The ARBURG Magazine Issue 57 2015 CONTENTS

The ARBURG magazine issue 57 2015 CONTENTS

4 Technology Days 2015: Efficient 9 ARBURG Packaging Days: Interna- 12 ARaymond: Energy Efficiency Award production with ALLROUNDERs and tional trade visitors impressed winner focuses on international environ- freeformers mental guidelines

6 uvex safety group: Multi-compo- 10 ARBURG Plastic Freeforming: Plas- 14 Derjin: Global cosmetics industry nent technology makes safety glasses tics processors exploit new possibilities player values precision and productivity of flexible, comfortable and safe ALLROUNDERs

16 Cooperation project: H&B Elec- 20 New micro injection unit: Inte- 24 Philips Avent: Fully automated pro- tronic pools expertise with ARBURG and grated in automated system solution duction of baby bottles and LSR teats fpt Robotik

18 Service contracts: Regular check for 22 ARBURG China: Ongoing service 26 Tech Talk: SELOGICA “Part status” ALLROUNDERs network expansion brings services to function simplifies start-up of complex customers’ doorstep process sequences

IMPRESSUM

today, the ARBURG magazine, issue 57/2015 Flexible, comfortable and safe: Reprints – including excerpts – may be made with permission only thanks to multi-component technology Responsible: Dr. Christoph Schumacher from ARBURG, uvex i-3 safety glasses Editorial advisory board: Heinz Gaub, Oliver Giesen, Juliane Hehl, are pleasant to wear and can be adapted Martin Hoyer, Jürgen Peters, Bernd Schmid, Jürgen Schray, Wolfgang Umbrecht, to any face shape. Dr. Thomas Walther, Renate Würth Editorial team: Uwe Becker (text), Andreas Bieber (photos), Dr. Bettina Keck (text), Markus Mertmann (photos), Susanne Palm (text), Oliver Schäfer (text), Peter Zipfel (layout) Editorial address: ARBURG GmbH + Co KG, Postfach 1109, 72286 Lossburg, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 7446 33-3149, Fax: +49 (0) 7446 33-3413 E-mail: [email protected], www.arburg.com

2 today 57/2015 EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

Strong partnerships play an ucts and ourselves in the injection moulding sector.

essential role for a successful Various examples from the field of micro injection

future. They allow us to pool moulding, LSR processing, automation solutions and

areas of expertise, achieve service show you just how important strong coope

efficient solutions and, in rations are. many cases, break new ground. Platforms for maintaining cooperative ventures and ex-

Impressive proof of this is provided by the freeformer – changing experiences are equally important. We pro- our completely new system for industrial additive manu vide opportunities of this kind with events such as the facturing. From the development phase onwards, we ARBURG Packaging Days in November 2014 and the were assisted by Festo, a competent partner in practical ARBURG Technology Days in March 2015, which we matters. And during the further development, we also also report on in the present edition of the “today”. took account of feedback from customers. Their initial experiences are presented in this issue. We are delight- I hope you enjoy reading our new issue. ed to report that feedback is thoroughly positive. Also very pleasing is the fact that we were able to very quickly acquire expert status in what is still a new sector for us. Accordingly, as an exclusive partner at the Hanover

Fair 2015, ARBURG will present the highlight of the

Additive Manufacturing Plaza.

We are of course also continuously evolving our prod- Renate Keinath Managing Partner

today 57/2015 3 OUR COMPANY

Efficiency in all its aspects Technology Days 2015: Efficient production with ALLROUNDERs and freeformers

or 15 years now, the ARBURG will shed light in detail on the various A total of five freeformers will represent Technology Days have been aspects of cost-effective production. the spectrum of additive manufacturing. F a must for the international These machines will manufacture single plastics industry. Every year, thou- More than 40 ALLROUNDERs and two-component parts with and with- sands of experts from around and freeformers out supporting structures and will also be the globe make their way to used to individualise moulded parts. Lossburg to bring themselves The entire production spectrum of up to date and take home val- ALLROUNDER injection moulding ma- Efficiency Arena covers uable inspiration for their own chines and their potential for the various entire value-added chain production. In 2015, new impulses industries, applications and processes will will be provided by more than 40 be presented. Also on show will be a va- The combination of the injection exhibits, specialist presentations, riety of automation solutions and turn- moulding and additive manufacturing pro- the Efficiency Arena and talks with key systems. Innovations on display will cesses and the practical implementation of the ARBURG experts. for example include the ARBURG system “Industry 4.0” is the central focus of the solution for micro components featuring Efficiency Arena. Here, the ARBURG host The important topic of “produc- the new micro injection unit (see page 20) computer system plays a key role. First, an tion efficiency” will be the main fo- and a new foaming process in which the individualised pair of office scissors is pro- cus of this four-day event from 11 to gas is added to the granulate already. This duced. After injection moulding, a unique 14 March 2015. More than 40 exhib- process is also interesting for smaller ma- code is applied by laser, via which the pro- its and five specialist presentations chines thanks to its simplified technology. duction data can be called up online. Using

4 today 57/2015 OUR COMPANY

Efficiency in all its aspects Technology Days 2015: Efficient production with ALLROUNDERs and freeformers

Film Office scissors

International trade experts find out all about the industry trends at the Technology Days (photo, left). These include the combination of injection moulding and additive manufacturing, for example, as demonstrated by individualised office scissors (photos, right).

