2/2020

smart-molding.com

Molding technologies Industrial Internet helping overcome of Things becomes 22 corona crisis 46 common practice

Index of companies in this issue 2/2020 AMT...... 44 VM Verlag GmbH: P.O.Box 501812, D- Arburg...... 22 50879 Cologne, Germany Asiamold...... 06 BASF...... 14 Campetella...... 38 DESMA...... 11 EDITORS Dr. Boy...... 16 Konstantin Faticzev (Editor-in-Сhief) DyeMansion...... 18 Tel. +49 152 05626122 Engel...... 21, 30 [email protected] EnvisionTEC...... 28 ADVERTISING SALES Evonik...... 12, 29 Martina Lerner Fanuc...... 36 Tel. +49 6226 971515 Formnext...... 08 [email protected] GEFIT...... 16 Bella Eidlin HAHN Group...... 15 Tel. +49 152 29907895 Haitian International...... 10 [email protected] Henkel...... 20 Maria Tarasova Husky...... 10 Tel. +37 25 7788024 KraussMaffei...... 12, 32 [email protected] Lanxess...... 40 Olga Kirchner Messe Dueseldorf...... 07 Tel. +49 152 05626122 Milacron...... 48 [email protected] Motan Colortronic...... 09, 42 ADMINISTRATION Origin...... 20 Alla Kravets Plastimagen...... 2nd cover, 08 Tel. +49 2233 949 8793 Sabic...... 26 [email protected] SACMI...... 17 SIGMA Engineering...... 45 StackTeck...... 13 Reprints, Translation etc: Sumitomo (SHI) Demag...... 14 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval Thermoplay...... 34 system, or transmitted, in any form or Wittmann Battenfeld...... 24 by any means, electronic, mechanical, Yizumi...... 46 photographic, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. contents contents newsfeed Postponement did not affect success of the show 06 Course Charted for K 2022 07 Formnext Connect succeeds as the digital heart of the international AM industry 08 PLASTIMAGEN® announces new dates and launches digital extension 08 Husky appoints Tony Black to lead Customer Success Management organization 10 Professor Helmar Franz resigned as a member of the Haitian Iternational board 10 Desma makes personnel adjustments and investments to secure the future 11 Bonnie Tully named President Evonik Corporation 12 Anniversary machine: KraussMaffei delivers 100th injection molding machine to Polycom 12 Medical high-volume molds in demand for 2020 13 Sumitomo (SHI) Demag modernizes production 22 logistics and training centre 14 Arburg has responded to the Corona crisis very Ultramid® for high-quality surfaces in the car interior 14 early on with great prudence and excellent DAHL Automation becomes member of the Hahn Group 15 Increased clamping force for the largest BOY-Insert moulding machine 16 know-how. Thanks to that, the machine New virtual FAT from Gefit 16 manufacturer based in Lossburg considers itself Virtual FAT and SAT ensuring continuity for SACMI well-positioned for the future after the pandemic, customers worldwide 17 in terms of technology, know-how and organisation: Dyemansion raises $14M to drive production continues to progress and the the transformation of manufacturing 18 development of innovative solutions for injection medical application moulding, industrial additive manufacturing and Henkel and Origin collaborate to help meet demand progress in digitalisation is being driven forward. for COVID-19 NP swabs 20 Compact, flexible, cost-effective 21 Arburg despite corona: “Wir sind da.” 22 Wittmann Battenfeld molding technology for FACEshield fasteners from FT-TEC 24 Sabic accelerates order fulfillment amid COVID-19 26 EnvisionTEC to 3D print mass quantities of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 testing 28 Evonik launches next-generation PEEK biomaterial for medical technology applications 29 machinery Engel presents the next generation e-cap 30 World premiere of the all-new Netstal PET-line: Re-shuffling the cards in the PET market 32 Thermoplay unveils its new thermal hot-runner nozzle for direct side injection 34 robots Ideal partner in production 36 Campetella intensifies IML performance with latest robot generation and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) support 38 29 raw materials Smartly designed with easy-flowing polyamide 40 With the introduction of the new biomaterial, the specialty chemicals company Evonik is launching periphery a new product line of next-generation, PEEK-based Central material supply system for producing pharmaceutical grade packaging materials 42 implant materials that it will market under the brand name VESTAKEEP® Fusion. The osteoconductive 3D printing properties of the new PEEK material were achieved AMT Launches PostProDP, an Automated De-powdering System for 3D Printing 44 by using a special functional additive -biphasic calcium phosphate - and allow bone cells to adhere mold design to implants more quickly, thus positively influencing Precise and Quick Face Mask Production With Virtual Molding 45 fusion, so called osteointegration, at the boundary service between the bone and the implant. This, in turn, YiMES: Begin the Digital Transformation Journey 46 will accelerate bone fusion and convalescence. Milacron unveils new M-Powered applications 48

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34 36 Thermoplay unveils its new thermal hot-runner nozzle The new generation of collaborative lightweight robots for direct side injection. This new open side-gate TFS hot from FANUC has arrived. After presenting the first runner nozzle is available in radial or linear layouts (TFS- prototypes of the CRX-10iA at IREX in Tokyo in December Radial and TFS-Linear). The TFS nozzles are particularly 2019, the company is now bringing the first production suitable for injection molded parts requiring a cosmetic units to Europe. The key features of the CRX-10iA are its injection point as well as parts for which the optimal safety, ease of use and extremely high reliability. If it hits injection position is from the side – i.e., at a right angle a hard object, the robot automatically backs away from to the direction that the mold opens. These applications it. Operators can also manually push three axes of the include syringes, caps, tubes, medical sharps, as well robot away. The smooth and elegant design also provides as personal care, caps & closures, packaging products, protection from pinching, making it an ideal partner for electronic, and technical components. production workers.

40 44 Thermoplastics with easy-flowing properties are usually Additive Manufacturing Technologies Ltd, leader in somewhat more expensive than comparable standard industrial automated post-processing solutions for materials; however, they offer advantages that ultimately additive manufacturing (AM), and Leering Hengelo, pay off in terms of processing, production costs and internationally recognized producer of blasting equipment freedom of design. This can be seen in the highly integrated for the metal and plastics processing industry, have bolster produced in plastic-metal composite technology partnered together to bring two new de-powdering (hybrid technology) for the Ford Kuga SUV. In addition to systems called PostProDP and PostProDP Pro to the steel panels, the production of the highly loaded structural market. The PostProDP range has been specifically component includes polyamide 6, the easy-flowing, designed for the AM industry, and provides a standalone fiberglass-reinforced Durethan BKV30H2.0EF from LANXESS. high throughput industrial de-powdering solution. www.smart-molding.com 5 newsfeed

Postponement did not affect success of the show Held at the China Import depend on the platform for and Export Fair Complex in business exchange, market Guangzhou, SPS – Industrial information and most im- Automation Fair Guangzhou portantly new found busi- (SIAF) and the concurrent ness opportunities brought Asiamold – Guangzhou In- forth by manufacturers who ternational Mould & Die wishes to upgrade their sup- Exhibition welcomed 655 ply chain with the latest and exhibitors occupying 40,000 most innovative automated sqm of exhibition space and technologies. attracted 50,369 visits. Cov- “As large scale events ering a variety of intelligent are gradually resuming in industrial automation solu- China, we are excited to be tions, mould-making, 3D back to facilitating business printing, metalworking, interactions for the manu- foundry, die-casting, laser facturing industry, particu- and bearing technologies, larly within the South China both fairs presented a one- region. The shows marked stop sourcing platform for the first Guangzhou events manufacturing industry to be held by Messe Frank- from participants has zone along with other smart players looking to recover furt since January, when shown that the manufac- manufacturing solutions on and reconnect, following trade fairs were forced to turing industry is slowly display have reconfirmed the suspension of numer- be postponed due to the recovering from the eco- strong business potential ous global businesses and global pandemic. We are nomic impact in the first for exhibitors at the fairs.” production lines. pleased that SIAF Guang- two quarters of this year. “With SIAF Guangzhou SIAF Guangzhou and Asi- zhou and Asiamold were Protective gear and other and Asiamold 2020 suc- amold are the first Guang- able to go ahead as planned, health equipment continue cessfully concluded, we zhou fairs to be hosted by offering a trusted one-stop to be in high demand, and look forward to preparing Messe Frankfurt since the platform for manufacturing Asiamold’s new Mould and the 2021 editions on 3 – 5 beginning of the year. Both industries and helping them 3D Printing Epidemic Pre- March to further reactivate under the smart manu- resume their normal opera- vention Technology Display and reconnect international facturing cluster, the fairs tions,” said Mr Hubert Duh, Zone, among various other exhibitors and visitors once served as an important tool Chairman of Guangzhou thematic zones, proved to air travel becomes more ac- for the resumption of busi- Guangya Messe Frankfurt be popular. To further sup- cessible so they are able to ness-to-business and in- Co Ltd after the conclusion port the Chinese govern- participate,” Mr Duh con- person interactive events in of the fairs. ment’s new infrastructure cluded. China. The events were wel- Mr Duh added: “The and manufacturing devel- Asiamold comed by the industry who overall positive response opment initiatives, this new www.asiamoldchina.com

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Course Charted for K 2022 The first meeting of the exhibitors’ advisory board marked the kick-off to the next ‘K’ in Düsseldorf to be held from 19 to 26 October 2022. The body of experts has met now to chart the course for the most important trade fair for the plastics and rubber industries worldwide and to enter into the concrete planning stage. The exhibitors’ advisory board supports Messe Düsseldorf in the preparations for ‘K 2022’ and provides consulting left to right: Erhard Wienkamp (Managing Director Operative Trade Fair Business), on basic conceptual and Petra Cullmann (Executive Director Operative Trade Fair Business), organisational issues. Here Ulrich Reifenhäuser (Chairman exhibitors’ advisory board) particular attention is paid and Thomas Franken (Project Director for the Portfolio Plastics & Rubber) to considering current developments as well as technical parts and rein- ‘K’ in Düsseldorf is exhibitors will be sent out in to the global economy forced plastic products. the most relevant global early 2021. and the discussion of Acting as the Chairman meeting point for the At Messe Düsseldorf forward-looking trends and for the exhibitors’ advisory p l a st i c s a n d r u b b e r responsibilities have chan- technologies. board again will be Ulrich industries bringing together ged over the past few The advisory board of Reifenhäuser, Managing exhibitors and trade visitors months but the familiar ‘K 2022’ is composed of Partner of the mechanical from all over the world faces will be around for representatives from the engineering company of the every three years. There is ‘K’ in Düsseldorf: Erhard exhibiting industries and same name and Chairman of no other trade fair allowing Wienkamp, acting as an leading trade associations. VDMA’s Plastics and Rubber such a broad-based array of Executive Director at Messe It mirrors the complete Machinery Association. The developments, solutions and Düsseldorf since 2002, spectrum of ranges communications committee trends to be experienced was appointed Managing represented at ‘K’ in of ‘K 2022’ will be headed in a direct, international Director of Operative Trade Düsseldorf, mechanical and by Thorsten Kühmann, comparison and no other Fair Business at Messe plant engineering, raw and Managing Director of offering the opportunity to Düsseldorf in late 2019. auxiliary materials as well VDMA’s Plastics and Rubber discuss these with experts Petra Cullmann took office as semi-finished products, Machinery Association. in this way. The diversity as a new Executive Director and international origin in July 2020 and therefore of the companies ensure forms part of the Board that such topical issues in of Managing Directors at the sector as digitalisation Messe Düsseldorf. The and the circular economy position of Project Director are addressed in as great for the Portfolio Plastics a depth as the special & Rubber was filled by segments. Thomas Franken who is also In 2022 the world’s leading thoroughly familiar with the suppliers of products and industry as a long-standing services from the plastics member of the K Team. and rubber industries will again be expected as Messe Dueseldorf exhibitors. The invitations to www.k-online.com www.smart-molding.com 7 newsfeed

Formnext Connect succeeds as the digital heart of the international AM industry

From 10-12 November abled. The 221 lectures and 2020, Formnext Connect presentations of the high- demonstrated its creden- profile program of stage tials as the international, events and sessions were digital hub of the AM watched by 45000 specta- world, highlighting, even tors. Here, experts from all in challenging times, the over the world discussed continuing importance of current and future trends, the world’s leading exhibi- developments and applica- tion for the AM industry tions in various webinars and the next generation of and discussion panels. industrial production. With international prod- Formnext Connect at- uct launches, amongst them tracted 203 exhibitors with numerous new materials, a about 2200 representa- SLM machine with 12 lasers tives, and showcased 1412 as well as post-processing meet the demand from the Following the conclusion products. 8541 active par- solutions for finishing, de- AM community and target of the live Formnext Con- ticipants from more than powdering and curing and industries for dialog, busi- nect program, the platform 100 nations (1/3 national, exciting new developments ness, and innovation,” com- will continue to be accessible 2/3 international) made on show, Formnext Connect mented Sascha F. Wenzler, until 31 December 2020 and great use of the intelligent demonstrated that the AM Vice President Formnext at will still offer opportunities and modern matchmaking industry remains highly in- Mesago Messe Frankfurt to engage with others via function, which managed novative, even in this year GmbH. “Formnext has thus text-chat as well as a wealth to generate more than of corona, and urgently demonstrated that, even in of on-demand content. 450000 recommendations needs an international a purely digital format, it is Formnext 2021 is sched- for products and other par- platform for business op- indispensable as a globally uled to return to Frankfurt ticipants. Further, 23311 portunities and network- important catalyst for the am Main from 16 to 19 No- new contacts and 4733 ing. “The newly developed technological and economic vember 2021. business meetings in the digital format of Formnext development of this future- Formnext form of video calls were en- Connect has enabled us to oriented industry.” www.formnext.com

PLASTIMAGEN® announces new dates and launches digital extension PLASTIMAGEN® MÉXICO in the same venue. in its full version, will be PLASTIMAGEN® LIGHT will held in March 2022 at comprise both a live, in- the Centro Citibanamex person component as well in Mexico City, Mexico. as a digital component for However, given the current visitors and exhibitors who pent-up demand amongst may be unable to travel exhibitors and the pressing to Mexico City due to the need to support the re- current health situation. opening of the plastics The decision to launch industry, Tarsus Mexico will PLASTIMAGEN® LIGHT feedback from association made the decision that also host PLASTIMAGEN® came about from results partners. Taking their best reflected the needs LIGHT, a hybrid exhibition of extensive surveys to the combined voices into of the industry, while from 9-11 March, 2021 event’s customer base and account, Tarsus Mexico recognizing the power of

