschinen, allgemein

Fließpressen

Handling, Handhabungstechnik für die spanende Fertigung

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Spritzgießsimulation

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Industrieroboter

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Montage-Spritzgießen

Knickarmroboter

Co-Injektion (Barriere-/Sandwich-Spritzgießen)

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Ressourcenmanagement

Produktion

Technical Excellence thanks  to Digital Assistance

A year to forget is nearing its completion. To brighten up this dreary fall season without a major event like Fakuma, injection molding machine builders have concocted various strategies.

Injection Molding Machine Builders Are Discovering New Ways to Reach Their Customers

Vernetzung / Cloudlösung für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Biokunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Nachhaltigkeit

Umweltmanagement

Schneidmühlen

Silikonkautschuk

Kautschuk / Elastomere

What Can You Do at Fall Fairtime,  When There Aren’t Any?

LSR optics offers a wide range of applications due to the optical brilliance, the possibility to produce undercut shapes not to mention the competitive pricing. The adhesive surface which is almost impossible to clean however makes the LSR parts vulnerable against contaminations. This characteristic however limits the possible application fields. To overcome this limitation Wilhelm Weber has partnered with Fraunhofer IFAM in a recent research project.

Surface Modification of LSR Components Hinders Adhesion of Dirt

LED / OLED-Systeme und Faseroptik

Lichttechnik

Oberflächentechnik

No Chance for Dust and Contaminations

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

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

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

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.

Strategic Approach through Classification according to Product Groups

Mold Platforms for IVD Consumables

For the production of plastic components for an automotive air suspension system, LKH Kunststoffwerk Heiligenroth GmbH & Co. KG uses two flexible systems from the injection molding machines manufacturer Arburg. These produce up to six part variants and, thanks to an integrated laser station, each part is traceable via an individual data matrix code (DM code).

LKH Produces Fully Automated Traceable Part Variants for the Automotive Industry

Automatisierungszellen

Laserbeschriftung

Laserbearbeitungen

Light Suspension

Due to its high-performing properties polyetheretherketone thermoplastic polymer is being used more and more frequently in many products.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Elektronik-Fertigung

Elektronik

Polyetherketon

Thermoplaste

Mikroelektronik

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Delivering Efficiency Even in  Harsh Environments

Styrenics can be polymerized using different technologies and it can be modified with a range of copolymers. The resulting plastics offer a wide range of properties allowing to customize them for different applications. Because of this range of properties they are suitable for many industries. Strong demand is for example driven by the automotive industry, healthcare and the packaging industry.

Styrenic Polymers

Verpackungsmaterial

Automotive

Polystyrol

Technische Kunststoffe

Styrol-Copolymerisate

Diverse Shapes and Applications

Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology.

Polycarbonate (PC)

Recycling

Kunststoff-Recycling

Polycarbonat

Present in a Multitude of Trends

In the production of plastic parts for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for cleanroom environments are becoming increasingly stringent. In this area, not only the demand for all-electric injection molding machines is increasing. There is also an increasing use of electric drives for the implementation of mold movements, which meet the high requirements for cleanliness and reliability.

Electrical Drives in Injection Molds

Elektrische Antriebe

Antriebe

Mess- / Regel- und Prozessleittechnik

Prozessautomation

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Mold Technology

Arburg Plastic Freeforming is predestined for the additive manufacturing of medtech components. The associated Freeformer-type additive manufacturing systems process the same plastic pellets that are used in injection molding. That makes the open systems very economical to use.

Medical Product Manufacturers Are Processing Original Materials Using the Freeformer

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, andere

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Andere Werkstoffe

Arburg Kunststoff Freiformen

Verfahren für die additive Fertigung

Freiraumverfahren

New Possibilities for Use  in the Human Body

KraussMaffei Delivers a Customized Solution for LSR Processing

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.

Space-saving machine concepts for demanding production environments are booming, and not just in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. 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.