these office scissors as an example, ARBURG, together freeformers worldwide with partners, demonstrates the optimisation potential for efficient Furthermore, cus- In the first half of 2015, the plastic parts production throughout tomers will report freeformer can be seen at the the entire value-added chain: from on how ARBURG as a following trade fairs, among others: product design to mould, machine and project partner can help peripherals, including their configuration, them achieve efficient pro- • NPE, 23 - 27/3/2015, Orlando, USA through to process integration, process duction from the product development • Hanover Fair, 13 - 17/4/2015, control and production planning. phase onwards. Hanover, Germany • Elmia Polymer, 21 - 24/4/2015, Fascinating specialist presentations Jönköping, Sweden • Plast, 5 - 9/5/2015, Milan, Italy Complementing the exhibits at the • Chinaplas, 20 - 23/5/2015, Technology Days, the specialist presenta- Guangzhou, China tions will enter into greater detail. They will • Plastpol, 26 - 29/5/2015, present the potential of additive manu- Kielce, Poland facturing, various measures for reducing unit costs and innovative lightweight construction processes for foamed products.

today 57/2015 5 CUSTOMER REPORT

A perfectly clear vi ew uvex safety group: Multi-component technology makes safety glasses flexible, comfortable and safe

he name uvex is synonymous tion glasses are all produced under one with safety. In accordance roof. A total of several million high-quality T with its slogan, “protecting safety glasses leave the factory each year people”, the Group develops, pro- and are primarily used in the automotive, duces and sells products and servic- chemical and mining industries. Besides es for keeping people safe and pro- Germany, major sales markets include the tected in the areas of sport, leisure United Kingdom, France, Australia and and work. The uvex safety group is South Africa. concerned with the area of work and runs an eye protection compe- Safety glasses meeting the most tence centre at its location in Fürth, stringent requirements Northern Bavaria. One of the prod - uct highlights in this sector are the The characteristics of the safety uvex i-3 safety glasses, which have glasses differ, depending on the re- won several awards and whose quirements and area of application. multi-component injection moulding high-quality frame is produced on a Suitable coatings on the plastic lenses, machines from ARBURG. three-component ALLROUNDER. which can be different on the outside and inside, make the goggles scratch- Top-of-the-range uvex i-3 produced uvex is well known around the globe, resistant, anti-fog, resistant to chem- on multi-component ALLROUNDER above all as a partner for internation- icals, antistatic and/or anti-reflective, al top-level sports and as a supplier of offer a nano cleaning effect and protect The uvex i-3 safety glasses are the equipment to many top athletes. The uvex the wearer from UV and/or IR radiation. top-of-the-range product in their seg- sports group’s portfolio includes helmets uvex enjoys superior expertise in this ment. Their frame, including the hinges and goggles for winter sports, cycling and field: not only are the high-end coating for the side arms, is produced on a hydrau- horse riding. However, more than 70% of lines developed and produced in-house, lic three-component ALLROUNDER 570 S uvex’s turnover is earned by the uvex safe- but the coatings themselves as well. with a clamping force of 2,200 kN and ty group with its comprehensive range of The mechanical and optical properties injection units in sizes 170 (horizontal), personal protective equipment of the safety glasses are continuously 170 (vertical) and 70 (45 degrees). tested in the company’s own test lab- All three are equipped with pneumatic Eye protection competence centre oratory and must exceed the require- needle-type shut-off nozzles. ments of the relevant quality standards The 2+2 cavity mould with hydraulic ro- The basis for expertise and success is by a considerable margin. tary unit turns through 180 degrees each an emphasis on the latest technologies, The same applies to the frame. Here, cycle. In the upper stations, two main high safety standards, professional quality key factors are a good and secure fit as bodies are produced from a hard PC/TPU management and production in Germany. well as high wearing comfort. In many blend that is injected vertically. After ro- In Fürth, the uvex safety group operates a models, these are ensured by TPE com- tation, the horizontal injection unit adds unique eye protection competence centre ponents in the nose and forehead areas the soft TPE components. The third unit where safety goggles and glasses, pre- and on the side arms. uvex manufac- simultaneously injects a PA, producing scription safety glasses and laser protec- tures frames of this kind exclusively on the hinge by means of assembly injection

6 today 57/2015 A perfectly clear vi ew uvex safety group: Multi-component technology makes safety glasses flexible, comfortable and safe

uvex i-3 safety glasses are pleasant to wear and can be adapted to a wide variety of face shapes. The side arms feature five detent positions to allow individual adjustment, providing optimum eye coverage. CUSTOMER REPORT

Photos: uvex

moulding. Shrinkage of the material en The frame of the uvex i-3 is produced on a three- ables the hinge to move. component ALLROUNDER (photo, top right). In the 2+2 In this sophisticated production task, cavity rotary mould (photo, top left) the two white main the advantages of the SELOGICA ma- bodies are first moulded. Next, the green soft compo- chine control system can be exploited nents and red hinge for variable side arm adjustment to the full. It controls all three injec- (photo, centre) are produced simultaneously. tion units, four core pulls for rotating the mould and other mould functions, 15 heating control circuits and monitors the temperature control unit.

Modular machine technology INFOBOX for a modular product virtually anyone, regardless of the shape of their face. Moreover, the so-called variable Name: uvex safety group “With ARBURG as the expert in the side arm inclination features five detent po- Group: UVEX WINTER HOLDING field of multi-component injection mould- sitions which enable the side arms to be in- GmbH & Co. KG, comprising the com- ing, you not only get first-class technol- dividually adjusted, ensuring optimum eye panies uvex safety group, uvex sports ogy, but also expert advice, whether for coverage. group (uvex sports and Alpina) and the specific machine configuration or for Filtral; a total of 42 subsidiaries in optimising the process,” says Norbert Product of the Year 19 countries Otzelberger, Production Manager of SBU Founded: In 1926 as a family-run Eyewear Protection at uvex, describing For the above reasons, the uvex i-3 company and currently managed by the teamwork that has been in place since has already scooped up several awards, the third generation 1982. He adds: “This example shows how, including “Product of the Year” from the Turnover: 260.9 million euros (safety thanks to the modular ALLROUNDER pro-K Plastics Industry Association in 2012. group), 365 million euros (Holding) in product range, an injection moulding ma- “These safety glasses are a safety product the 2013/14 financial year chine can be precisely designed for the with the appearance of a lifestyle article,” Employees: Approx. 1,300 (safety process and the product.” Consequently, was the verdict from the distinguished group), 2,250 (Holding), of whom he goes on to explain, the three-compo- pro-K jury comprising experts from indus- around two thirds in Germany nent ALLROUNDER and the product it try, design and consumer associations. Products: Safety glasses, ear protec- manufactures share the same advantages. tion, safety helmets, respirators, profes- The range of uvex i-3 safetyglasses is sional and protective clothing, safety also modular and offers eleven possible gloves, safety shoes with steel-toe caps colour combinations for the frame and four and personal protective clothing and different coating systems for the lenses. equipment Most of all, however, they impress with Machine fleet: 26 injection moulding their ergonomically ideal fit and individual machines, including 13 ALLROUNDERs in adaptability. Thanks to the soft TPE com- Fürth and two ALLROUNDERs in China ponent, the safety glasses are not only Contact: www.uvex-safety.de extremely pleasant to wear, they also fit