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The highest precision for even the smallest quantities

face-to-face interaction for partners before, during, and the successful generation after the event. of sales and developing "The National Association commercial relationships, of Plastic Industries (ANIPAC) allowing for the conti- welcomes PLASTIMAGEN® nuation of promoting the LIGHT 2021, an event that plastics industry while responds to today´s reality adjusting to the dynamic and supports the business needs of all companies opportunities that the involved. plastics industry requires. "This new hybrid event PLASTIMAGEN® is the is the result of a thorough forum that the plastics survey and evaluation industry in Mexico needs with exhibitors and with to restart business in 2021 the main players in the and we are ready to be plastics sector, including present at the event", said the members of the ANIPAC Aldimir Torres, President of Board. PLASTIMAGEN® ANIPAC. LIGHT will display different Tarsus Mexico will solutions, services and continue to actively monitor innovations for the plastics the ongoing health and industry in the face of this safety situation worldwide. global health pandemic and In addition, the event resulting travel restrictions", team will be focused on said José Navarro, Director implementing all necessary General of Tarsus Mexico. measures and protocols PLASTIMAGEN® LIGHT to safeguard the well- will be held as a hybrid being of both national and event with the full support international communities. MINIBLEND V of ANIPAC, featuring a As organizers of Mexico’s concentrated physical leading events, Tarsus With high-precision disc dosing. floor plan along with a Mexico’s highest priority is Ideal for translucent and opaque parts robust digital platform to organize safe, healthy, as well as for the dosing of very enabling both domestic and effective exhibitions for small quantities.. and international exhibitors the industries the business to choose their preferred serves. format to interact and motan-colortronic gmbh - [email protected] promote their solutions PLASTIMAGEN® www.motan-colortronic.com with potential buyers and www.plastimagen.com.mx www.smart-molding.com 9 newsfeed

Husky appoints Tony Black to lead Customer Success Management organization Husky Injection Molding the experience, skills and Mr. Black brings more Systems appointed Tony expertise to take our CSM than 25 years of experi- Black to the position of organization to the next ence in global business de- President, Customer Suc- level, especially as we velopment and operations cess Management (CSM). move to accelerate devel- and has a record of accom- Mr. Black joins Husky’s se- opment innovation around plishment for consistently nior leadership team lead- evolving consumer and improving customer satis- ing the company’s global market demands.” faction and service-orient- CSM organization. “Husky is a company ed performance. Prior to “Since forming our con- with a strong team clearly joining Husky, he was most solidated CSM organization dedicated to providing the recently Vice President Ser- in 2017, our goal has been industry’s most responsive vice Business for Otis Eleva- to provide the industry’s and effective customer tors, a large multi-national Tony Black, President, most exceptional service service and support,” said organization where his Customer Success and support to help cus- Tony Black. “The organiza- accomplishments include Management tomers elevate their Hus- tion is poised for innovative developing and deploying ky investments, as well as change and I look forward to a service transformation tion from the University of protect and improve their applying my existing knowl- strategy and establishing Virginia Darden School of bottom lines,” said John edge to help strengthen our best practice sales and Business and a Bachelor of Galt, Husky’s President capability to deliver proac- field processes to improve Science degree from Florida and CEO. “I am excited to tive, optimized support to the customer experience. Atlantic University. have Tony join our team all customers around the Mr. Black holds a Master Husky and am confident he has world.” of Business Administra- www.husky.co

Professor Helmar Franz resigned as a member of the Haitian Iternational board Professor h.c. mult. Hel- level of industry expertise of digitaliza- mar Franz has resigned as and his profound sense of tion. Profes- Member of the Board of trends, he has contributed sor Franz will Haitian International Hold- significantly to the strategic continue to ings Ltd. He joined the Hai- growth of Haitian Interna- support the tian Group as Executive Vice tional. Now, at the age of 70, new genera- President Strategic Business the visionary and deserving tion with his Development in 2005 and strategist has handed over experience after the listing of Haitian one of his areas of responsi- as Chairman International Holdings Ltd. bility to the new generation of the Strat- at the Stock Exchange in of managers. egy Develop- Hong Kong for a total of 13 At the same time as Prof. ment Committee – a Board Professor Helmar Franz years he acted as Member Franz, other directors left of experienced managers. on the Board, including as the Board of Directors, the Mr. Zhang Jianming, Chief tian International, I would Chief Strategy Officer and Board of Haitian Interna- Executive Officer of Haitian like to thank him most sin- most recently as Non-Exec- tional was intentional re- International: “Professor cerely for his dedication and utive Director. duced in size, also in order Franz has played a key role look forward to receiving his With his 48 years of expe- to be able to operate more in the strategic development creative and valuable input rience, Professor Franz is a efficiently. In addition, vari- of our company and is one as part of our Strategic De- respected personality in the ous management tasks are of the major contributors to velopment Committee”. plastics industry. Thanks being innovatively and new- our success today. On behalf Haitian International to his exceptionally high ly structured in the course of the entire Board of Hai- www.haitianinter.com

10 smart_molding international 2/2020 PROMOTE YOUR SMART SOLUTIONS newsfeed FOR PLASTICS MOLDERS WORLDWIDE! DESMA makes personnel adjustments and investments to secure the future Since the beginning of “While preparing and im- • Online 2019, the injection mould- plementing this personnel ing machine manufacturer adjustment we prudently 77.600. subscribers DESMA has already been and responsibly keep a close experiencing the economic eye on the future, not only downturn, especially in for those employees who the automotive industry, continue to be employed, at increasing intensity and but equally for those who pace. For this reason, and have been participating in additionally increased by the company’s growth so the effects of the corona far and are now leaving. crisis, DESMA will cut 48 of We are also continuing the the 281 jobs at its Fridingen significant investment in • Focused location during the rest of the SAP project for the stan- Fridingen. Due to the cur- manufacture of demand- this year. Of these, 16 jobs dardization of the business rent situation, the compa- ing technical silicone and on advanced molding will be cut due to natural processes encompassing ny is unable to make a sales rubber articles used, for fluctuation. the 5 international DESMA forecast for the current example, in the automo- technologies The establishment of a locations”, reported Manag- fiscal year. DESMA is the tive, electrical and medical transfer company financed ing Director Martin Schür- market leader in the pro- engineering industries. by DESMA for further quali- mann on the occasion of the duction of injection mould- DESMA fication and outplacement works meeting already held ing machines used for the www.desma.biz enables the 32 employees on 11 May via internet con- to separate from DESMA in ference. His colleague, Dr. a socially acceptable way, Harald Zebedin, in charge of PROMOTE YOUR SMARTespecially SOL in UTIONSthese difficult technology, added that the PROMOTE YOUR SMART PROMOTE YOUR SMARTtimes. SOL This UTIONSmeasure is part focus of development is on • Available free FOR PLASTICS MOLDERS Wof theORLD ,Resilience’ projectWIDE! new products that are cur- SOLUTIONS FOR PLASSTTICSICS FOR PLASTICS MOLDERS WmeantORLD to reorganiseWIDE! the rently being built to secure MOLDERS WORLDWIDE! on mobile, company and complements the future of the company. MOLDERS WORLDWIDE! the short-time working, The DESMA company tablet and PC which has already been on- group operating at 5 in- going since last September, ternational locations will, • Online • Focused • Online • Focusethe voluntaryd salary waiver according to corporate 7.600 on advanced of all executives and the ex- planning, employ a staff of 7.600 on advanced 7.600 on advatensivenced process cost optimi- 517 worldwide at the end subscribers molding subscribers moldingzation te cmeasureshnologies initiated. of the year, 233 of them in technologies

• Available free • Bonus distribution • Bonus on mobile, at major • Availablea • Bonus ttaablet and PC plascs events free distribution distribution on mobile, at major tablet and PC plascs events at major plascs To advertise contact events [email protected] To advertise contact [email protected] www.smart-molding.com www.smart-molding.com To advertise contact [email protected] www.smart-molding.com www.smart-molding.com 11 newsfeed

Bonnie Tully named President Evonik Corporation folio and culture into the best-in-class organization Bonnie Tully has been rience within the organi- we know today.“ named President of Evon- zation make her the right Tully began her career ik Corporation, effective person to head the North with Rohm & Haas as proj- June 1. As president of American region as we con- ect engineer in 1996. Be- Evonik Corporation, Tully tinue to position Evonik as tween 1998 and 2006 she is responsible for the North a world-leading specialty worked as materials man- America region, which re- chemical company driven ager and technical manag- corded sales of €3 billion in by innovation and sus- er at Evonik Oil Additives fiscal 2019. tainability,“ said Ute Wolf, (Rohmax) in Houston, Tex- Tully replaces John Ro- Chief Financial Officer and as. She subsequently trans- lando, who is retiring after member of the Executive ferred to Singapore to work Bonnie Tully, President Evonik 33 years with Evonik and Board of Evonik Industries as plant manager for Oil Corporation its predecessor companies. AG who is responsible for Additives supporting the Prior to becoming presi- North America. “I also want Asia-Pacific region. In 2011, Tully holds a bachelor’s dent, Bonnie was chief fi- to thank John Rolando for Tully became the head of degree in mechanical en- nancial officer of the North his efforts in leading the Site Service in Mobile, gineering from Texas A&M America region. region through tremen- Ala., Evonik’s largest site in University. “Bonnie Tully‘s leader- dous growth and helping North America, with more Evonik ship skills and broad expe- transform Evonik‘s port- than 800 employees. www.evonik.com

Anniversary machine: KraussMaffei delivers 100th injection molding machine to Polycom With the 100th injection ik, founder and Chairman of ports the modern produc- all the automotive com- molding machine, Krauss- the Management Board of tion at the new location ponent supplier industry, Maffei is delivering a special Polycom. "This is a powerful in Dobje, which was built and increasingly also other machine to a special cus- symbol both for our good in 2017. With its portfo- branches of industry. The tomer – Polycom, a family- cooperation with Krauss- lio, Polycom serves above focus is on smart produc- run company founded 35 Maffei and its years ago by two broth- Slovenian agen- Anniversary machine in special design: Polycom owners Igor and Iztok Stanonik, ers, which has established cy KMS, and for CEO Iztok Novak and KraussMaffei VP Sales EMEA Tobias Daniel at the itself as a leading plastic the sustained ceremonial handover of the 100th injection molding machine (left to right). processor for the automo- growth of our Photo: KraussMaffei tive component supplier company, adds industry. The all-electric PX Igor Stanonik, 50-55 with the special paint Member of the is part of the modern smart Management production at the new loca- Board. tion in Dobje, Poljane nad KraussMaffei Skofjo Loko/Slovenia. delivered the "We have been benefiting first injection from the innovative prod- molding ma- ucts and the tailored service chine to Poly- provided by KraussMaffei com 25 years for decades. We are now ago. The new delighted with the 100th all-electric PX injection molding machine 50-55 (clamp- from our long-term part- ing force 500 ner," explains Iztok Stanon- kN) now sup-

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tion, transparency and the the new PX 50-55 also has provides virtual and rapid Igor Stanonik. And the next tracking of data throughout the DataXplorer, a data support via smartphone or investment wasn't long in the entire process, in order analysis tool which records tablet, thus ensuring con- coming: In the course of to meet the increasingly at least 500 and up to 800 tinuous production. the ceremonial handover high quality requirements. signals every 5 ms as abso- "Digitalization, smart of the 100th anniversary It is therefore all the more lute values and curve pro- production and rapid con- machine, Polycom ordered important that the injection gressions, depending on nection to the Euromap 63 four more injection mold- molding machines produce the configuration, and thus are important components ing machines from Krauss- precisely and reliably. In comprehensively docu- of our company and growth Maffei. addition to the proven ma- ments the production pro- strategy. We will therefore chine function APC plus cesses. In event of service invest here in a targeted KraussMaffei (Adaptive Process Control), cases, the new service app manner in future," said www.kraussmaffei.com

Medical high-volume molds in demand for 2020

StackTeck Systems Ltd. area, offering solu- (Brampton, Ontario, Can- tions for medical ada), has been respond- disposable items, ing to market demands labware, testing for high volume injection and diagnostic molds for medical applica- plastic compo- tions. According to Jordan nents. In many Robertson, VP Business cases, these com- Development & Market- ponents are very ing: “Never before have intricate requir- we seen such a wave of ing complex mold inquiries for high volume ejection sequences medical applications. and/or designs, as These are big projects well as quality optical that have arisen very sud- finishes. Stack mold denly, driven by the new technology allows for demands of the COVID-19 the creation of the right pandemic, and typically medical solution using it in 2×16 mold for medical vial with challenging lead time combination with any oth- requirements.” er applicable technologies collapsing core, servo un- — stack molds to increase StackTeck offers broad that are part of StackTeck’s screwing, and quick product productivity of each injec- experience in the medical offerings: multi-material, change as well as in-mold tion molding machine. functions such as in-mold Stack mold designs have Medical parts needed in high volumes closing (IMC) for flip top evolved to successfully fill closures. the needs of a wide vari- Now more than ever, high ety of injection molding volume molding technology medical applications. As is proving to be the most the need for high produc- efficient and cost-effective tion volumes are climbing, way to reach high levels of there may never have been productivity using: a better time to review the — advanced cooling present-day features and designs for optimal cycle capabilities of stack mold times; technology. — specialty hot runners for tight pitches to maxi- StackTeck mize cavitation; www.stackteck.com www.smart-molding.com 13 newsfeed

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag modernises production logistics and training centre

Since 2016, Sumitomo ning of the building. Nota- (SHI) Demag Plastics Ma- bly, the new hall houses the chinery has invested almost central collection point for EUR 20 million in modernis- production waste in order ing facilities and equipment to make sorting, disposal at its two German sites in and recycling even more Schwaig and Wiehe. On 29 efficient. June 2020, a groundbreak- ing ceremony was held to Expansion of training mark the next project phase centre completed within the growth strategy The expansion and mod- of the Japanese-German in- ernisation of the training jection moulding machinery centre in Schwaig is now manufacturer: the construc- also completed. Doubling Ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the new tion of a new lightweight capacity for customer train- warehouse at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag location, Schwaig; warehouse with 1,600 m2 ing, the expansion of new Dr. Thorsten Thümen (Senior Director Technology), Shoichi Ohira of floor space in Schwaig. training rooms provides (COO), Gerd Liebig (CEO), Robert Josephus (1st Chairman of "The optimisation of direct connection to the Works Council), Martin Fischer (General Manager Operations our internal logistics is applications technology & Supply Chain) (f.l.t.r.) the logical consequence department. As a result, the of the capacity expansion company’s training team "With our modular train- ogies from the start. Thanks and modernisation of pro- has expanded to eight team ing concepts and the world- to modern media technol- duction. We can further members, providing train- wide integration of training ogy, we now offer efficient increase production ef- ing in machine technology, material, our solutions can online training which re- ficiency and throughput application technology and be used in an even more duces the time people need times and achieve faster robotics. The rooms are target-oriented and efficient to allocate to professional delivery times," says CEO equipped with the latest way," explains Liebig. skills development and per- Gerd Liebig. media technology, including "We can now tailor the forming practical exercises," The new hall location en- digital boards with touch- training courses to suit in- adds Dr. Thorsten Thümen, ables a direct material flow back function and an on- dividual needs. As a result, Senior Director Technology from goods receipt and the line studio, which enables customers are more readily at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. dispatch loading zone to course participants from all prepared and can immedi- production. Future plant over the world to benefit ately utilise the competitive Sumitomo (SHI) Demag expansions have also been from professional online advantages of new machin- www.sumitomo- accounted for in the plan- training. ery and application technol- shi-demag.eu