Processing liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is demanding and, in the medical sector, must include detailed documentation of the injection molding process. Many converters are already successfully using KraussMaffei’s SilcoSet technology to produce LSR parts in cleanroom conditions. The machine supplier has installed multiple cleanroom cells up to and including the highly demanding aseptic GMP grade A (resp. to class ISO 5 under DIN EN ISO 14644–1). KraussMaffei offers a wide range of solutions for more common cleanroom requirements (classes ISO 7 and 8 under DIN EN ISO 14644–1). It has developed and implemented various combinations of injection molding machines and cleanrooms and tailored them to specific tasks at customers.

Many customer projects are handled in close cooperation with a nominated mold maker, who usually supplies the corresponding mold direct. KraussMaffei has a large network of mold makers and material manufacturers and can handle projects via one central contact person. This close cooperation makes it possible to implement production solutions that feature stable manufacturing processes.

Compact Automation in  Cleanroom Conditions

As an example, consider the production of slit micro-membranes (shot weight 0.0375 g), which serve as closures for glass vials containing pharmaceutical products (Title figure). The customer’s specifications for this are as follows:

<ul><li>ISO 7 cleanroom as per DIN EN ISO 14644–1,</li><li>self-sufficient cell with minimal space requirement and integrated automation,</li><li>cycle time max. 30 s,</li><li>8-cavity application,</li><li>defined membrane slitting to ensure part functionality,</li><li>packaging conducted within the production cell,</li><li> full documentation of the production process.</li></ul>

The various components are chosen to reflect the customer’s specified cleanroom class. For example, laminar flow modules for circulating low-particle air through the clamping unit are installed above the enclosure of the automation system and the injection molding machine.

The fully automated, cleanroom-capable production cell (Fig. 1) features space-saving kinematics. The automation system has a footprint of approx. 1000 by 1800 mm and includes a cleanroom-capable Kuka KR Agilus CR industrial robot, which, thanks to powder coating and special seals, is ISO class 2-compliant (as per DIN EN ISO 14644–1) and is designed for use with demanding applications. The line also includes a bagging system comprising conveyor belt, “good parts” sorting and integrated camera-based parts monitoring.

Combination Gripper for Membrane Slitting and Parts Removal

One of the most important customer requirements is a compact mold featuring small cavity distances and a controlled removal of the micro parts (7.50 mm across and 0.35 mm thick). The gripper, with its footprint of 230 by 240 mm, must be able to center itself in the mold, slit the components to specification and then remove them with precision from the mold (Fig. 2). For this, the various gripper functions are arranged in sequence. There is no point in slitting the membranes after removal as the soft silicone cannot be repositioned precisely enough, and a misplaced slit would jeopardize membrane functionality.

Therefore, three centering devices are used to position the gripper, when it is in slitting mode, precisely and reproducibly on the mold. Eight small stainless steel blades (30 mm long, 5 mm wide, 0.3 mm thick) then extend to a specified length and pierce the membrane. The position and penetration depth of each knife can be adjusted separately. The membranes are slit by the knives while they are still inside the mold.

The slit in each membrane is just 3 mm long. Demolding is then done with eight pneumatic parallel grippers, which pull off the delicate parts by their 0.35-mm edge. The gripper design allows for thermal expansion of the hot mold and the gripper components. As a result, the gripper’s sensors and electrical components can cope with mold temperatures of 170 to 180 °C. Cavity spacing can be affected by even slight changes in mold temperature. In that event, the micro-membranes would be damaged when gripped or the slit in each membrane would be in the wrong position. The entire gripper has therefore been designed specifically so that all its kinematic components and those in contact with the product can be finely adjusted.

After removal, the robot moves the gripper in front of a camera system, which checks for part completeness. To increase the contrast with the very thin, transparent components and thus to ensure reliable detection of the micro-membranes, the base of the gripper has been colored black.

The gripper then transfers the membranes to the packaging machine, which bags the micro-parts. A separate QR code (Fig. 3) is generated for each cycle via the machine controller and is printed on the corresponding bag to allow for individual tracking of product-specific process data. Should a customer wish to conduct a quality assurance check, for example, he can retrieve the product data in question using any handset. Finally, the packaged products are discharged from the cleanroom cell on the conveyor belt and are ready for further dispatch.

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