8 today 57/2015 OUR COMPANY

Trends live and in colour

ARBURG Packaging Days: International trade visitors impressed

he first ever “ARBURG of the plant and the opportunity for a Packaging Days” in November lively exchange of experiences. T 2014 were a resounding success. Some 220 invited guests and Typical packaging applications on eminent speakers took part in the ALLROUNDERs international packaging technology conference at our headquarters in “We showed well-known custom- Lossburg. The focus was on innova- ers and speakers in very practical terms tions, trends and the latest market how we’ve adapted our modular injec- developments. tion moulding technology to the specific requirements of the packaging “We’re delighted that so many experts industry in recent years,” said Andreas from more than 30 countries have come Reich, ARBURG Senior Sales Manager to Lossburg for the ‘ARBURG Packaging Packaging, summing up the event. At the “ARBURG Packaging Days 2015”, some Days 2014’,” said Managing Director Feedback on the “Packaging” version of 220 international experts found out all about Sales, Helmut Heinson. Topics such as ma- the hybrid ALLROUNDERs was thoroughly market trends and technical solutions in the chine availability, cycle times, service and positive, for example – or as speaker Kevin packaging industry (photo, top). The production spare parts supply are extremely impor- Chew, Technical Manager of Thai com- of thin-walled IML containers was one of the tant in the packaging industry. All of these pany Apex Plastech, put it: “We’ve been applications presented (photo, bottom). aspects of production efficiency were ex- using injection moulding machines from amined in detail during the international ARBURG for the past three years and have conference. already become great fans.”

Trends and innovative solutions

The guests were just as impressed with the specialist presentations on market trends as they were by the innovative live presentations on the cost-efficient Film production of thin-walled containers, clo- sures and other packaging items. The conference was rounded off by an evening event at the Customer Center, tours Fantastic results! ARBURG Plastic Freefor ming: Plastics processors exploit new possibilities

n early 2014, pilot customers in Germany received the first free- Iformers for additive manufacturing. Since then, they have gath- ered extensive practical experience with ARBURG Plastic Freeforming. ARBURG incorporates this feedback in its ongoing development activities.

All pilot customers agree on one thing: with the freeformer, ARBURG has opened the door to a very promising technology that is worth developing further in order to exploit even greater potential from additive manufacturing in the future.

Example: Dreusicke

“On the first day of the K 2013 trade fair, I read in a blog that ARBURG had developed a new system for additive manu-

The freeformer (photo, right) produces functioning bellows made from TPU and vacuum grippers in a hard/soft combination (photos, top right, from left to right). fischerwerke manufactures wall plugs in high volumes using injection moulding and functional samples using an additive process (photo, top, from left to right). PRODUCT

Fantastic results! ARBURG Plastic Freefor ming: Plastics processors exploit new possibilities

facturing based on standard granulates. Kleinfeld before giving the following advice their own sample moulds or purchased I immediately ordered a machine ‘blind’,” to potential service providers: “Get on board them from suppliers. With the freeformer, explains Thomas Dreusicke, Managing and help develop this extremely innovative the company has become actively involved Partner of the Dreusicke Group. The compa- machine, which we are sure to hear a great in additive manufacturing, with the aim of ny has already been a customer of ARBURG deal more about in the future.” producing predominantly design and func- since the 1960s and operates a total of tional samples in the early stages of the 72 ALLROUNDER injection moulding ma- Example: Hofmann product creation process. “For me, the big chines for the high-volume production of advantage of ARBURG Plastic Freeforming plastic products. The company’s “additive This was also clear to the Robert is being able to produce new design sam- manufacturing” activities began in 2010. Hofmann company. It has worked in the ples in various original materials and the re- Dreusicke employs the freeformer for the rapid prototyping field since 1991 and quired colour virtually overnight. The 5-axis production of prototypes and small batches, has therefore collected extensive experi- part carrier that ARBURG is going to offer including gripper hands with internal vacu- ence the selective laser sintering (SLS) and in future is also interesting, particularly for um lines for removal devices, for example. stereo lithography (STL) processes for addi- our long, thin components,” says Michael tive manufacturing. The latest newcomer Weisshaar, whose job at fischerwerke in- Example: Hachtel is ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (AKF). “We volves the development of plastic fastening want to use the freeformer for rapid man- systems. “Currently, we mostly use ABS. Hachtel Werkzeugbau has also been ufacturing, i.e. for the additive manufac- However, we’re working on qualifying working with ALLROUNDERs for decades. turing of fully functional parts,” says Peter PA 6 and other materials because we They found out about the freeformer in the Mischke, Head of the Rapid Prototyping want to use the same standard granulates trade press and at trade fairs. The decision to department at Hofmann. “Our focus is for additive manufacturing as for high- purchase was relatively simple, “because the on industrial applications using a wide va- volume injection moulding.” fischerwerke freeformer was developed from the point- riety of plastics. We still have plans where has already been using ALLROUNDERs for of-view of a machine manufacturer and material qualification is concerned - an area injection moulding at its production sites in therefore offers process reliability and an in which ARBURG is very active.” Its wish Tumlingen und Horb for decades. easy to use control system. Preliminary tri- list for ARBURG includes faster construction als jointly with ARBURG were also extremely times and further optimisation of software positive,” affirms Andreas Kleinfeld, Sales processing. “At the moment, we’re get- Manager at Hachtel. “We’ve been working ting to grips with the process in detail and with additive manufacturing for just under building up our expertise in ARBURG Plastic two years. With the freeformer, we’re now Freeforming,” explains Peter Mischke. “We able to create two new jobs.” The com- have no doubt that ARBURG’s committed pany’s objective is clear: to produce small Freeformer department will succeed in ex- batches from all possible standard materials ploiting the full potential of this technology, purely using rapid prototyping. “In addition even if a bit of homework is still required.” to injection moulding and additive manufacturing, our company also has a 3D comput- Example: fischerwerke ed to mo graphy department, which provides us with a suitable qualification system for fischerwerke, renowned the world over analysing parts and further enhancing the for their wall plugs among other products, construction processes,” explains Andreas previously manufactured prototypes using