Ultramid® for high-quality After the successful mar- very low emission values ket launch in 2017 of Ultra- and good UV stability and surfaces in the car interior mid® Deep Gloss, a special are therefore ideally suited Numerous trends are in- a feel-good space on four polyamide for durable high- for the use in functional vis- fluencing the automotive wheels is increasing very gloss trim parts, a new gen- ible parts in the interior. industry: automated driv- fast. The haptics and visual eration of surface-improved “With the newly devel- ing, electromobility, sus- appearance of components structural materials is now oped SI grades for func- tainability, lightweight con- are becoming even more following with Ultramid® tional parts in the car inte- struction, energy efficiency. important. BASF is present- B3E2G6 SI BK23353 and rior with premium surface In addition, the interior is ing innovative materials Ultramid® B3E2G10 SI quality, we are offering a getting into the focus by for premium and appealing BK23353. The glass fiber new solution to the existing designers and developers. surfaces to give the interior reinforced types based on portfolio," explains Rainer The transformation into a distinctive look. polyamide 6 impress with Xalter, product developer in

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Numerous applications professional cleaning of are possible with the the interior. new material “Thanks to our expertise Ultramid® B3E2G6 SI in research and develop- BK23353 and Ultramid® ment, we can cover the B3E2G10 SI BK23353 are increasing demand for ver- therefore suitable for air satile materials for the inte- ventilation lamellas, steer- rior and support the trends ing column levers, arm- towards more design and rests, cup holders or even atmosphere in the car. Since door handles. The good in- the demands of designers trinsic material properties and automobile manu- of Ultramid® enable high facturers are constantly the Performance Materials ber turbulences, which are long-term use character- growing, we try to provide division at BASF. “Structur- commonly observed on istics. In addition, the new the right solution for every al components with plain, surfaces of standard types, materials are insensitive application with our prod- matt and textured surfaces are largely suppressed by to commercially available ucts,” adds Ragnar Stoll, In- can be produced in just one the new SI grades. Due to cleaning agents. An impor- terior Marketing Manager process step. An additional the variable glass fiber re- tant property with regard in the Performance Materi- painting of the component inforcement, parts with me- to the increasing popular- als division at BASF. to upgrade the surface is dium to very high stiffness ity of "shared mobility", BASF not necessary." Visible fi- can be manufactured. which requires frequent www.basf.com

promising for us. We look folio," comments Thomas DAHL Automation becomes forward to expanding our Hähn, founder and CEO of member of the HAHN Group range of services together the HAHN Group. "With with the sister companies in the solutions from DAHL Effective March 27, and standardized training the HAHN Group, as well as Automation, harmonious 2020, DAHL Automation cells. With its expertise in opening up new industries teams of people and robots GmbH became part of the field of robotics and and markets." can be created in the long HAHN Group GmbH. DAHL intralogistics projects, "DAHL Automation is a term. This ensures better Automation is an integra- DAHL Automation is ex- pioneer in the field of col- production conditions and tor for robotics, cobots, panding the HAHN Group's laborative robotics and has offers specialists the op- as well as AMR (Autono- portfolio. established itself with well- portunity to develop their mous Mobile Robot) and Detlev Dahl, founder and known customers, provid- full potential in demanding AGV (Automated Guided managing director of DAHL ing innovative automation areas of activity." Vehicle). 30 employees Automation, will continue solutions. The company’s are currently employed at to lead the company. "We its expertise fits perfectly HAHN Group the headquarters in Mein- are delighted to be join- into the HAHN Group port- www.hahn.group erzhagen, Germany. The ing the HAHN Group as a company has extensive strong, long-term partner," experience in the develop- explains Dahl. “The com- ment of products and solu- bination of international tions with cobots, grippers, orientation and proxim- image processing systems ity to the customer is very

www.smart-molding.com 1515 newsfeed

Increased clamping force for the largest BOY-Insert moulding machine guarantee a wide range of integration options for au- BOY - specialist of injec- and SP 82 will also be read- tomation devices. An ener- tion moulding machines up ily available for this model gy-efficient servo drive and to 1250 kN clamping force according to his announce- the high-end control Procan - has modified its largest ment. Overmoulding of in- ALPHA are standards of the vertical injection mould- sert components of differ- BOY 60 E VV. The energy-ef- ing machine. At the end of ent sizes is easily possible ficient plasticizing unit BOY- this year the insert mould- with a total of eight differ- EconPlast is available as an ing machine with 600 kN ent screw diameters. option starting from a screw clamping force instead of Like all BOY insert mould- diameter of 18 mm. the previous 550 kN, will ing machines, the 4-tie bar be available. BOY 60 E VV scores, partic- Dr. Boy “The increased clamping ularly with the fixed lower www.dr-boy.de force is initially only avail- plate, an ergonomically able for the BOY 60 EVV favourable table height of with injection unit SP 215 975 mm and optimal access (maximum stroke volume of to the mould from all four 166.3 cm3)” explains Martin sides. Compact dimensions Kaiser, Head of Mechanical of 3.21 m² and plenty of Design at BOY. In a further space on the rear machine step the three smaller in- frame for peripheral devices jection units SP 56, SP 69 and accessory equipment

New virtual FAT from GEFIT our technicians for specific And that's not all! Thanks interventions. to the use of special smart This way it has been pos- glasses equipped with wear- sible to monitor the perfor- able headset, a new frontier mances and communicate will be torn down: GEFIT will with GEFIT team in real time, be able to provide custom- with a complete remote in- ers from all over the world teraction and without any with an innovative remote impact on the previously assistance service, complete agreed time schedules for with audio and video, that the machine delivery. makes the operators on site A successful experience completely free to move and that will be also extended put the received indications for the testing of moulds, into practice. In this recovery phase af- customers have been able until the situation gets fi- GEFIT ter the emergency caused to actively participate in the nally back to normal. www.gefit.com by the COVID-19 virus, be- FAT of an index assembly ma- fore everything returns as chine, remaining constantly before, it’s necessary to find in audio visual contact with out new solutions to meet GEFIT engineers working at the new needs caused by their plant. the pandemic. Customers just had to For this reason GEFIT suc- download an app on their cessfully finalized its first on- devices and then follow all line factory acceptance test- operations on the machine ing (FAT). By using cameras in real time, being also able and permanent connection, to interact directly and ask

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Virtual FAT and SAT ensuring continuity for SACMI customers worldwide

Remote factory accep- tion. SACMI, after stand- with leading interna- tance tests and the ability ing shoulder to shoulder tional customers in re- to provide a true remote with customers all over cent weeks, the remote start-up service (SAT - site the world since the earliest start-up of complete, acceptance test), ensuring stages of the emergency, highly automated lines customers maximise the has now proven it's ready has taken on the form opportunities provided by for the post-COVID phase, of a structured package 4.0 technology and our ex- when virtual assistance will of solutions and proce- pertise, wherever they are. be an increasingly essential dures. SACMI provides SACMI, then, is leading the element during the design, such packages for both re-opening of international start-up and after-sale as- customers who take markets by providing cus- sistance phases. delivery of plants in situ tomers with close support This epochal challenge – (SACMI machines and plants years, yielded outstanding worldwide. the remote start-up of a requiring assembly and start- returns. Moreover, cus- Sensors, cameras and complete, automated line - up) and, more generally, tomers can also count on virtual reality have taken extends beyond the SACMI customers who, in this new advanced virtual reality as- remote plant acceptance factory acceptance test to scenario, make new invest- sistance packages, provided tests (FAT, factory accep- include the subsequent SAT, ments where they can rely by the SACMI Customer tance test) out of the realms a delicate, complex phase on a sole provider capable Service Division; these are of science fiction... and into that includes assembly of of 'virtualising' every single constantly being upgraded the real world! With several the machines at the custom- stage of supply (shipping, as- to ensure the highest levels contracts already signed er's facility, followed by their sembly, start-up and testing) of innovation. across a range of businesses start-up and testing. Thanks with guaranteed results. SACMI's successful com- and industries, this is a field to the widespread diffusion This strategy is under- pletion of the first fully re- in which SACMI leads the of new 4.0 technologies, pinned by the partnership mote SATs in the field has way as it seeks to eliminate training local technicians principle, which lets SACMI sent the market a clear the distance separating cus- step-by-step to assemble work with customers to message: the way forward tomer and supplier. individual components and meet shared challenges. It is to work together on the During acceptance tests, guiding personnel - who may has ensured that customer best practices needed to the customer experience not necessarily be trained investments in new ma- accelerate the re-opening is 'total': audio-visual links to manage a certain type of chines and plants (equipped of industry and bring our and real-time data extrac- machine - as they start up with cutting-edge sensors expertise directly to the tion from machines allow new lines is taking assistance capable of inter-commu- customer’s premises. for streamlined interaction to a whole new level. nicating and interacting with guaranteed results and Following several suc- with the remote assistance SACMI optimal customer satisfac- cessful test completions platform) have, in recent www.sacmi.com

www.smart-molding.com 17 newsfeed Get news updates and magazine alerts Dyemansion raises $14M to drive the transformation of manufacturing Submit your e-mail to subscribe free The COVID-19 pandem- www.smart-molding.com ic showed in almost any industry that traditional supply chains are under pressure and many even failed. Digital manufactur- ing got into the spotlight as a solution for that. This is certainly one reason why the Munich-based tech company DyeMansion se- cured $14M funding even in times like these from new and existing investors, who support their mission. The new funds raise the company’s total funding to $24M. To make 3D-printed prod- ucts a part of our everyday life, there are still some journey. They are a perfect Philipp Kramer, CTO & Co-founder DyeMansion GmbH challenges to overcome. fit for the current phase we and Felix Ewald, CEO & Co-founder . DyeMansion GmbH The industrial and automat- are in with DyeMansion. Get news updates and magazine alerts ed post-processing of 3D- Their unique approach and accounts, local customers that the management team printed parts is one of the expertise will help us to and partners to get started and the other investors Submit your e-mail to subscribe free key drivers on this journey. further strengthen our po- with 3D-printing or move both embraced NAP’s value www.smart-molding.com With its unique three-step sition as a global industrial to the next level of serial creation model and allowed Print-to-Product workflow, leader. It makes us proud manufacturing with their us to join DyeMansion’s DyeMansion helps users that all our existing inves- application and factories mission.” of industrial 3D-printing to tors are continuing with almost anywhere. Chief Venture Officer of Get news updates and magazine alerts Get news updates and magazine alerts turn their raw plastic parts their support as well. This “At Nordic Alpha Partners AM Ventures, Arno Held, Submit your e-mail to subscribe free into high-value products. will help us and our custom- (NAP) we strive to invest states: "We at AM Ventures Submit your e-mail to subscribe free Its high-end post-process- ers worldwide to drive the in the technology leaders are very proud to have www.smart-molding.com ing equipment is used by transformation of manufac- spearheading the industrial been part of the DyeMan- over 600 customers world- turing to digital production transformation, but it is rare sion success story from www.smart-molding.com wide including companies and the factory of the fu- that we come across a com- the very beginning. 6 years like BMW, Daimler, Under ture,” tells Felix, CEO & co- pany like DyeMansion that ago, we jointly realized the Armour, or Jabil. With 46 founder of DyeMansion. is not only clear category great potential of post-pro- production and sales part- The new funds will be leader, but with a position cessing 3D-printed parts. ners worldwide, DyeMan- used to speed up the shift that is truly accelerating the Since then, this unique sion has recently launched to digital manufacturing in transformation,” states Lau- team has not only created the world's largest post- all matters. On the organi- rits Bach Sørensen, Value- its own segment within the processing platform for in- zational side, the funding Creation Partner at NAP and AM industry. DyeMansion dustrial 3D-printing and is will further strengthen Dye- he is followed by Rasmus has unlocked the gate to leading post-processing in Mansion’s global presence Lund, Investment Partner colorful and aesthetic 3D terms of finishing quality, and fulfillment capabilities at NAP “Great companies printed applications in nu- automation and industrial- via new demo facilities, can always get funding and merous verticals with man- ization. regional application con- furthermore we believe ufacturing volumes beyond “We are super happy to sultants and commercial that Covid-19 will be an imagination." have Nordic Alpha Partners business infrastructures. accelerator of the 3D-print DyeMansion on board for our growth The aim: Enabling global adoption, so we are thrilled dyemansion.com

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Get news updates and magazine alerts Submit your e-mail to subscribe free www.smart-molding.com

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www.smart-molding.com 19 medical application Henkel and Origin collaborate to help meet demand for COVID-19 NP swabs With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for medical supplies, including testing kits has outpaced supply. The primary protocol involves conducting a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab test, which collects viral material from inside a person’s nasal cavity. Globally, there are very few companies that manufacture the swabs commercially, and all are overwhelmed with demand. In collaboration with Origin, Henkel is leveraging its ability to carry out biocompatibility and robust mechanical testing at its facility in Concord, California, and has provided a range of 3D printable medical photopolymers designed for use on Origin’s material development systems.

raditionally, the swabs are made Origin’s programmable photo polym- Leading the effort, Origin also col- from multiple materials and ad- erization (P3) technology enabled the laborated with Beth Israel Deaconess Tjoined prior to sterilization and company to test different materials, Medical Center (BIDMC) on the swab’s packaging. Working cooperatively with print parameters, and designs in paral- development. BIDMC conducted a rig- Origin, Henkel supplied knowledge and lel to find an optimal solution in just a orous initial clinical evaluation for -hu technology to help design a swab that few days. The final clinically validated man factors, materials testing and en- could be 3D printed at scale. swab utilizes an intricate lattice design sured that the final product would be “From inception, the vision behind to collect the virus sample. It balances compatible with the polymerase chain Henkel’s Open Materials Platform was patient comfort with the ability to col- reaction (PCR) method that is used in to enable collaboration all along addi- lect a reliable and sufficient sample. laboratories to test for COVID-19. tive manufacturing’s value chain,” says The development effort also lever- “By working collaboratively and utiliz- Ken Kisner, Head of Innovation - 3D aged Henkel’s Albert software platform, ing each other’s technologies, we iden- Printing at Henkel. “Working together which accelerates the innovation of tified, optimized and scaled the manu- with Origin, we were able to develop new products by determining the ma- facturing process to bring an application a product which is very effective as its terials that are utilized. With its ability to market extremely fast,” says Chris mass-produced counterparts. With the to access Loctite’s vast material and Prucha, Founder and CEO at Origin. constraints commercial medical suppli- post-processing knowledge and data, Origin’s NP swab is classified as a sterile ers are facing, this presents a significant Albert allowed Henkel to recommend device and is considered a finished medi- opportunity for the 3D printing industry the best performing material for the NP cal product. This means it must adhere to to demonstrate its capabilities, beyond swab application. “current good manufacturing practices” prototyping.” “Nasal swabs are actually very com- (cGMP) which are regulations enforced plex instruments,” says Nick by the FDA and documented in the Code Several iterations of an intricate lattice designs were Talken, CTO of Albert Software of Federal Regulations (title 21, part 820.) evaluated that would act like a brush to collect at Henkel. “The head of the Both Henkel and Origin collaborated to adequate samples needed for COVID-19 testing swab utilizes a detailed lattice conduct testing and validate each step in structure that’s designed to the sterilization process, which includes maximize the amount of virus Ethylene Oxide (EtO) and autoclave collected. The whole thing has sterilization. They also performed me- to be flexible and strong, not chanical testing and intensive packaging to mention safe for medical validation which determined the prod- use. With the help of Henkel’s uct’s FDA compliant shelf life. Albert Software, we were able Henkel to quickly match the best Loc- www.henkel.com tite material for this specific Origin application.” www.origin.io

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Fully automated on the smallest footprint Compact, flexible, The e-mac 180 is demonstrating the performance of the next generation machine with the production of pipette cost-effective tips made of polypropylene in a 64-cav- ity precision mould by Tanner (Feuer- In October 2020, ENGEL is presenting the next generation thalen, Switzerland). The cycle time is of its all-electric e-mac injection moulding machine series six seconds, which is exactly the range in which the e-mac machines fully play in a challenging application for the manufacture of pipette tips. to their strengths. For precision applica- Offering maximum flexibility for individual customer tions with cycle times of more than four requirements, the e-mac is now even more compact. seconds, the e-mac is often the most economical solution in the field of all- electric injection moulding machines. Apart from medical technology, the machine is deployed in the fields of packaging, teletronics and technical moulding. The automation makes an addi- tional contribution to the very small footprint of the production cell on show. An ENGEL viper 20 lin- ear robot removes the 64 pipette tips from the mould and transfers them to the integrated compact cell for cavity-sorted depositing. ENGEL's new automation cell can be custom designed. It houses all auto- he quality of pipette tips largely The now even more compact, all-electric mation components and downstream depends on the precision of the ENGEL e-mac machines are exclusively process units, such as quality control, injection process. At the same equipped with particularly powerful a tray server or box changer, and is T servo-motors for optimum overall time, the long cores in the mould re- significantly narrower than conven- quire absolutely precise movements efficiency. tional safety guarding. Its standardised of the mould mounting platens during build-up allows for speedy mould set- opening and closing. All-electric injec- e-mac machines of the new gener-ation up of the production unit in case of a tion moulding machines are therefore are the most compact worldwide in product change. the preferred solution in this application their respective performance segment ENGEL segment, where cost-effectiveness is a across the entire series. www.engelglobal.com decisive factor in choosing a machine. In All movements of the ENGEL e-mac the form of the e-mac, ENGEL has an all- – including the nozzle movement and electric injection moulding machine in ejection – are performed by servo-elec- its portfolio that combines high output tric drives. This means that the machine For the market launch of the and energy efficiency with an extreme- achieves very high overall efficiency. If next generation machine, an ly compact machine design, ensuring required, a servo-hydraulic unit can be e-mac 265/180 is producing the lowest possible unit costs even integrated into the machine frame with- pipette tips. Pictures: ENGEL in a clean-room environment. ENGEL out requiring additional space. has now reduced the footprint of the The ENGEL e-mac injection unit was e-mac machines even further. Thanks developed from scratch with a focus on to an optimised toggle lever geometry, even better dynamics. It is available in the e-mac 265/180 presented for mar- three performance classes. As a result, ket launch is 450 mm shorter than the the machine can be precisely adapted previous 180-ton version, without re- to requirements in order to achieve the ducing the opening stroke. Among the highest overall efficiency for the widest all-electric machines on the market, the variety of applications.

www.smart-molding.com 21 medical application

Arburg despite corona: “Wir sind da.” Arburg has responded to the Corona crisis very early on with great prudence and excellent know-how. Thanks to that, the machine manufacturer based in Lossburg considers itself well-positioned for the future after the pandemic, in terms of technology, know-how and organisation: production continues to progress and the development of innovative solutions for injection moulding, industrial additive manufacturing and progress in digitalisation is being driven forward. In order to contain the pandemic, Arburg produced high-quality masks and safety goggles very quickly at its headquarters in Lossburg as proof of its technology.

Arburg produces high-quality manufacturer Uvex. Because it was In the comparable trade fair applica- protective equipment possible to build on the experience of tion, it was shown by way of example In recent months, Arburg has very the K trade fair: Arburg had already pre- how processes can be visualised using quickly initiated several specific proj- sented the fully automated production the Arburg Turnkey Control Module ects to contain the corona pandemic. of sunglasses there as a trade fair dem- (ATCM) and how all relevant process Since spring, four injection moulding onstrator. Thanks to first-class and un- and quality data can be merged for machines and turnkey systems have bureaucratic coordination between the specific parts. With the help of this been producing high-quality safety parties involved, the sunglasses could Scada system for turnkey systems, in- goggles and multifunctional LSR masks also be used to produce safety goggles dividual parts or installed assemblies at the Lossburg headquarters. The pro- quickly, using the same tools and thus can be 100 percent traceable. tective clothing and equipment were the same design. Ems agreed to the use distributed to employees as well as to of the tool and Uvex made the goggles From the prototype to nursing staff in charitable and medical usable for the new application with a the certified high-tech mask facilities in the region. The two sophis- quick certification. Since 16 April, safety On 11 May, Arburg started production ticated applications also show how the goggles have been produced at Arburg of LSR and PP mouth and nose masks for original Arburg know-how in automa- in Lossburg and thus bottlenecks dur- everyday use. The project impressively tion and digitalisation can contribute ing the corona pandemic have been shows how "time-to-market" can be ac- to increasing production efficiency. immediately eliminated. The goggles celerated in exceptional cases – namely are produced in one piece on an elec- when all partners pool their competen- Safety goggles “ready to wear” tric Allrounder 570 A with the Gestica cies, technologies and equipment. The Arburg implemented the "safety control system in a cycle time of about companies involved in this project are goggles" project within a very short 50 seconds. Handling and depositing Sigma Engineering (LSR component and time together with the Swiss speciality are carried out with a six-axis robot. mould simulation), Polar-Form, Foboha chemicals group Ems-Chemie and the The packaging is done manually down- and Wilhelm Weber (mould), Ewikon German protective and safety glasses stream via a packaging station. (cold runner), Männer und Günter (hot

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Arburg is involved in the corona crisis (from left to right): Manuel Frick, Two Allrounders manufacture the LSR and PP components. LSR Sales Manager, the Managing Directors Gerhard Böhm (Sales) and The individual parts are manually assembled to form the Guido Frohnhaus (Technology & Engineering) and Dr. Thomas Walther, high-quality, high-tech mask, which Arburg developed Head of the Application Technology Department, present the first high- itself and realised with partners. The soft LSR component tech LSR and PP mouth and nose mask, developed by Arburg itself and is produced by an electric Allrounder 570 A. realised with partners. runner technology), Barth Mechanik coronavirus, a disposable filter can be responding elastic straps and packed. As (grippers), Wacker und Borealis (ma- placed on the opening. a next step, it is planned to produce the terials), Karl Küfner (filters), Herrmann disposable filter, which can be placed Ultraschall (welding technology) and Mask production on the opening, also at Arburg. Arburg Packmat (packaging technology). set up in record time is in contact with the partners Karl Küf- Arburg developed the high-quality The injection moulds for the LSR and ner (nonwovens) and Wilhelm Weber and sustainable masks made of flexible PP components were built in a record (mould) for this purpose. LSR and PP itself and produced the first time of only five weeks. The very spe- prototypes with its Freeformer additive. cial corona pandemic situation certainly With know-how and turnkey The flexible multifunctional masks con- played a role here. Since mid-May, a All- solutions against coronavirus sist of a soft LSR mask, which is put over rounder 570 A with a clamping force of The application shows how complex the nose and mouth, and a fixed holder 2,000 kN has been producing the LSR turnkey systems can be implemented made of PP with eyelets for fastening masks with a 4-cavity mould from Po- within the shortest possible time, if elastic bands. To prevent infection in -ev larform in the Arburg Training Center, necessary, in order to efficiently manu- eryday life, the mask opening is closed while a Allrounder 520 E Golden Electric facture high-quality products. Arburg with a cover so that the breathing air with a clamping force of 2,000 kN and does not want to earn money with the is discharged downwards. To reliably a 2-cavity mould from Foboha is simul- masks and safety goggles project; they protect the carrier themselves from the taneously producing the associated PP are therefore not sold individually to shields in the Customer Center. end customers. The aim is rather to In April, a trade fair demonstrator became an The larger injection moulding use the know-how and machine fleet application for safety goggles – distributed to nursing machine operates with an LSR to support hospitals and care facilities and medical staff during the corona pandemic. dosing unit from Elmet and a with protective clothing and equipment The glasses are manufactured on a turnkey system six-axis robot from Kuka, which in the fight against the coronavirus as built around an electric Allrounder 570 A. removes the flexible masks well as to show the injection moulding from the mould in a demanding market the huge amount of know-how moulding removal process and available at Arburg that allows them places them on a conveyor belt. to design and supply highly complex In the second machine, a linear systems for economically efficient and Multilift Select robotic system technologically advanced production takes over the easier handling of in the shortest possible time, even in the PP shields. Finally, the PP la- high-wage countries. bel is manually placed on the sili- ARBURG cone mask with form closure, the www.arburg.com mask is completed with the cor-

www.smart-molding.com 23 medical application

Finished FACEshields WITTMANN BATTENFELD molding technology for FACEshield fasteners from FT-TEC FT-TEC, domiciled in Neutal, specializes in the development and production of high-tech solutions for the automotive industry, railway engineering and the security sector. As an answer to the current COVID-19 situation, FT-TEC has developed a high-grade protective face shield. Injection molding technology from WITTMANN BATTENFELD is used to make the fastening devices for the shields.

T-TEC, a medium-sized company a member of the WITTMANN Group. sleeper production, fastening systems based in the Austrian province “For me, it is important to have just and dowel anchors. Fof Burgenland, was founded in one contact partner for machines, au- In this sector, FT-TEC holds the HPQ 2005 by its present Managing Partner tomation and auxiliaries, especially for certificate (Manufacturer-related Prod- Friedrich Trobolowitsch. The company international projects,” says Friedrich uct Qualification) from the German rail- has been located at its present address Trobolowitsch. Another great advan- way company Deutsche Bahn AG. in Neutal since 2012. On its production tage for Friedrich Trobolowitsch is the Thirdly, FT-TEC supplies emergency floor, 8 injection molding machines possibility to access the machines via systems for the shipping industry and from WITTMANN BATTENFELD are WebService in the event of any prob- special fishery products. Worth men- used, ranging from 650 to 4,000 kN lems. tioning in the fishery sector, for ex- in clamping force and equipped with FT-TEC basically specializes in three ample, is an inductively rechargeable robots and auxiliary appliances from main business segments. crab catcher which operates with light, WITTMANN. According to Friedrich Firstly, it develops and manufactures sounds and vibration and partly replac- Trobolowitsch, WITTMANN BATTEN- high-tech products for the automotive es the bait fish which would otherwise FELD owes the exclusive use of WITT- industry and is one of about 200 com- have been used. For this product, FT- MANN BATTENFELD technology at FT- panies worldwide which are certified TEC won an innovation award in 2019. TEC not only to its excellent personal according to the IATF 16949 automo- The emergency devices for the shipping support and fast response, but also pri- bile standard. industry are man-over-board (MOB) sys- marily to the availability of machines, The company’s second line of spe- tems. The appliance developed by FT- robots and auxiliaries all from a single cialization is railway engineering prod- TEC is the world’s smallest MOB system source thanks to the company being ucts, such as components for concrete licensed for professional navigation.

24 smart_molding international 2/2020 medical application

Friedrich Trobolowitsch, From the left: Christoph Schweinberger, Sales WITTMANN Kunststoffgeräte, Roland CEO of FT-TEC, with a finished Pechtl, Sales WITTMANN BATTENFELD and Friedrich Trobolowitsch, CEO FT-TEC, with product ready for shipment fasteners made of recycled POM for the FACEshield (Photos: WITTMANN BATTENFELD)

A new high-tech product FT-TEC is quirements for medical technology and FT-TEC makes the fasteners for the currently working on is an emergency is thus also suitable for use in hospitals shields by injection molding with device for 5G networks in the NB IoT and nursing care environments. Con- equipment from WITTMANN BAT- (Narrowband Internet of Things) seg- sideration of its environmental impact TENFELD. The material used is POM, ment. The company’s project partner was not neglected either. a resin ideally suited for the produc- is Deutsche Telekom AG, the customer With the help of 3D printing, an ap- tion of high-precision parts due to its is T-Mobile. propriate design was created which dif- excellent dimensional stability. Fas- The COVID-19 crisis prompted FT-TEC fers from other models on the market teners are currently produced from to develop a protective face shield cov- primarily by the fact that the shields are recycled POM in white, red, black and ering the eyes, nose and mouth. In this less strongly bent and consequently of- blue. The respective molds, a single- context, it was important for Friedrich fer more freedom of movement. Series cavity mold used on a machine with Trobolowitsch to stick to his philoso- production was started in mid-April. 650 kN clamping force and a 4-cavity phy of creating a high-quality product To meet the high quality require- mold fitted onto a machine with 1,100 which is not only fit for everyday use, ments, exclusively face shields made kN clamping force, have come from but also meets the most stringent re- of PETG are used. This type of PET the Burgenland-based company HWB modified with glycol Horitschoner Werkzeugbau. offers extremely high The face shields can be printed in- Friedrich Trobolowitsch, CEO of FT-TEC, with a finished transparency, low dividually with an alcohol-resistant product ready for shipment viscosity and high UV printing toner. In addition to the impact resistance. standard models, the company makes The attributes of special models to fit children. The pres- this material allow ent daily production capacity stands at the exchangeable about25,000 units. and recyclable face As a next step, FT-TEC is planning to shields to be cleaned develop a new product for the medical with disinfectants sector. These models will be suitable containing alcohol. for intensive care medicine, where pro- The shields are cut tective goggles are required to be worn to size from rolled as well. sheet and given the required form by a WITTMANN BATTENFELD laser cutter. www.wittmann-group.com

www.smart-molding.com 25 medical application

SABIC accelerates order fulfillment amid COVID-19 Lifesaving medical equipment, from ventilators and defibrillators to auto-chemistry analyzers, is essential in overcoming COVID-19. To meet urgent requests from global customers that manufacture these products, SABIC has taken extraordinary steps to expedite order fulfillment for its specialty thermoplastic resins.

s an example, the company rapidly supplied signifi- deliver the specialized materials needed for healthcare ap- cant quantities of thermoplastics to two Chinese plications used to diagnose, monitor and treat patients.” Amedical device manufacturers, Mindray and DIRUI. Despite shutdowns and exponential increase in demand, 10,000 Medical Devices for Italy SABIC has worked to ensure fast and steady supply of des- Mindray Medical International Limited is a global medical perately needed medical equipment to hospitals on the instrumentation developer and manufacturer based in Shen- front lines. zhen. When Mindray received an urgent order from Italy for “The coronavirus pandemic has spotlighted the critical role 10,000 units of its ventilators, defibrillators, monitors and in of material suppliers in the face of urgent demand for high vitro diagnostic (IVD) machines, the manufacturer contacted volumes of medical devices, supplies and personal protec- SABIC for a range of its high-performance specialty materials. tive equipment,” said Martin Tam, SABIC director, Customer Mindray’s order included LNP™ EXL copolymer, internally Fulfillment APAC, Specialties. “As a leading plastics manufac- lubricated LNP™ LUBRICOMP™ and anti-static LNP™ FARA- turer in the medical products supply chain, SABIC has risen DEX™ compounds, and ULTEM™ resin. SABIC delivered these to the challenge of supporting the healthcare industry during materials to Mindray’s contract molder within weeks. this difficult time. Our agility, seamless scalability and broad Further, Mindray urgently needed high-performance SABIC global resources are allowing us to do our part to reliably materials to produce 3,000 pieces of medical equipment for