today 57/2015 11 Worldwide responsibility ARaymond: Award winner focuses on international environmental guidelines

ARaymond, winner of the ARBURG Energy Efficiency Award 2015, is a global leader for clip fasteners in the automotive industry. Its product portfolio includes, for example, connectors for headlight cleaning systems. AWARD Worldwide responsibility ARaymond: Award winner focuses on international environmental guidelines

Raymond is one of the Antoine Raymond, CEO of the ARaymond One result of this energy efficien- world’s market leaders in network and great-great-grandson of the cy drive is certification of ARaymond A clip fasteners for the auto- company founder, emphasises: “Energy Germany’s energy management system motive industry. Based on inter- has always been a precious resource. to DIN EN ISO 50001. This helps to make nal environmental guidelines, the Hence, environmental protection and en- energy requirements systematically and French family-owned company pro- ergy efficiency have played an extremely continuously more transparent, enabling motes environmental protection at important role for the last decade and are the causes of energy costs to be identified all 37 of its independent companies. promoted on a worldwide basis. Since and optimised. In a move designed to reduce energy 2011, we have had our own internal envi- requirements, for example, the com- ronmental guidelines that apply to all our Motivated by Energy Efficiency pany invests primarily in fully electric international, independent companies. Award injection moulding machines. In recog- All our environmental officers meet every nition of its exceptional global activi- year for an international environmental The award from ARBURG is a mile- ties, ARaymond has been selected as conference, where they present their local stone in the company’s global activities, the recipient of the ARBURG Energy environmental protection campaigns and as Antoine Raymond emphasises: “For us, Efficiency Award 2015. exchange experiences.” the ARBURG Energy Efficiency Award 2015 As a result of the global workshops, represents important and encouraging rec- ARaymond has been developing, ARaymond has set itself ambitious targets ognition of our consistent implementation producing and selling fastening and and is focusing on two principal tasks: of our global energy efficiency targets.” mounting systems since its establishment reducing energy requirements and cutting in Grenoble, France, in 1865. Today, the raw material consumption. plastic, metal and hybrid parts it produces can be found in millions of cars worldwide: Comprehensive package of measures in both interior and exterior trims, in the drive system, in the cable routing, in ther- In order to achieve these targets, the mal management and in fluid handling. company is investing in a number of pro- Plastics processing is one of the key jects worldwide, such as systems for utilis- INFOBOX areas of expertise of the company, ing rainwater and for automated building which has been collaborating with lighting. New buildings will increasingly be Name: ARaymond ARBURG since back in 1959. Currently, constructed according to LEED principles Founded: 1865 in Grenoble, France some 250 ALLROUNDER machines are in (“Leadership in Energy and Environmental Group: 37 independent companies operation at the company’s production Design” is a US system for classifying sus- worldwide with 22 production locations plants in China, Germany, France, India, tainable buildings) and will be certified ac- Products: Fastening and mounting Italy, Turkey the Czech Republic and the US. cordingly. The Group’s new headquarters systems A freeformer for additive manufacturing in Grenoble, which opened for business in Industries: Principally the automotive was added in autumn 2014. 2014, is an outstanding example of this. sector, as well as the truck, industrial, In order to increase energy efficiency in energy, agriculture and life science Global environmental protection injection moulding production, the focus markets is on reducing heat losses through insula- Machine fleet: More than 600 injec- The family-owned company pursues tion and the use of energy-efficient hybrid tion moulding machines, including a straightforward strategy both with re- and electric injection moulding machines. some 250 ALLROUNDERs with gard to its product portfolio and in rela- Further examples include energy-efficient clamping forces from 500 to 5,000 kN; tion to the daily values it practises, which cooling systems, the utilisation of the one freeformer are based on “respect for our fellow waste heat from the compressors and the Contact: www.araymond.com human beings and for the environment”. reduction of compressed air leaks.