26 smart_molding international 2/2020 Get news updates and magazine alerts medical application Submit your e-mail to subscribe free www.smart-molding.com

When Mindray received an urgent order from Italy for 10,000 In March 2020, the company DIRUI Industrial Co., Ltd. units of its ventilators, defibrillators, monitors and in vitro requested expedited delivery of two grades of SABIC’s NORYL™ diagnostic (IVD) machines, the manufacturer contacted SABIC polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin. SABIC quickly mobilized to for a range of its high-performance specialty materials manufacture, fulfill and supply DIRUI’s order

two new hospitals being constructed in China. The SABIC trol the pandemic,” commented Henry Chen, supply chain team worked around the clock for two days to produce development manager of DIRUI. “We look forward to con- much-needed thermoplastics for Mindray, primarily for de- tinuing Getour seamless news upda and tesefficient and magazine collaboration alerts with SABIC vice housings. in the future.”Submit your e-mail to subscribe free “As COVID-19 cases spiked in China and Italy, we faced SABIC intense pressure to produce and ship essential medical www.smart-molding.comwww.sabic.com equipment as fast as possible,” said Timmy Tong, procure- ment business director for Mindray. “SABIC went above Get news updates and magandazine beyond alertsto deliver the materials we required, in a very Get news updates and magazine alerts short timeframe, with the high quality and consistency we Submit your e-mail to subscribe free Submit your e-mail to subscribeexpected. Particularly free in this crisis situation, our strong, long- standing relationship with SABIC is demonstrating its price- www.smart-molding.com www.smart-molding.cless value.” om 1,000 Auto-chemistry Analyzers for China DIRUI Industrial Co., Ltd., a leading provider of high-quality diagnostic equipment and reagents in China, also faced ur- gent customer requests for equipment to support COVID- 19 care. In March 2020, the company requested expedited delivery of two grades of SABIC’s NORYL™ polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin. These advanced thermoplastic materials were needed to produce 1,000 auto-chemistry analyzers for Chinese hospitals. The analyzers are used to measure patients’ kidney and bladder function, among other tests. Although SABIC’s Shanghai facility was shut down to contain COVID 19, SABIC quickly mobilized to manufacture, fulfill and supply DIRUI’s order. Of the two grades of NORYL™ PPE resin, one provides di- mensional stability and chemical resistance for the analyzer housings, while the other delivers the hydrolytic stability needed for the water channel. “We are thankful to SABIC for the tremendous job they did in fulfilling our critical order so that we could rapidly produce the auto-chemistry analyzers needed to help con-

www.smart-molding.com 27 medical application EnvisionTEC to 3D print mass quantities of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 testing EnvisionTEC is proud to announce they have successfully completed a clinical trial to use the EnvisionTEC 3D printed Nasopharyngeal (NP) Swabs for COVID-19 testing. EnvisionTEC, as well as a growing number of their Envision One cDLM customers who have also registered with the FDA to take part in this endeavor, have the mass production capabilities to produce up to a million of the desperately needed swabs per day.

ne of the biggest immediate The Envision One, launched in early PCA/reagents, that they are chemically needs in the fight against the 2019, has been EnvisionTEC’s best- safe, that they would bend 180 degrees Oglobal pandemic known as selling 3D printer to date, with over a without breaking, and that the design COVID-19 is simply identifying those thousand units currently in use among would be able to safely collect enough who have been infected as early as dental labs, orthodontic practices, uni- virus particles from the nasal passage possible. Globally, the testing kit avail- versities, medical device manufactur- to effectively test. ability has been vastly inadequate for ers and more. Many of the owners of One of the major advantaged of the the large-scale testing needed in order these units are accustomed to produc- EnvisionTEC NP swab is that it contin- to identify and isolate known cases of ing medical-grade products, making ued to perform mechanically the same the virus and get ahead of its spread them the ideal production partners for after being sterilized by steam at 270°F within each community both in the this enterprise. The Envision One is ca- at 27 Pa in an autoclave. Other 3D United States and across the globe. The pable of producing up to 2400 swabs in printed swabs have shown deteriora- traditional manufacturing method for 24 hours. This leads to a production ca- tion following autoclave procedures. the swabs is tedious and limited, with pacity of EnvisionTEC and its Envision According to Dr. Ramy Arnaout, MD, the final testing swab needing to -ex One user network of up to a million DPhil, Associate Director of the Clini- hibit unique properties of softness and swabs per day. cal Microbiology Laboratories at Beth flexibility that are difficult to produce. EnvisionTEC engineers have designed Israel Deaconess Medical Center, EnvisionTEC worked with Beth Israel a collection tip for a flexible nasal swab “Analytical results were positive, with Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) to that has completed testing in an IRB- a high level of concordance with the develop a swab design and material to approved clinical trial for use in this reference swab and with subjective be printed on their bestselling Envision unprecedented time. In order to be results showing that [EnvisionTEC’s] One cDLM 3D printer. given this approval, a rigorous testing swab performed neutrally or better procedure was than other test swabs”. required to be During the clinical trials performed by passed. This BIDMC, the EnvisionTEC swabs received testing of both positive comments from study staff for the design and comfort, flexibility, and ease of inser- the material tion, which we attribute to the use of included sev- EnvisionTEC’s E-Guide Soft material. eral rigorous E-Guide Soft, a biomedical 3D print- mechanical and ing material from EnvisionTEC, and chemical tests. the EnvisionTEC tampon design have This was done been tested. EnvisionTEC partnered to ensure that with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medi- the swabs pick cal Center (BIDMC), which performed up viral RNA par- these tests. ticles and do not EnvisionTEC interfere with www.envisiontec.com

28 smart_molding international 2/2020 medical application Evonik launches next-generation PEEK biomaterial for medical technology applications With the introduction of the new biomaterial, the specialty chemicals company Evonik is launching a new product line of next-generation, PEEK-based implant materials that it will market under the brand name VESTAKEEP® Fusion.

Improving quality of life Development by helping bones heal faster of customer-specific biomaterials The osteoconductive properties of “Introduction of the new VESTAKEEP® Evonik is developing a new the new PEEK material were achieved Fusion product line represents an impor- osteoconductive implant material by using a special functional additive - tant step in the strategic development of based on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) biphasic calcium phosphate - and allow our portfolio. This work draws upon our for medical technology applications bone cells to adhere to implants more decades of expertise in polymer chemis- quickly, thus positively influencing -fu try and on Evonik’s global innovation and molded in the proven manner. It has sion, so called osteointegration, at the production network. That foundation been specially designed so that the boundary between the bone and the means we can offer patients a one-of-a- functional additives are available on implant. This, in turn, will accelerate kind product and significantly improve the surface and no film formation oc- bone fusion and convalescence. their quality of life,” says Marc Knebel, curs. In collaboration with Samaplast, As the first biomaterial in Evonik’s Head of the Medical Systems market a Swiss company specializing in plastics new Fusion product line, VESTAKEEP® segment at Evonik. engineering, Evonik has successfully iC4800 will impress customers with its In addition to VESTAKEEP® iC4800, demonstrated and documented the outstanding mechanical properties, Evonik will offer to its customers with- processing characteristics of VESTA- which are similar to those of human in the new PEEK Fusion product line KEEP® Fusion in injection molding. bone. Like all other PEEK-based, high- the development of further exclusive, Evonik’s polymer experts are also performance polymers for medical customer-specific materials with bio- studying the possibility of developing a technology applications, the newly de- active properties as so-called VESTA- 3D printable filament with VESTAKEEP® veloped biomaterial does not produce KEEP® Fusion Select products. They are Fusion for next-generation PEEK that any artifacts in imaging processes such developed from a library of established could be processed using the fused as X-ray or MRI. However, the additives osteoconductive substances with close filament fabrication (FFF) additive pro- provide a natural desired shadow for involvement with each customer. duction technology. accurate placement and observation Evonik has been the world’s leading of the fusion process. Excellent processing characteristics manufacturer of high-performance in injection molding polymers for medical technology appli- Consciously developed for processing cations for over 20 years. The specialty using a variety of production technolo- chemicals company offers an extensive gies, VESTAKEEP® Fusion will come both portfolio of biomaterials suitable for as a granulate and as a semifinished use in manufacturing medical devices stock-shape product. Like all previous intended for both temporary and long- PEEK products, it can be milled, compres- term contact with the body. Left, cells against virgin VESTAKEEP® sion molded, and extruded as usual. biomaterial; right, cells against Evonik’s new osteoconductive PEEK Evonik VESTAKEEP® Fusion biomaterial can also be injection www.evonik.com

www.smart-molding.com 29 machinery

ENGEL presents the next generation e-cap Even faster, even more stable, even more efficient: ENGEL presents the next generation of the all-electric e-cap injection moulding machine series for beverage caps. The production of 29/25 lightweight caps on a new e-cap 380 machine makes it clear how continuously increasing requirements can be combined with the shortest cycle times, the highest precision and lowest energy consumption.

NGEL set new standards with moulding machines at ENGEL, explains. 96-cavity mould by Plastisud. The shot the presentation of the first all- This is why the continuous further de- weight is 1.3 grams per cavity with a Eelectric e-cap injection mould- velopment of e-cap now is being inte- cycle time of less than 2 seconds. An ing machine at K 2010. Until then, hy- grated into a next generation machine. HDPE from Borealis/Borouge is pro- draulic machines using accumulators Continuous part weight reductions cessed. The system is equipped with for the injection movement were the play a central role. “For still water, camera-supported 100 percent qual- standard for the production of caps. caps with a weight of significantly less ity inspection by IMDvista and a dry The all-electric drive technology in this than one gram are produced today,” air system by Eisbär. Further system field of application was a revolution at says Mairhofer. “As a result, the cool- partners are Piovan, PackSys Global the time. To date, the e-cap is the most ing and cycle times have continued to and PSG. energy-efficient cap machine on the drop. Where the cycle times ten years The reinforced frame and the rein- market and at the same time the only ago were still 2.5 seconds, today's cap forced mould mounting platens on the high-performance machine tailored machines need to be able to produce new e-cap ensure excellent stability to the requirements of the caps and at 2-second intervals and faster.” When of the machine movements even with closures industry providing all-electric developing the new generation of ma- extremely short cycles and very small operation even with a clamping force chines, the main focus was therefore shot volumes. The result is outstand- range as high as 4,200 kN. With an av- both on performance and on stability. ing reproduction of surface detail and a erage ROI of less than two years, the The new e-cap achieves even faster maximum number of good parts. e-cap has quickly established itself mould opening and closing move- The fast dry cycle times of 1.3 sec- worldwide since its market launch. ments and is designed with an even onds with the e-cap 380, for example, more stable machine bed for more and the parallel movements included Highest dynamic performance frequent load cycles. in the standard right from the outset with frequent load changes make an important contribution to “Since 2010, the requirements for Ejector drives amplified with booster achieving cycle times of less than 2 beverage caps have changed substan- An e-cap 2440/380 is demonstrating seconds. Ejection occurs parallel to the tially”, as Friedrich Mairhofer, Prod- the series' new performance achieve- mould opening. What is new is that the uct Manager for all-electric injection ments by producing 29/25 caps in a ejectors can be amplified by a switch-

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Caps are becoming lighter and lighter, causing increasingly tough challenges for the injection moulding machine technology. (Pictures: ENGEL) able hydraulic booster on demand. This ensures that the machine operates with With extremely short cycle times of less than two seconds, the new e-cap the best possible efficiency both during ensures very high precision and repeatability. (Pictures: ENGEL) running production and during start-up after a production interruption. While between 0.8 and 1.4 g/10 min. Very reliably preventing the need for expen- the caps are not yet completely cooled short cycle times require particularly sive peak power. Thanks to the very high and very easy to demould during ejec- high plasticising rates. ENGEL has in- efficiency of the drives used, the e-cap tion in ongoing production, the ejec- creased the torque of the plasticising machines also only require a minimum tors have to apply more force in stop drive accordingly and developed both a of coolant. The e-cap 380, for example, situations to remove caps that have al- new plasticising screw and a new highly operates at high speed with a specific ready cooled down in the mould. Since wear-resistant sliding ring non-return energy consumption of 0.37 kWh per production interruptions are rare, it is valve specifically for cap manufacture. kilogram of pellets processed. more efficient to use servo-hydraulic Both products are part of the standard As a system supplier, ENGEL pre- drive amplification than to generally scope of supply of the new e-cap ma- cisely coordinates all the components equip the machine with more powerful chines. With its new design, the barrier of the production cell right from the ejector drives. High forces only when screw processes high viscosity HDPE in start of the project. “This allows us to they are actually needed – that is EN- a particularly gentle way, even given fully leverage the efficiency potential GEL's motto. high throughput levels, while ensuring throughout the entire production cell,” The new e-cap generation is offered a very good melting rate and homoge- as Mairhofer emphasises. with two different ejector drive tech- neity of the melt. This further contrib- The new e-cap is available in the sizes nologies. The machine works with utes to the high process stability and 220, 280, 380 and 420 with clamping hydraulic ejectors as standard. Servo- repeatability of e-cap machines. forces from 2,200 to 4,200 kN. electric drives are available as an op- tion, which require around ten percent Optimising energy consumption ENGEL less energy. across the entire system www.engelglobal.com Cleanliness and energy efficiency More powerful plasticising have been essential characteristics of unit for poor-flowing HDPE the series right from the outset. With The plasticising unit was completely an encapsulated toggle lever and a very redesigned in the course of the e-cap's clean linear guide of the moving plat- further development, as the properties en, the e-cap machines reliably meet of the materials to be processed have the requirements of strictly regulated also changed. The raw material manu- production in the food industry. facturers have adapted the materials The machines' all-electric drive tech- to the lower cap weights. For CSD (car- nology makes a major contribution to bonated soft drink) caps, the melt flow their outstanding energy efficiency. In index (MFI) of today's HDPE grades is addition, braking energy is recuperated,

www.smart-molding.com 31 machinery

World premiere of the all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE: Re-shuffling the cards in the PET market The all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE celebrates its world premiere. The first NETSTAL PET system featuring lateral removal offers full compatibility with existing side-entry molds and after-cooling stations. The all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE also impresses with a superlative output, excellent energy efficiency, optimized processing of PET recyclates and a new operating unit. Customers can now personally check out the benefits of the all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE through a variety of channels.

raussMaffei HighPerformance High performance for efficient screw design was developed for the launches the all-new NETSTAL and environmentally friendly high-performance, two-stage injection KPET-LINE: “By switching to side- production unit. Preform molders benefit from an entry we are re-shuffling the cards At first glance, the laterally posi- expansive process window and a ro- within the PET world. The NETSTAL tioned post-mold cooling station is bust plasticizing process during the brand is now also a perfect alternative the most obvious feature of the new processing of up to 100% rPET. Intru- for users whose production layout fo- preform system; however, a closer look sion and automatic metering ensure cuses on machines with lateral removal reveals numerous other optimizations. a homogeneous and consistent melt and who have a corresponding stock “The NETSTAL brand is a promise! Our quality, low AA values, minimal IV drop of injection molds,” explained Renzo customers expect us to provide high- and gentle material feed. Davatz, CEO of KraussMaffei HighPer- performance machines that they can formance AG. The all-new NETSTAL reliably, sustainably and successfully Maximum productivity PET-LINE offers full compatibility with work with for many years. Fully in line at minimum power utilization levels legacy side-entry molds and associ- with our value proposition, we have NETSTAL machines are equipped ated post-mold cooling stations. Kick- finely tuned the all-new PET-LINE to with toggle levers. This principle also ing off the new series is the machine deliver minimum operational and unit applies to the all-new NETSTAL PET- model equipped with a clamping force costs,” stressed Davatz. “The propor- LINE: Operating within the fully elec- of 4,000 kN and a 6000 injection unit tion of recycled PET will increase fur- tric driven clamping unit is a dynamic that consequently enables the use ther in the years to come. For this rea- 5-point dual toggle lever. At 1.9 sec- of molds with up to 128 cavities. The son our focus in terms of application is onds, the lock-to-lock time at 4,000 kN coming years will see the launch of fur- centered on the optimized processing of clamping force is below the magi- ther models to optimize coverage of all of rPET,” explained PET systems prod- cal 2-second mark. Annual output is common beverage applications. uct manager, Stefan Kleinfeld. A new increased further through the shorter

32 smart_molding international 2/2020 machinery

cycle times. “Thanks to the particularly smooth, high-precision kinematics of the clamping unit, reliable and mold- friendly operation is guaranteed under production conditions,” said Kleinfeld. The exceptionally robust design en- sures years of reliable continuous op- eration at high capacity and constant speed. All combined with the best en- ergy efficiency available on the market. “The preceding model with top entry was ultimately by far the most energy- efficient machine on the market. Now, with the all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE, we have once again succeeded in signifi- cantly reducing energy consumption. World premiere in the temporary showroom: Renzo Davatz (CEO KraussMaffei A development that is not only easy HighPerformance AG), Eric Overbeek (VP Sales) and Stefan Kleinfeld (Product on the pockets of our customers, but Manager PET Systems) present the all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE. also on the environment,” explained a delighted Kleinfeld. Removal can control. “During production, opera- The Corona pandemic has made the be equipped with up to 4 post-mold tion using SMART OPERATION always presentation of a new machine series cooling stations. The exceptionally follows the same principle, regardless enormously challenging. “Personal efficient interior and exterior cooling of the preform being manufactured. contact is an important factor in our guarantees a consistent premium and Preform production is consequently business. The planned launch event uniform preform quality. prepared and started using just two in Näfels with several hundred guests keys. Production operators can there- unfortunately had to be called off early Intuitive and reliable operation fore be quickly trained. “The volume on. Instead we have organized exclu- The new NETSTAL PET-LINE also sees of written process descriptions, check- sive presentations in Näfels and digital the world premiere of the latest gen- lists and instructions at the machine visits for all those customers and po- eration of aXos controller technology. is drastically reduced,” said Kleinfeld. tential customers who are unable to aXos 9 marries the former aXos design For customers that means a further travel to there,” explained Overbeek. with an innovative operation concept augmentation of production readiness The hybrid event is scheduled to cover that once again considerably increases and system availability. Development a period of three months. With imme- the level of user-friendliness. “The new of SMART OPERATION incorporated diate effect, the new NETSTAL PET-LINE operator panel comprises a central important insights gained from medi- and the specialist team from KraussMa- touchscreen flanked by haptic keys. cal injection molding applications. “In ffei HighPerformance AG are available Navigation between the individual set- medical technology, compliance with to carry out exclusive presentations tings occurs exclusively via the touch- certified manufacturing processes is in Näfels. Naturally all in compliance screen. In contrast, all the axial motion an essential criterion. SMART OPERA- with a comprehensive safety concept. is triggered exclusively via the haptic TION now also effectively prevents op- Alternatively, online meetings are also keys,” explained Kleinfeld. Experienced erational errors in PET applications,” possible in which even the demonstra- users will appreciate the advantage declared Kleinfeld. tion of a running machine can also be over pure touchscreen controlling as easily incorporated. the distinct feedback from the haptic World premiere keys simplifies blind operation with re- “Our customers benefit from NET- Preceding model available gard to the moving axes. STAL's decades of experience in the The existing NETSTAL PET-LINE with SMART OPERATION is a series fea- construction and utilization of PET sys- top entry is also still available on the ture on the new NETSTAL PET-LINE. tems. With the new NETSTAL PET-LINE, market. “As such, NETSTAL is the only Unveiled two years ago, the feature you get what is currently the most brand in the PET sector that has pre- comprises four keys that are used to powerful, environmentally-friendly form systems with side and top entry intuitively operate the system within and reliable preform system around,” in its portfolio,” emphasized Overbeek a production environment. Clear in- stated VP Sales at KraussMaffei High- as a final observation. formation and color indications en- Performance AG, Eric Overbeek, in KraussMaffei able simple, fast and reliable process highlighting the benefits. www.kraussmaffei.com

www.smart-molding.com 33 machinery Thermoplay unveils its new thermal hot-runner nozzle for direct side injection Molding Solutions, a strategic business unit within Barnes Group Inc., has expanded its portfolio of nozzles. In addition to the side valve gate nozzle “Edgeline” from Männer, Thermoplay will immediately offer a new, thermal side-gate nozzle.

The Thermoplay thermal side-gate TFS-Radial hot runner nozzle with 4 injection points (© Thermoplay)

Technology for safety and ease of installation A special feature of the linear side- gate TFS-Linear nozzle is its thermal ex- pansion compensation system in the longitudinal direction. The cylindrical sealed area between the nozzle tip and cavity ensures maximum reliability during the injection phase. The attachment system makes both the radial and linear version remark-

his new open side-gate TFS hot The Thermoplay thermal side-gate runner nozzle is available in ra- TFS-Linear hot runner nozzle with 4+4 Tdial or linear layouts (TFS-Ra- injection points (© Thermoplay) dial and TFS-Linear). The TFS nozzles are particularly suitable for injection 16 mm between injection points molded parts requiring a cosmetic in- The TFS-Linear comes equipped jection point as well as parts for which with 2+2 or 4+4 parallel nozzle tips, the optimal injection position is from with minimum injection point spac- the side – i.e., at a right angle to the ing of 16 mm. The radial design fea- direction that the mold opens. These tures hot runner nozzles with 1, 2, applications include syringes, caps, or 4 nozzle tips. Most commercially tubes, medical sharps, as well as per- available polymers (PP, HDPE, HIPS, sonal care, caps & closures, packaging PMMA, POM, PC, and many others) Model of a 16-cavity mold with products, electronic, and technical can be processed using the Thermo- 8 TFS-Radial with 2 injection points components. play TFS design. (© Thermoplay)

34 smart_molding international 2/2020 Get news updates and magazine alerts machinery Submit your e-mail to subscribe free www.smart-molding.com

Uniform temperature distribution Thermoplay sets high standards in the area of temperature homogene- ity. That is why special emphasis was given to the heating design in devel- oping the new side-gate thermal noz- Model of a 16-cavity tool with two A 16-cavity mold with two zle. Without exception, all patented TFS-Linear nozzles with 4+4 injection TFS-Linear with 4+4 injection points heating elements are developed and points (© Thermoplay) (© Thermoplay) manufactured by Thermoplay using their proven in-house process. Easy handling & safe production ably easy to install or remove rapidly. Direct connection The thermal side-gate TFS-Linear and The nozzle tips can be easily replaced delivers cost savings TFS-Radial nozzles from Thermoplay or maintained in the cold condition Direct side-gating means no sprue is simplify planning, design, and mainte- directly on the machine without dis- necessary, which eliminates the costs nance of compact molds. These noz- assembling the mold. First, the nozzle and efforts related to the removal of zles reflect the Thermoplay philosophy body is installed in the fixed-side (hot the sprue from the molded part for of supplying demanding mold makers half) mold plate, and the nozzle tips are disposal or recycling. Direct side-gat- with products that are efficient, safe, Get news updates and magazine alerts then inserted into the cavity. This pro- ing without a sprue provides genuine and easy to use. cedure also offers the advantage of ac- added value to the processor in terms Thermoplay Submit your e-mail to subscribe free commodating undivided mold inserts. of efficiency and handling. www.thermoplay.com www.smart-molding.com

Get news updates and magazine alerts Get news updates and magazine alerts Submit your e-mail to subscribe free Submit your e-mail to subscribe free www.smart-molding.com www.smart-molding.com

www.smart-molding.com 35 robots

Collaborative robot CRX-10iA Ideal partner in production

The new generation of collaborative lightweight robots from Speed depending on mode FANUC has arrived. After presenting the first prototypes of the In order to make the robot as flex- ible as possible, it can work in coop- CRX-10iA at IREX in Tokyo in December 2019, the company is now erative mode with a maximum speed bringing the first production units to Europe. From August 2020, of 1000 millimetres per second as well the slim white robot with a payload of 10 kilograms installed as in stand-alone mode with speeds of in FANUC showrooms throughout Europe. Delivery to the first up to 2000 millimetres per second. A customers will begin soon after. The key features of the CRX-10iA mode change is useful at night or on are its safety, ease of use and extremely high reliability. weekends, for example, when the ro- bot can carry out tasks alone without The FANUC developers have paid particular attention to the safety human workers around. A traffic light of the lightweight robot. The CRX-10iA stops moving with only system on the robot indicates the ac- very light contact with humans. If it hits a hard object, the robot tive mode. Additional safety sensors automatically backs away from it. Operators can also manually can be used to slow down the speed to push three axes of the robot away. The smooth and elegant design the permitted speed if a person comes also provides protection from pinching, making it an ideal partner within range. The CRX-10iA's ease of use starts with for production workers. The CRX-10iA is certified according to ISO installation. The robot, which weighs 10218-1 safety standard. only 40 kilograms, and the 20 kilogram

36 smart_molding international 2/2020 robots

selves and extend it with various ap- Factories on the Headquarters campus plication updates. For the adaptation in Oshino-mura, Yamanashi Prefecture of grippers, sensors or cameras, FANUC provides software development kits to enable quick and easy connection with third party accessories. The CRX-10iA also meets the highest quality standards in terms of reliability. For example, it meets the demanding IP67 industrial standard, which allows it to load and unload machines in which there is moisture. Even very fine dust particles, such as those produced by polishing applications, are no problem. The controller and tablet are designed to meet the IP54 industrial standard and are therefore also ideally suited for use in industrial production.

Service life FANUC will provide the same ex- cellent and comprehensive customer support for the CRX as for all its tradi- tional yellow robots. Two of the com- About FANUC pany’s most important principles are FANUC City is situated at the foot of Mount Fuji, near Lake Yamanaka. Covering “lifetime maintenance” and “service 1.7 million square metres, it is home to all FANUC's unique production facilities. It also first”. This means that FANUC stores includes 12 research and development centres, administration buildings, staff accom- sufficient spare parts even of discon- modation, leisure facilities and even a clinic for FANUC employees and their families. tinued products and keeps providing FANUC has consistently pursued the automation of factories since 1956, when service for all its products as long as it succeeded in the development of the SERVO mechanism for the first time in the customers continue to use them. The Japanese private sector. automation specialist maintains an ex- FANUC's business is comprised of three pillars of FA, ROBOT and ROBOMACHINE. tensive service and support network The FA business encompasses basic technologies, consisting of NCs (numerical con- worldwide, maintaining 264 locations trols), servos and lasers, which are also applied to the ROBOT and ROBOMACHINE servicing 108 countries. businesses. In addition, FANUC's flagship IoT product, "FIELD system," which is an The CRX-10iA comes in two ver- open platform, has been introduced as a new business. sions: a standard model with a range FANUC also offers services, with a policy for not terminating support of FANUC of 1249 millimetres and a long arm products as long as they are used by customers. model with a range of 1418 millime- Through such activities, FANUC contributes to the development of manufacturing tres. The long arm robot is designed industry in Japan and overseas, by promoting automation and efficiency in custom- so that it can swing its arm directly ers' factories. over its base. This enables it to pick up parts from a table in front of it, controller can be conveniently carried Professionals can change the inter- for example, and place them behind by hand to their place of use and set face at the touch of a button and have it on the table in a straight-line move- up. The new, intuitive touch panel has a traditional teach pendant displayed ment. In addition to palletizing tasks, a clearly laid out user interface with or, alternatively, connect an iPendant the CRX-10iA is ideally suited for au- graphic symbols, and programming to the CRX-10iA. With teach pendant tomating a wide range of tasks like is possible using the "drag and drop" mode and iPendant, even complex pro- screwdriving, welding, picking parts function. This allows even robot begin- gramming is possible. out of shelves or from conveyors and ners to create work programs in simple packing them into boxes or loading steps. To teach the robot the desired Regular software updates raw parts into a CNC machine and motion sequence, the operator can Another new feature is that custom- unloading them when finished. also manually guide the robot to the ers will in future be able to update the FANUC appropriate points. software of the FANUC robot them- www.fanuc.co.jp

www.smart-molding.com 37 robots Campetella intensifies IML performance with latest robot generation and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) support

An expert of the scene once said: "When times aren't easy, robotizing is safer, no matter the circumstances!” With a certain amount of interpretation this would mean: people should keep their hands off some critical applications - leave them to robots - in the fields of food, electronics, medical device and pharmaceutical technologies, aerospace, etc. Whenever it is hygienically indispensable, dangerous or complicated. Today and in the future, robots are the only workers who handle, complete and finish products more safely, reliably, persistently, sustainably, economically and quickly. Requirements: sensible use and precise programming.

ampetella Robotics Calling! Trade plastic yoghurt cups made of polypro- the conveyor to a storage box. An Om- visitors and media representa- pylene (PP). The robot is equipped with ron AMR (autonomous mobile robot) Ctives visited the 45-day open a quick and compact horizontal arm, takes care of transporting the boxes to house "Campetella Robotics Calling", responsible for very fast label insert- the finished goods warehouse. Full to which started on October 1, 2020. ing and product take-out operations. the warehouse ... empty back to the At the Campetella Robotic Center Srl A tilting axis guarantees a hygienic belt! The entire system is a four-cavity facilities in Montecassiano, Italy, two process which ends with the cups be- application with a total cycle time of special applications attracted the inter- ing stacked upside down with their no more than 2.0 seconds. The IMM est of trade visitors, also because they openings on the conveyor belt. An ad- interlock time is 0.6 seconds only. The are Industry 4.0 compliant. ditional advantage of the Mini-MODU- two Campetella robots work hand in LA is its extremely small footprint. As hand, thereby serving an Arburg All- Cup Championship if that was not enough, it cooperates rounder 570 H hybrid injection mould- An X-Series Mini-MODULA compact with the new X-Series CO1 Cartesian ing machine (an IMM with a clamping side-entry robot from Campetella is robot. Its electric servo axis is the right force of 1800 kN) and the inherent used for IML (In-Mould-Labelling) of hand to move the stacks of cups from four-cavity mould from Simon, France,