today 57/2015 13 CUSTOMER REPORT

A perfect appearan ce Derjin: Global cosmetics industry player values precision and productivity of ALLROUNDERs

nyone using pump sprays, competitive prices. Derjin supports its of more complex packaging for cos- mascara or creams for their customers as a project partner, from de- metic products such as spray pumps, A good looks has no doubt velopment and product design, mould the requirements in terms of machine unwittingly come across Derjin. As construction and all facets of production, technology have grown significantly. A one of the world’s largest manufac- through to logistics processing, including spray pump comprises multiple individual turers, the company produces flacons, packaging and on-time delivery. components. In order to assemble these pots, jars and spray pumps for many with accuracy during the downstream of the major beauty companies such Spray pump requires high precision assembly operations, the manufacturing as Nuskin, Hanhoo, Mentholathum tolerances are extremely tight at +/- 0.05 and Avon. The company’s subsidiary The company has cooperated with millimetres on average. The high pre- Derjin (Shanghai) Plastic Packaging ARBURG since 2011 and has procured cision, repetition accuracy and process Co., Ltd. specialises in the production 31 ALLROUNDERs from the S and H se- stability of the ALLROUNDERs convinced of the pump components. For this ries during this time. Joe Wang, CEO of us to opt for ARBURG as a partner for purpose, high-precision, high-perfor- Derjin, explains: “With the realignment this challenging product segment. mance injection moulding systems are of our portfolio towards the production The hybrid ALLROUNDER H machines required. ALLROUNDER machines sat- also provide a high level of en- isfy these high production standards. ergy efficiency and speed in the mass production of parts. The Derjin (Shanghai) Plastic Packaging Co., option of using extended closing Ltd. is one of the world’s largest manufac- strokes, which enables us to also turers of precision parts and packaging for employ stack moulds, is an impor- the cosmetics and bodycare industry. The tant factor for us moving forwards. company’s leading position is the result It allows us to of a combination of fully meet high-quality, inno- future require- vative products and ments regar- CUSTOMER REPORT

A perfect appearan ce Derjin: Global cosmetics industry player values precision and productivity of ALLROUNDERs

Film Photos: Derjin Derjin

High-quality cosmetics packaging are very satisfied with the training cours- Excellent cooperation: At the anniversary (photo, left) is produced by Derjin in es, as one of them explains: “Thanks to celebration “Ten Years of ARBURG Shanghai on high-performance machines the training courses, we can fully ex- Shanghai” in 2014, Andrea Carta (right), from ARBURG (photo, top left). ploit the potential of our ALLROUNDERs ARBURG Overseas Sales Director, presents in everyday operation. Our employees an award to C.T. Wang, Chairman of Derjin are well versed in all the functions of (Shanghai) Plastic Packaging Co., Ltd. the SELOGICA control system, which ding the series manufacture of high- they’re delighted with. In order to test quality mass-produced items.” moulds with special functions such as core pulls, they therefore always use All-round support highly valued ALLROUNDERs. This is because they know full well that these machines are INFOBOX Moreover, the pre- and after-sales very much simpler to program and that service was a further important deciding they allow the quality of production to Name: Derjin (Shanghai) Plastic factor, as the CEO of Derjin emphasis- be monitored most effectively.” Packaging Co., Ltd. es: “In ARBURG, we have an excellent Founded: 1967 by C.T. Wang partner with a reliable team at their local Locations: Shanghai and Taiwan subsidiary. When we start a new project Turnover: 85 million RMB or introduce a new product, ARBURG (10 million euros) in 2014 has always helped us out with good ad- Employees: 500 in China, vice for the relevant application, both in 100 in Taiwan terms of application and mould technol- Production area: Currently ogy. The ARBURG team was also helpful around 40,000 square metres, for us in establishing contacts with our 212,000 square metres international mould manufacturers. We to be added in Jiangsu greatly appreciate this support.” Province in 2014/2015 Furthermore, ARBURG also leads the Contact: www.derjin.com field in terms of training. The technicians

today 57/2015 15 Expertise in complex matters Cooperation project: H&B Electronic pools expertise with ARBURG and fpt Robotik

omprehensive know-how, open tion. One advantage is that ARBURG also communication and physical creates complex turnkey systems. Where C proximity are the key factors six-axis robotic systems are involved, in the successful pooling of expertise KUKA’s system integrator fpt Robotik between three strong partners: H&B comes on board as a further partner. Electronic specialises in the production of complex hybrid components and, Three partners - one challenge in addition to an injection moulding plant, it also has in-house stamping The hybrid plug-in “Power-Connector” and mould construction shops. For the is a practical example of an engineering fully automated injection moulding of challenge that the three partners have connectors for the automotive indus- succeeded in jointly mastering. This com- try at its central production site in plex PBT part, which is used for the electric Deckenpfronn, Germany, the compa- steering system in a motor-vehicle engine ny relies on turnkey partner ARBURG compartment and has to be watertight, robotic systems takes place via the cen- and on the automation expertise of is manufactured in a production cell for tral SELOGICA control system. Thanks fpt Robotik. which ARBURG is the primary contractor to the “Part status” function (see page and bears overall responsibility. 26), the machines and robotic systems “ARBURG is open to new ideas, offers The system comprises two stamping always know the position of the inserts, reliable products that meet the most presses, a vertical two-component rotary pre-moulded parts and finished parts. demanding requirements and develops table machine and a testing cell with sev- innovative, customer-specific concepts,” eral stations. Handling is performed by a SELOGICA ensures high reliability says Helmut Gräther, Manager of Project total of three six-axis robotic systems fea- and Process Planning at H&B Electronic, turing the SELOGICA user interface, plus “For us, the priority is a reliable overall naming some of the traits the two family- two linear robotic systems traversing on a process – from removal of the stamped owned companies share in common. This cross head. parts through to the inspected finished is why they use solely ALLROUNDER ma- All communication between the product,” explains Helmut Gräther. “An chines in their injection moulding produc- stamping presses, ALLROUNDERs and all-embracing operating principle for the

16 today 57/2015 COOPERATION

H&B Electronic manufactures sophisticated automotive parts on a complex turnkey system (photos, left). Project Manager Helmut Gräther (photo, bottom) put the system together with ARBURG and fpt Robotik. Expertise in complex matters Cooperation project: H&B Electronic pools expertise with ARBURG and fpt Robotik

injection moulding machine and automa- table. The gripper technology for remov- tion solution, as well as a single control ing the “awkward” contacts and inserting logic for the entire interlinked system are them in the mould in the correct position major advantages. All sequences have a was developed jointly by H&B Electronic clear and logical structure and changes can and fpt Robotik. The linear robotic system be implemented automatically with ease.” traverses on a cross head and carries the removed contacts via a cleaning station to Sophisticated down to the last detail the rotary table. The second linear robotic INFOBOX system turns the pre-moulded parts over, As one of the strengths of H&B removes the finished parts and transfers Company: H&B Electronic Electronic, Gräther cites its experience them to the testing station, which also op- GmbH & Co. KG with stamping and injection moulding, erates autonomously. Location: Deckenpfronn, Germany a strong development department and In the testing station, the pin posi- Products: Complex plug-in in-house mould construction. The com- tions are checked while the contact is still connectors, hybrid components pany designed and built the two 2-cavity in the gripper, before the finished part is Portfolio: In-house development, hot runner moulds for the pre-moulded set down. A third six-axis robotic system mould construction and 3D test lab, and finished parts itself, for example. performs all the further handling opera- expertise in injection moulding, Sophisticated temperature control en- tions. Downstream steps include electrical stamping and automated assembly sures narrow production tolerances. The continuity and insulation testing, bonding Employees: 250, of which ten ALLROUNDER 1500 T is equipped with a membrane onto the moulded part and percent work in Research & two vertical injection units on the moving testing it for damage, application of a Data Development platen and a two-station rotary table. Ma trix code (DMC) by laser and verifying Machine fleet: 23 ALLROUNDERs, A well thought-out automation con- its legibility. Good parts are packaged in roughly a third of them automated cept ensures an optimum material flow: blister packs of 20 and conveyed out of Production: 9,500 square metres two small AGILUS six-axis robotic systems the system. “As the next expansion stage, Industries: Automotive, medical place two 7 or 4-way contacts, which we’d like to produce a million parts a year technology, control technology have been detached and bent into shape with this system,” says Helmut Gräther Contact: www.h-und-b.de by the stamping presses, onto a transfer with regard to the objective.

today 57/2015 17 A proven service history Service contracts: Regular check for ALLROUNDERs

n the case of cars, regular pre- technicians. These take place every vice contracts and the advantages ventive inspections ensure ser- 12 to 24 months, depending on the these bring. I viceability and prevent sudden ALLROUNDER and the use to which it breakdowns. The same applies to is put. This improves process tuning, Example: Kunststofftechnik injection moulding machines. The reduces service costs and machine Schmid solution is a service contract. In downtimes, as well as increasing Germany alone, where this offer- service life. An inspection log book, Stefan Bürkle, ing has been available for eleven calibration stamp and inspection la- Technical Centre years, 245 customers with 4,045 bels document the higher availability Manager at Ku- ALLROUNDERs have already con - of the machines. nststofftechnik cluded one – and the trend is rising. Customers can choose between Schmid GmbH & several modules, which differ in the Co. KG, Waldach- The need for and interest in ser- scope of the inspection: basic ad- tal, Germany: vice contracts is also on the increase justment, calibration, certification. “We’ve been us- throughout Europe and the world. What all variants have in common ing the service Stefan Bürkle, Here, they are coordinated and dealt is that ARBURG proactively contacts contract since 2011, Kunststofftechnik with by the ARBURG subsidiaries. The the service contract customers, as as we exclusively Schmid test standards are based on the inter- the machine database at the parent use ARBURG ma- nationally uniform factory settings. company lists all the due service ap- chines and have pointments. purchased 36 ALLROUNDERs in Modular offer total. Since 2003, all the new ma- First-hand experience chines have been equipped with The scope of servicing includes MULTILIFT robotic systems and these the calibration of all machine and The inspection of ALLROUNDER are included in the inspections. control system parameters relevant machines is a crucial aspect, espe- We’ve split our machine fleet for to quality in line with the standard cially in connection with the nec- the service contract, i.e. every year factory settings and the inspection essary certification in areas such as 50% of our machines are thorough- of all important machine compo- the automotive or medical technol- ly inspected by expert fitters. For nents for wear, function and safety, ogy industries. Various customers tricky products, reliable machine through regular visits by service report on their experiences with ser- settings are indispensable. It’s es-

18 today 57/2015 SERVICE

sential that the displayed values and Example: FRANK plastic vice contracts give us the necessary peace actual values are the same and this of mind that comes with knowing that we is assured by regular inspections. For Roland Graf, Pro can produce consistent quality and also identical machines, we can use exact- duction Manager for deliver on time. It’s therefore extremely the same programs. This prevents Medical Technology ly important that our ALLROUNDERs are rejects, complaints and the resulting Injection Moulding, always precisely calibrated and the pro- high costs. The inspections also give FRANK plastic AG, duction parameters are perfectly correct. us peace of mind in knowing that our Waldachtal, Ger For this reason, we will conclude these many: “Here in Me service contracts when purchasing new dical Technology, ALLROUNDERs in future as well.” Roland Graf we’ve been using ser- FRANK plastic vice contracts since Example: Ketterer 2008 for the entire A proven service history machine fleet, -in Martin Ketterer, Managing Director, cluding our turnkey systems. ARBURG ac- Ketterer Kunststofftechnik GmbH, complishes the work very competently and Hausach, Germany: “We concluded our punctually. The regular inspection and cali- service contract for all our ALLROUNDERs bration of systems means that their techni- and turnkey sys- cal condition is no longer up for debate. In tems in 2007. ALLROUNDERs are always working to system and customer audits, this preventive Inspections are car- the same high standard and the parts servicing always receives a positive rating.” ried out annually. produced are therefore always repro- This way, problems ducible. Because we are so impressed Example: Intertek that may have re- with the service contracts, new ma- sulted in difficul- chines are automatically included in Chantal Haarmann, Commercial ties in the ongo- the service.” Manager, Intertek Benelux, Intertek Life Martin Ketterer ing manufacturing Sciences, Geleen, Netherlands: Ketterer process in terms of Example: fischer automotive “Intertek is one of the world’s leading Kunststofftechnik production param- suppliers of industry-specific plastics solu- eters and part qual- Björn Klose, tions and has been working with ARBURG ity have often been Team Manager of injection mould- detected at an early stage. We will there- A-TPW Factory and ing technology for fore also include new machines in the Production Equip more than 25 years, service contract in order to maintain their ment, fischer au- including in our lab- high availability. A particular plus point tomotive systems oratory in Geleen. for us is the phone hotline, as it allows GmbH & Co. KG, We concluded ser- us to carry out rapid failure analysis and Björn Klose Horb, Germany: vice contracts for all order the right spare parts.” fischer automotive “We’ve been using our ALLROUNDERs ARBURG ser vice Chantal Haarmann and our experiences contracts ever Intertek with the ARBURG since we started production in Horb Service and back in 2001. All our ALLROUNDERs what it pro- are included in the inspections. Our vides are thoroughly positive. For experiences are very good, although our laboratory operations, it’s es- we would like even more minor ser- sential that the injection mould- vices. But we’ll continue to make ing machines are always in the use of the service contract for fu- best possible condition, because ARBURG ture machine purchases as well.” we have to rely on this equipment Service Info 24/7. Perfect service and the ser-