38 smart_molding international 2/2020 robots

ized by absolute precision, reliability, robustness, permanent load capacity Campetella intensifies IML and very high operational speed. Warm-up Lap performance with latest robot The first "Campetella Calling" day (October 1, 2020) began at 10:00 o’clock with a 25-minute multimedia generation and autonomous presentation about the company, its teams of experts, its competences and potential in the field of production mobile robot (AMR) support automation. For safety reasons the 40 visitors per day were divided into the smallest possible groups. The partici- pants thus experienced a guided tour through the workshops to understand IML application — the integrated system arm) robot grips the labelled stacks and how future-oriented robot designs quickly deposits them in a transport are generated, assembled and test- respectively. The renowned Italian la- box. Finally, another Omron AMR is in ed in practice. Moreover, the guests bel manufacturer Viappiani is respon- charge of storing the boxes filled with could witness the work of the two sible for the "L" in the IML. Cup coeffi- cheese spread tubs in the warehouse. IML systems. During this session and cients: height = 43 mm, diameter top = The entire automation system is used afterwards, Campetella’s experts were 73 mm, weight = 4 grams. in and on an Arburg 630 H hybrid in- available to the participants to answer jection moulding machine (IMM) with their various questions.Performance at Watching Perfection a clamping force of 2300 kN. Labelling Pole Position: "We have spent the past An X-Series MODULA high-speed takes place within a 4-second cycle and/ months bringing new robot develop- side-entry robot from Campetella is or an IMM interlock time of only 0.9 ments to series production readiness," the top solution for labelling plastic seconds. The polypropylene (PP) raw explains Elia Campetella, "The focus is cheese spread tubs in Bazigos' four- material treatment is carried out by on precision, speed, versatility, reliabil- cavity mould. Four Mevisco cameras Moretto ancillary equipment together ity, application-specific programmabil- monitor the product quality inline and with the centralized cooling systems for ity and safety." continuously. A very fast label feeder the event. Product parameters: length "Safety First!", adds Marco Marconi, with servo drive is used on the robot, = 132 mm, width = 89 mm, height = 33 Area Sales Manager, "this is an indis- which manages the 5-sided Viappiani mm, weight = 7.55 grams. pensable part of the 45 Campetella Call- labels. Here again, the tilting axis per- ing days: 40 registered guests per day, forms hygienic upside down stacking Magic Speed obligatory masks, social distancing, re- of the tubs on the conveyor belt. With Campetella has designed the robot served seats and more - to protect our its high payload reachability an X-Series components in lightweight construc- guests and our own teams." SPIN3 Scara (abbreviation for Selec- tion by making use of special mate- Campetella Robotic Center Srl tive Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, rials originating from the aerospace www.campetella.com which is a horizontal articulated-arm industry or from competition vehicle robot. Its structure resembles a human construction. The robots are character-

IML product — decorated yoghurt cups IML product 2 — labelled cheese spread tubs

www.smart-molding.com 39 Smartly designed with

easy-flowing polyamide Photo: Ford

Thermoplastics with easy-flowing properties are usually somewhat more expensive than comparable standard materials; however, they offer advantages that ultimately pay off in terms of processing, production costs and freedom of design. This can be seen in the highly integrated bolster produced in plastic-metal composite technology (hybrid technology) for the Ford Kuga SUV. In addition to steel panels, the production of the highly loaded structural component includes polyamide 6, the easy-flowing, fiberglass-reinforced Durethan BKV30H2.0EF from LANXESS.

lrich Dajek, hybrid design ex- Four integrated active grille shutters load requirements are met. At the same pert at LANXESS, explains: “Our The bolster houses an actively control- time, they have ensured that the entire Ueasy-flowing polyamide 6 can lable unit consisting of four active grille front-end module can be produced in be processed at lower injection pres- shutters that ensure a demand-oriented different region-specific versions in sures. For this reason, smaller injection supply of air to the engine cooling sys- an automated high-volume process in molding machines with lower clamping tem. The bolster contains reinforcing a cost-efficient manner,” comments forces can be used in the production of metal inserts at the sides and in the up- Horst-Dieter Haltrich, Product Develop- the hybrid bolster. This has a positive per chord. The latter accommodates the ment Team Leader at Montaplast. effect on the machine running costs highly loaded hood latch. The main task and allows greater flexibility in terms of the hybrid design is to support the Direct threaded connections of machine selection and production cooling systems and hold them in po- with greater stability thanks planning.” sition. Numerous additional functions to polyamide 6 The bolster and the fully assembled are also integrated in the bolster – such As a plastic component for the hy- front-end module were developed and as guides, mounts for the adjustment brid bolster, polyamide 6 has two main are produced by Montaplast GmbH, a drive and fasteners. “Our development advantages over the possible alterna- global system supplier of the automo- engineers have succeeded in integrat- tive material, polypropylene (PP). The tive industry, which has its headquar- ing all these elements, functions and first advantage is that the component ters in Morsbach, Germany. interfaces so that the functional and contains several direct threaded con-

40 smart_molding international 2/2020 raw materials

About LANXESS LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.8 billion in 2019. The company cur- rently has about 14,300 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manu- facturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. LANXESS is list- ed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good. nections; these are more cost-efficient than using additional metal inserts. The threaded connections designed using polyamide 6 are significantly more stable, have a longer service life The bolster houses an actively controllable unit consisting of four active grille and are more reliable than with PP. shutters that ensure a demand-oriented supply of air to the engine cooling system. The second advantage of polyamide Photo: LANXESS AG is that it withstands the thermal loads that arise when the grille shutters are the same fiberglass content, this re- bolster right up to the start of series closed, in contrast to PP. sults in an appreciable weight saving,” production. LANXESS also brought in according to Dajek. Due to the lower its HiAnt engineering service. In one of Easier to achieve filigree, filling pressure, another benefit of the several engineering studies, a compo- thin-walled component areas easy-flowing material is that compo- nent topology analysis was carried out Due to the high flowability of poly- nents with lower stresses can be pro- to provide suggestions for the design amide 6, component areas with filigree duced, minimizing the distortion. and position of the reinforcing poly- geometries can be designed with thin- amide ribs that took account of the rel- ner walls. “It was possible to reduce Extensive HiAnt services evant load cases. Various calculations the wall thickness by around 20% in Ford, Montaplast and LANXESS and simulations, such as analysing the the areas subject to lower loads. Com- worked closely together over the entire rigidity of the radiator mount and the pared to a standard polyamide 6 with development process for the hybrid dynamic stability and noise vibration harshness (NVH) of the bolster, were The bolster is also reinforced at the sides with metal inserts. Photo: LANXESS AG also highly challenging. The load-bear- ing capacity of the metal-reinforced latch area (hood latch) as well as sever- al insurance-relevant load cases – such as lower leg impact tests for pedestrian protection or the behavior of the over- all assembly in the case of minor colli- sions, e.g. knocks while parking – were also simulated. In addition, LANXESS carried out tests on the prototype and series-production part to the specifi- cations of Ford. Dajek: “For example, we allowed the complete assembly to ice up in a climatic chamber and tested the reliable opening and closing of the grille shutters.” LANXESS www.lanxess.com

www.smart-molding.com 41 periphery

Central material supply system for producing pharmaceutical grade packaging materials

Heinlein, a successful company based in the town of Ansbach in Franconia, Germany, produces a wide range of closures and dosing systems, some of which are patented and predominantly designed for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. When it came to expanding its production facilities, Heinlein opted for a modern and efficient material supply system from motan.

he company manufactures its it drew on its extensive experience from a total of twelve outdoor silos. products in controlled sterile en- with the material supply system al- All of these materials are 1 A pharma- Tvironments up to class 7 clean- ready installed in its existing produc- ceutical grade certified materials. The rooms and operates its injection tion hall when it came to selecting a old and new material supply systems moulding machines in conditions that material supply system. This hall con- are furthermore connected to each meet very high cleanliness standards. tains a central material supply system other, which makes for greater flex- This alone would be sufficient reason manufactured by motan-colortronic ibility and security. This is because, if to consider the use of a near dust-free that directly supplies 35 injection needed, the new and existing silos can central material supply system a must. moulding machines with material be used for supplying both the new However, the fact that a central material from ten outdoor silos. Based on the and the existing production halls. supply system also prevents the materi- company’s positive experience with The system was also equipped with a als, which are primarily supplied directly this system and its low maintenance loading station for bagged materials from the silos, are mixed up and the fact needs, Heinlein opted for yet another for processing small quantities, such that the automated system is highly ef- motan-colortronic system for taking as e.g. TPE or various special types of ficient, are also important points for the care of all of the materials handling polypropylene. company. in the new production hall. All of the system’s pipes – from When Heinlein built a new produc- The machines in its new hall are those leading from the silos to the au- tion hall for 20 injection moulding supplied with material – which pri- tomatic METROLINK distribution sta- machines with clamping forces of marily comprises polypropylene as tion to those leading to the machines between 250 and 2000 kilonewton, well as HD and LD polyethylenes – – are made of stainless steel and meet

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About Heinlein-Plastik-Technik GmbH Heinlein primarily specialises in multi-component and, in some cases, patented closures, dosing systems and drug administration devices. The company is currently also producing increasingly more complex products, such as tamper evident closures and/or child resistant closures and products in different colours. Heinlein predomi- nantly supplies pharmaceutical companies, companies producing homoeopathic remedies, lifestyle and chemical companies. The company employs around 160 staff and has production facilities occupying 16 thousand square metres. It currently exports over 60 percent of its products. Heinlein has tripled its output since 2008 and now produces up to 4,000,000 standard and custom-made closures a day over three shifts. The company is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 15378 and ISO 13485 and operates in line with the HACCP principles.

Heinlein’s high hygiene requirements. This means that there is zero risk that They were installed on predefined a machine could be supplied with the sections along the hall’s walls specifi- wrong material. The material supply cally designed and built to support system chosen by Heinlein takes up the entire supply infrastructure such very little space and has 2x10 material as power lines, compressed air pipes supply lines and 2x10 outgoing lines as well as cooling water supply and leading to the machines. In contrast to return pipes. other distribution stations, there is no The entire system revolves around need for switching any connections or the METROLINK – the distribution sta- emptying operations during conveying The de-dusting modules enable the use tion, which, once set up, automatically thanks to the permanent pre-defined of regrind without loss of quality. and without any risk of contamination material allocations in the METROLINK The dust is automatically separated into connects all of the relevant material system. the central filter in a separate room. supply system pipes with those of the Heinlein also turned to motan-col- (Image: motan-colortronic) relevant machines to be supplied. ortronic to meet its dosing needs and

The METROLINK distribution station comprises two units that are able to automatically fitted its machines with volumetric link ten incoming lines to ten outgoing lines respectively. The system has been designed MINIBLEND V disc dosing devices and in such a way that it can easily be expanded at any time. (Image: motan-colortronic) METRO G conveying hoppers with de- dusting modules as the final items on the material conveying lines. These de- vices are of various sizes in line with the relevant throughput volumes. The system’s two-component valves can be used to simply feed back any regrind material into the production process. The MINIBLEND V devices release the additives and colours into the base materials at the same time as they are drawn into the injection moulding machines. This means that there is no need for a mixer. The company has also ensured that there is capacity for future expansion: The entire material supply system can easily be expanded to supply 40 injec- tion moulding machines.

motan-colortronic www.motan-colortronic.com

www.smart-molding.com 43 3D printing AMT Launches PostProDP, an Automated De-powdering System for 3D Printing

move all the powder without damaging any of the parts. The PostProDP range complements AMT’s existing range of PostPro3D vapor smoothing machines and contributes to AMT’s vision of of- fering a full end to end post-processing workflow. Joseph Crabtree, CEO of AMT com- mented: “AMT’s vision is to develop fully automated safe and sustainable post-processing solutions to enable the industrial production of additively manu- factured parts at scale. We first achieved this with the successful commercializa- tion of the PostPro3D vapor smoothing system. De-powdering is the next key bottleneck in the post processing chain, and PostProDP goes a long way to miti- Additive Manufacturing Technologies Ltd (AMT), leader gate many of the current issues with in industrial automated post-processing solutions for additive cleaning AM parts. We are delighted to manufacturing (AM), and Leering Hengelo, internationally be partnering with industry experts Leer- recognized producer of blasting equipment for the metal ing on this industry critical mission.” and plastics processing industry, have partnered together to bring André Gaalman, CEO of Leering two new de-powdering systems called PostProDP and PostProDP commented: "Leering are experts in surface finishing with 80 years of expe- Pro to the market. rience in machine design and produc- tion for surface treatment. We export urrently, up to sixty percent of ionizing nozzles leave the parts com- our machines, branded Normfinish, the manufacturing costs of a 3D pletely powder free after blasting. This worldwide. The partnership with AMT Cprinted part are attributed to the unique design configuration allows for will allow us to strengthen each other’s highly manual steps of post processing a safer and more efficient user experi- positions in additive manufacturing the part after it has been printed. Cur- ence. The systems are equipped with and offer our joint customers globally rent de-powdering methods are costly a recipe-controlled PLC controller pre- the best solution for their post-pro- and time consuming. loaded with recipes for each common cessing needs. We’re excited to offer The PostProDP range has been specif- material combination, therefore offer- our customers each other’s solutions ically designed for the AM industry, and ing a truly plug and play solution. and bring a next generation of post- provides a standalone high throughput The PostProDP is 3D printer material processing solutions to the market.” industrial de-powdering solution. Both agonistic and works with all powder- PostProDP and PostProDP Pro have de-powdering machines are CE and based printer platforms including HP been tested with customers across ATEX certified. Differentiating features Multi Jet Fusion, EOS, and 3D Systems, Europe and the USA. The systems are include an internally located adjust- as well as a range of thermoplastic available to order now from AMT. able and removable tumble basket to polymers such as polyamides and elas- allow optimized part cleaning, as well as tomeric materials. The system can be Additive Manufacturing minimizing the fine particulate powder run with multiple medias, including Technologies (AMT) leakage after processing. Furthermore, steel balls, and takes 10 minutes to re- www.amtechnologies.com

44 smart_molding international 2/2020 mold design

and, of course, the safety of the user that comes with a perfect com- Precise and Quick ponent free of air entrapments or other defects. But also, a fast and resource-saving process design was Face Mask Production very important to us," says Sonntag about the requirements for the proj- With Virtual Molding ect and part. Starting in April, SIGMA Engineering, Arburg and many other Energy-Efficient and Resource-Saving Through Simulation partners joint forces to work on a new project against the spread There is no need to guess how the of the coronavirus. Now the production of injection molded masks mold reaches its thermal steady state. made of LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) is running at full speed. Since SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding was used to determine and optimize will precisely calculate the required injection points, pressure requirements, temperature distribution, number of cycles - the reliability of air entrapment, and the crosslinking of the LSR material. mass-production is secured. For an exact control of the temperature dis- tribution, the number of temperature IGMA Engineering GmbH (SIG- were able to simulate the layout of sensors in the mold was increased to MA) based in Aachen, Germany, the complete LSR mold within shortest six and their positions were optimized Sjoined a cross-company project time and optimized the mold design for based on the simulation results. This for a multifunctional face mask to help process-efficiency and robustness". allowed a focused regulation of the preventing the spread of the corona- heating cartridges. In addition, an opti- virus. More Than Just a Feasibility Study mal insulation of the mold reduced the "We noticed a high demand for pro- For a smooth production of the required energy to a minimum - energy tective masks from the public as well masks, Tobias Sonntag, project en- waste was avoided. as from our own employees, which gineer at SIGMA, used SIGMASOFT® SIGMA completed the project within made this project-cooperation highly Virtual Molding to evaluate the posi- 24 hours, from the mold setup to the welcome" says Thomas Klein, Manag- tion of the injection point, the venting filling calculations and the thermal lay- ing Director of SIGMA about the cur- system, and the thermal design even out. A total of four parts per cycle are in- rent situation. "Due to the successful before the mold was cut. The predic- jection molded at 180 °C from the non- and focused cooperation with partners tion of the process parameters and postcure LSR Elastosil LR 5040 supplied such as Arburg and Polar-Form we required curing time was also an im- by Wacker. The required symmetrical portant result of the simulation. temperature pattern of the four cavi- The fixed (left) and the moving platen "We examined a lot of different ties was first created and optimized in (right) at 180 °C after stabilization factors. But the focus was on com- a simulation using optimal insulation, within ten cycles ponent quality, optical properties six temperature sensors and regulatable heating cartridges, and then realized by Polar-Form in the mold construction. "To design a mold under pressure without component and process ref- erences is the strength of SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding" summarizes Thomas Klein. "The partners were under enor- mous pressure because everything had to run smoothly right away. We are highly pleased that the mold ran in the computer first and mistakes were avoided. This way, an efficient process was created very swiftly. Thanks to all partners for the joint success."