today 57/2015 19 PRODUCTS

“Big” small machines New micro injection unit: Integrated in automated system solution

tringent requirements apply to which has been integrated in a special section into the injection unit. The in- the precision high-volume pro- micro production cell. jection screw is purely a conveyor screw, S duction of micro components which is equipped with a non-return valve with shot weights that frequent- The new micro injection unit in and therefore operates according to the ly amount to only a few milligrams. Euromap size 5 has been specially devel- screw/piston principle. Important factors here include short oped by ARBURG to achieve precise regu dwell times of the melt in the injec- lation of short strokes coupled with high First-in, first-out principle tion unit, low shear stresses, the pro- filling dynamics. Like the flexible micro ensures quality vision of thermally and mechanically injection module, which is still available, homogeneous material, a precisely it combines either an 18 or 15-mm screw This method enables extremely small controllable cylinder temperature, a for melting the material with an 8-mm in- shot weights to be achieved with great reproducible plasticising procedure jection screw. The servo-electrically driv- precision and with the necessary short and the option of processing stand- en plasticising section, which is installed strokes. At the same time, the coordinat- dard rather than micro granulates. at 45 degrees to the horizontal injection ed interaction between the plasticising All this is offered by the new ARBURG unit, ensures optimum preparation of the section and injection screw ensures excel- micro injec- standard granulates. lent, gentle processing of the plastic. The tion unit, The molten material is conveyed from melt is continuously fed forwards from the plasticising the material inlet to the tip of the injection screw. This ensures full compliance with the first-in, first-out principle. A homogene- ously prepared, newly dosed melt is always available for every shot.

Complete system solution for micro components

The new micro injection unit was presented for the first time at the Fakuma 2014 in conjunction with a special system solution for the reproducible injection moulding of micro components. This comprises a small electric ALLROUNDER 270 A with micro injection unit and a specially designed, new, compact MULTILIFT H 3+1 robotic system. The servo-electric dual-arm robot enters the mould horizontally and simultaneously removes the sprue and the delicate “Big” small machines Partner Scholz When developing new products and enhancing existing ones, ARBURG also works with experts from the relevant sectors, who provide important input and test new products under practical conditions. For micro injection moulding, our partner was Scholz from Kronach (www.scholz-htik.de), which produces technical plastic parts and has been working with ALLROUNDER machines for 40 years. Microtechnology has been one of the company’s key areas of expertise since 1999. The smallest moulded part in its product range weighs only 0.9 milligrams and 22 of these parts are the size of a single granule. These dimensions il- lustrate the demanding requirements placed upon the injection moulding machine and process, which have risen continuously at Scholz over the years. “As we have valued ARBURG as an innovative partner with first-class machine technology for decades, it was clear that we would ask Lossburg micro components. The main arm re- The ARBURG system solution for micro about a new, efficient solution,” moves the moulded parts and gently sets components comprises an electric says Karl-Herbert Ebert, Manager of them down separated by cavity, while the ALLROUNDER 270 A with the new micro Technology & Development at Scholz, auxiliary arm deposits the sprue separate- injection unit and laminar-flow box (photo, explaining their intention to embark ly. A laminar- flow box ensures the neces- left), as well as a special MULTILIFT H robotic on a new cooperation. sary cleanliness and prevents electrostatic system (photo, centre). At the Fakuma 2014, As the first step, ARBURG devel- charging. This enables reliable, controlled the system produced micro counter wheels. oped a micro injection module in removal of the micro components. These weigh only 0.003 grams and are collaboration with Scholz. This was smaller than a pinhead (photo, top). subjected to extensive tests with their mould and jointly optimised further before being launched onto the market in 2010. As a result of the positive feedback from customers, the next step was the development of the complete micro injection unit and the special micro production cell, which celebrated its premiere in 2014.

today 57/2015 21 SERVICE

ARBURG ensures that the combined expertise is available to customers and is communicated in the relevant national language. To this aim, Jason Ding (centre) received training to become a trainer at the Lossburg parent company in order to then train service technicians locally in China.