SIGMA Engineering GmbH www.sigmasoft.de

www.smart-molding.com 45 service

YiMES: Begin the Digital Transformation Journey

In today’s manufacturing industry, most enterprises have tion system integrates IoT, Cloud, Big established their own standardized, process-based production Data, AI, and other new generation ICT methods. But the real dilemma before us is the rising costs technologies to various professional tools, including order management, with production efficiency approaching a “ceiling.” Traditional, production management, quality optimized production methods become increasingly inadequate management, process management, to fulfill the ever-rising expectations of the market. production monitoring, energy con- sumption management, and mold management that fulfills the needs of n the face of these challenges, the production management excellence. small to medium sized enterprises in transformation toward digitaliza- Their products are well recognized by their digital and intelligent develop- Ition is imminent for the enterprises international buyers. However, with ment. world-wide. YIZUMI has launched the the continuous growth of its business, By offering a full range of services, YiMES intelligent manufacturing execu- bottlenecks in production manage- including PO fulfillment, pre-produc- tion system designed specially for the ment start to surface. tion preparation, output monitoring, small and medium-sized enterprises The difficulties on scheduling, ca- defect detection, finished goods ware- in the field of injection molding, die pacity statistics, efficiency statistics housing, and other processes, YiMES casting and rubber molding, aiming and other analysis requirements have system helps you to achieve a high to remove data silos, place the entire increased significantly. It is challeng- level of production control through- production process under control, and ing for the management to further out the entire process. It enables you provide customers with digital factory improve operational productivity. In to have standards before production, solutions. the words of Jianwen Niu, Director control during production, and product of the Intelligent Interconnection De- tracing after production to prevent and Full-process, Multi-level Digital Fac- partment of YIZUMI: “enterprises need remove defect products. tory Solutions new management tools and methods Upon the implementation of the YiMES What is the need for digital transfor- that allow to further enable the organi- intelligent manufacturing execution sys- mation in molding and casting enter- zation through information technology tem in 2018, the above mentioned Yi- prises? Take one of Yizumi’s customers and data-based measures”. zumi customer achieved 100% product as an example, after years of develop- To tackle problems encountered by quality tracing and 100% PO progress ment, they now own more than 40 ma- customers in the development of their system management after a short period chines. The company has strict quality organizational effectiveness, YIZUMI’s of time. The efficiency of equipment in- control requirements and strives for YiMES intelligent manufacturing execu- creased by more than 10%.

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YIZUMI YiMES intelligent manage the work floor through timely, Yi-CMS system can pick up parameters, manufacturing execution system is transparent and data-based reports. overlying pressures, temperature, speed, developed based on the Yi+ platform “YiMES provides customers with time, and position of each molding cycle a full-process and multi-level pro- fessional solution for digital factory, YiMES system is developed to meet helping customers to manage their According to Jianwen Niu, “The different needs of users at different pain points, improve quality, reduce data collected is comprehensive. We levels. For instance, workshop opera- cost, and increase productivity.” said understand what each parameter rep- tors can perform easy and simple op- Jianwen Niu. resents,” and more importantly, how to erations via PC or mobile phones while use these data after collection. “The production directors and supervisors Intelligent Process Management relationship between the process pa- are able to perform real-time monitor- Unlike traditional MES systems, the rameter of each mold opening/closing ing over scheduling and production YIZUMI YiMES intelligent manufacturing and the product yield will be the base progress, machine status, establish ef- execution system is developed based for YiMES to optimize the process in ficiency statistics and analysis as well on the Yi+ platform (YIZUMI Intelligent the future.” As Niu Jianwen said, with as carry out pre-production prepara- Equipment Industry Internet Platform). the collection of three years worth of tion for the complete value stream. It also support die casting cell integra- data on each mold opening and closing, At higher level, the management can tion with standardized communication YiMES can calculate which parameter protocols between die casting machine set will achieve the best yield possible. Machine operators can perform and peripherals. Cloud management of These parameters will then be recom- easy and simple operations all devices further reduces customers’ mended to customers. It not only will via PC or mobile phones. costs on implementation, operation and help the customers to improve their maintenance activities. production yield, but also to avoid Data collection has always been a machine downtime in case there is no headache for the injection molding machine adjustment specialist avail- enterprises. With a wide variety of able at the site. product types and equipment brands, Launched in 2018, YIZUMI’s YiMES the amount of production parameters intelligent manufacturing execution available is humongous. This makes system has significantly reduced the data collection and analysis particularly cost of digital transformation through difficult. As a platform specialized in in- its cloud-based services and created jection- and rubber molding as well as great excitement in the market. It has die casting processes, YIZUMI’s Yi+ has now been used in the fields of elec- its unique advantages. Its Yi-CMS sys- trical equipment, 3C, 5G, automobile, tem can pick up parameters, overlying packaging, and home appliances, pro- pressures, temperature, speed, time, viding customers with cost-effective and position of each molding cycle. Be- digital plant solutions. sides its benefits in improving injection molding processes, Yi-CMS may be ap- Guangdong Yizumi plied to die casting as well as rubber Precision Machinery injection molding processes. www.yizumi.com

www.smart-molding.com 47 service

Milacron unveils new M-Powered applications Milacron, a leading industrial technology company serving the Edward Jump, M-Powered IIoT Digital plastics processing industry, is announcing its latest data-driven Analytics Leader at Milacron. “In real- developments in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) predictive world applications, true maintenance requirements are based on many vari- capabilities available to M-Powered users later this year. ables. Through the adoption of ma- chine learning and advanced analytics -Powered is an industry-lead- against the cost of maintenance. This and AI, M-Powered can now monitor ing suite of IIoT applications was only possible by close collabora- signals of impending failure. When Mfor operators, managers, tion between our data scientist and the combined, these are key indicators and service technicians. The new ap- engineering team from Milacron. This that allow manufacturers to deploy plications take M-Powered predictive is a true milestone for the industry.” maintenance resources; improvements capabilities yet one step further. Focus- Predictive analytics provides unlim- accrue to manufacturing in the form of ing not just on point-failure prediction, ited pathways to leverage data science cost savings and added efficiency.” next-generation of machine learning to track machine condition and advise Three new applications are being algorithms are used to continuously operators on providing actionable adapted from extensive research and quantify the impact of wear-and-tear. knowledge when it comes to trigger- testing on Milacron machinery in hopes Three applications made available to ing maintenance actions. Three new to go beyond the typical break-fix meth- manufacturers beginning in June 2020 applications are being adapted from odology currently happening at scale in with the assistance of our data science extensive research and testing on Mila- injection molding and extrusion. partners, ei3. cron machinery in hopes to go beyond “Our data science team has crafted the typical break-fix methodology cur- Screw efficiency analysis algorithms that give operators valuable rently happening at scale in injection The plasticizing screw is an essential insights into the inner workings of the molding and extrusion. component that conveys a resin while Milacron machine; for the first time, “One of the most important move- generating and utilizing the mechani- it allows us to quantify the impact of ments in the last few decades is the cal and conductive energy necessary wear and tear as it progresses,” said evolution toward lean manufacturing. to melt the polymer and build a ho- Dr. Stefan Hild, Director of Data Sci- As manufacturers evaluate and reform mogenous melt necessary to mold an ence at ei3. “Operators can then take their operations to reduce waste, ef- acceptable part. With each unique smart decisions by weighing that cost ficiency can reach new heights,” said application, this highly engineered

48 smart_molding international 2/2020 service

component can be expensive and of- ten comes with a long lead time. As wear of this component occurs and the flight diameters of the screw begin to deteriorate, the screw’s ability to ef- ficiently convey material is reduced, consequently leading to increased re- covery time, energy consumption, and increased melt temperatures. As a result, productivity can be im- pacted as these conditions can trans- late into increased cycle times as well as potentially impacting part quality. For most manufacturers, wear occurs slowly and over a period of time, con- sequently, the deterioration of the pro- cess is also slow and over a period of time, therefore, making it oftentimes M-Powered is an industry-leading suite of IIoT applications for operators, difficult to immediately detect and Plasticizing screw efficiency analysis challenging to observe. managers, and service technicians Our patent-pending system adopts an innovative energy-based assess- tips are a high wear item that often ability. Like our screw analytics, this is ment to provide awareness in the pro- catches the brunt of the molding ap- an evolving machine learning process, cess. Its touch-free functions can yield plication but provides challenges to that accounts for distinct parts and op- insight on the screw’s health without understanding and actively measur- erator adjustments. adding sensors to the screw or barrel. ing wear-and-tear. This leading con- This allows M-Powered users to proac- tributor has a direct impact on pro- Efficiency report tively order a new screw and replace it cessing quality and repeatability, thus Intentional solutions can be derived before wear and tear has a great im- demands frequent replacement when from aggregated machine data and pact on each cycle. compared to other injection end com- quantified wear-and-tear for manufac- ponents. turers to summarize the operational ef- Fill case analysis M-Powered utilizes a proprietary ficiency of the machine to understand Another key component is the feed shot-by-shot multivariate analysis to the impact on energy cost shot by shot. screw tip, based on its essential role understand the state of the screw tip This resourceful application presents as the link between the machine and and indicate the effect of wear and tear the leading variables in a single plat- the mold, containing a check ring or on part quality, cycle time, and operat- form that increase the cost of produc- non-return valve critical to the mold- ing costs. This application will display tion such as increased heating energy, ing process. For manufacturers, screw and alarm when issues impact repeat- extruder or injection energy, cooling time or recovery. Using the application, operators can view a summary of their machine efficiency for Using the application, operators can each machine or their entire fleet in real-time view a summary of their machine ef- ficiency for each machine or their en- tire fleet in real-time. From this, costly offenders of cycle deviations can be corrected. Milacron’s goal is to reduce un- planned downtime by providing so- lutions to assess wear and tear and predicting failures proactively. This ensures plastics processors operate at the highest levels of cost efficiency, quality and sustainability.

Milacron www.milacron.com

www.smart-molding.com 49 technology exhibitionsexhibitions calendarcalendar

Chinaplas is the largest plastics and rubber trade fair in Asia and widely Chinaplas recognized by the industry as one of the most influential exhibitions in the world. 13-16 April 2021 The rapid development of science and technology has dramatically increased Shenzhen, China the range of applications of plastics and rubber in various manufacturing www.chinaplasonline.com sectors, including automobile, electronics and electrical appliances, information technology and telecommunication, building and construction and others.

Plast Plast is an international trade exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry, where interested visitors can get a complete overview of the latest developments 04-07 May 2021 in the industry from raw materials to finished products, from machinery to Milan, Italy services. Plast will coincide with the exhibitions Ipack-Ima, Grafitalia and www.plastonline.org Converflex that are dedicated to packaging, graphics and converting.

NPE is one of the world's largest trade fairs for plastics and plastics technology. It covers the entire spectrum of the plastics industry: from raw materials and NPE additives for the plastics manufacturing, plastics processing machines to 17-21 May 2021 plastic semi-finished and finished products. This makes NPE a must event for Orlando, USA companies in the plastics industry, that want to get information about new www.npe.org products and developments. NPE is also host of the largest technical conference of the industry and various special exhibitions.

Plastpol Plastpol is one of the largest exhibitions in Poland and Eastern Europe 25-28 May 2021 dedicated to the plastics industry. It features all areas of plastics processing Kielce, Poland beginning with the first stages of plastic production and finishing with its disposal www.targikielce.pl/en/ and recycling. Among the exhibits are plastics processing machines, moulds as plastpol well as a wide variety of plastics, recycling technologies and IT solutions.

Rosmould Rosmould is an international exhibition on manufacturing solutions of the 15- 17 June 2021 next generation organized by Messe Frankfurt RUS. Exhibition covers such Moscow, Russia groups as design and product development, additive technologies, moulds, die www.rosmould.ru moulds, stamps, materials, machinery and tooling.

Interplas is the UK’s largest plastics exhibition and the only UK event to cover Interplas all of the manufacturing processes, technologies and services within the plastics 29 June - 01 July 2021 industry. Held triennially Interplas showcases hundreds of exhibitors, the event Birmingham, UK features a wide range of technologies including injection moulding, rotational www.interplasuk.com moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, film extrusion, recycling, materials and design.

Equiplast The Equiplast is a specialized trade fair in the field of plastic manufacturing. 14-18 September 2021 It is a meeting ground for manufacturers from Europe and South America. The Barcelona, Spain Equiplast shows technical innovations and innovations of plastic and rubber production. www.equiplast.com

Taipei Plas Taipei Plas is a biennal international exhibition for plastics and rubber 28 September - 02 technology. You can see every facet of production, meet company representatives October 2021 and industry professionals from across Asia and check out the vast array of Taipei, Taiwan breakthrough processing machinery, parts, finished products and materials. www.taipeiplas.com.tw

50 smart_molding international 2/2020 2021 everything about smart molding technologies Planning Calendar 2021 Issue No. Close date Topics Trade Shows 1/2021 Ed. close date 30.11.2020 Ad. close date 07.12.2020 Polymer industry on the anti-COVID frontline Interplastica • 26.01-29.01.2021 Public date 04.01.2021 2/2021 Ed. close date 28.01.2021 IML and IMD make the packaging brighter • Ad. close date 12.02.2021 Chinaplas 13.04-16.04.2021 Automotive industry: survival through Plast • 04.05-07.05.2021 Public date 01.03.2021 innovation 3/2021 Ed. close date 04.03.2021 Injection Molds: at the very heart of the process NPE • 17.05-21.05.2021 Ad. close date 18.03.2021 Moulding Expo Injection molding specialties for the • 08.06-11.06.2021 Public date 13.04.2021 packaging sector 4/2021

Ed. close date 18.08.2021 Additive manufacturing in the ascendant Fakuma • 10.10 -16.10.2021 Ad. close date 08.09.2021 Hot runner topic Formnext Public date 17.09.2021 of the day • November 2021

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