Dependable and cl ose by ARBURG China: Ongoing service network expansion brings services to customers’ doorstep

n terms of support and service production efficiency. All this serves to achieve page 14): “The extensive consulting provid- activities, China represents a sig- even greater customer retention and conse- ed by ARBURG led to the purchase of hy- Inificant challenge for a company quently a high level of customer satisfaction.” brid ALLROUNDER H machines, for example. like ARBURG, due to its geograph- These machines have helped us to work pre- ical size and economic importance Regional customer proximity cisely but also energy efficiently using stack alone. Our aim is to provide support moulds, with extended tie bars and thereby for Chinese customers through local New premises in Shenzhen and the ma- to increase our production capacity. For years contacts. This strategy has borne chine warehouse opened in Shanghai in now, ARBURG has been on hand to provide fruit: today, the vast majority of cus- 2013 are just two examples of how ARBURG us with application technology tips and tricks.” tomers are Chinese companies, who manages to provide fast on-site support to are increasingly turning to ARBURG its Chinese customers. Of the entire work- Example: Hongfa technology and its special customer force at the Chinese subsidiaries, around support offerings. half work in service and application technol- Qihong Tang, Managing Director, ogy. In addition to the subsidiaries in Hong Hongfa Corporation Xiamen, Jinyue The range of services extends from our Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai, they are also Appliance Co., Ltd., Xiamen (see today comprehensive pre- and after-sales service stationed at various service centres close 45, page 12): “Our company is integrated through to individual application technology to the Chinese plastics processing centres. in the comprehensive consulting offerings consulting. Zhao Tong, Managing Director of Customers value this coordinated support of the ARBURG customer support pro- the Chinese subsidiaries, comments as follows: offering, as the quotes below demonstrate. gramme. ARBURG technology and consult- “Our main focus is on extremely comprehen- ing have helped us to significantly speed up sive and close cooperation with customers Example: Derjin our production cycles, for example. Today, intending to manufacture a new product. I we also employ the ARBURG host comput- would describe our integrated services as full C.T. Wang, Chairman, Derjin (Shanghai) er system ALS for end-to-end production service consulting based on our philosophy of Plastic Packaging Co., Ltd., Shanghai (see management. In addition, ARBURG trains

22 today 57/2015 Dependable and cl ose by to customers’ doorstep

our staff, generating added value for our of our babies’ dummies for the Chinese mar- production.” ket. The support from ARBURG has helped us to achieve stable production processes as Example: Kostal well as reliable, top-quality production and to implement system solutions.” Yang Wang, Production Engineering General Manager Asia Pacific Region, Example: Zhenyu Electronics Shanghai Kostal-Huayang Automotive Electric Co., Ltd., Shanghai: “ARBURG’s Zhiyu Zhang, General Manager, Zhenyu all-round support has helped us to adapt Electronics Co. Ltd., Ningbo: “We opted for our moulds specifically to the clamping ALLROUNDERs due to their high stability, systems of the ALLROUNDERs, allowing precision and repetition accuracy. The high us to achieve a very high level of repetition flexibility of the range in terms of individual accuracy. Stable and precise processes en- machine configurations was also important sure a high quality standard for us in China.” to us. Our technicians have been trained by ARBURG on the details of the Example: Pigeon SELOGICA control system and on continuous production opti- Kazumasa Ito, Production & Technician misation. All this helps us to de- Executive Manager, Pigeon manufactur- velop forward-looking, high-tech ing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai: “We production capacities.” appreciate the modular structure of the Film Service ALLROUNDERs, especially as it enables us to China precisely achieve the characteristic features

today 57/2015 23 CUSTOMER REPORT

The right feel Philips Avent: Fully automated production of baby bottles and LSR teats

ith its new gener- moulding process with subsequent print- ation of “Natural ing in a clean room. At the same time, the W Bottle” baby bottles teats are injection moulded from liquid and breast milk teats, Philips silicone (LSR), as are the screw caps and Avent aims to help mothers retaining rings that connect the teat to the breastfeed their babies for bottle. longer and also to bottle feed them trouble-free. 15 ALLROUNDERs integrated With this in mind, the Glemsford-based com- The complex production line includes pany, which belongs the following: to the Philips Group, • Ten LSR ALLROUNDER 570 S machines has invested in a fully with eight vertical MULTILIFT V robotic automated production systems for the teats, line that incorporates • Ten master moulds with 17 inter- numerous ALLROUNDER changeable inserts and downstream machines. automation (removal heads), • Five ALLROUNDER 520 S machines for The new generation of baby the screw caps and retaining rings, bottles and teats represents the • Several blow moulding systems, clean first change to the existing de- room printing stations, silicone pumps sign for more than 25 years. The and conveyor stations, continuous teat, in particular, which resem- curing ovens with four articulated arm bles a mother’s breast, helps robots for component mounting, slit- mothers to perfectly combine ting and testing devices for the lateral breast and bottle feeding. teat valves, plus assembly and packag- A unique petal structure in- ing systems. side the silicone teat makes it much more flexible and Besides ARBURG, Austrian cooperation elastic. Combined with partners and elastomer specialists Rico an innovative, integrated (www.rico.at), Elmet (www.elmet.com) air-return system using and ACH Hefner (www.ach-solution.com) high-tech valves on the were also involved in development and sides, the result is a “natu- implementation. While the moulds orig- ral bottle feel” more likely inate from three manufacturers, Philips to be accepted by babies. Avent placed its sole trust in ARBURG for On the new production the injection moulding machines. This was line, which necessitated due to the flexibility of the modular prod- an investment of some 20 uct range, the all-embracing SELOGICA million euros, the bottles are control system for ALLROUNDERs and manufactured using the blow MULTILIFT robotic systems, as well as the CUSTOMER REPORT

Philips Avent: Fully automated production of baby bottles and LSR teats

Photos: Philips

company’s lengthy and extensive exper- special gripper and set down on trays in a Thanks to their special design, the LSR tise in LSR processing. specified pattern. A six-axis robotic system teats (photos, left and top right) of the then transfers the filled tray to a continu- “Natural Bottle” products feel like the Sophisticated LSR processing ous curing oven, where the teats are cured mother’s breast to the baby. The require- for two hours. Slits are then made in the ments placed upon ALLROUNDERs and Accordingly, the LSR ALLROUNDERs silicone parts in a fully automated process, moulds used to make the teats are are precisely adapted to the application. before they are joined to the retaining correspon dingly exacting (photo, top). This includes cylinder modules and posi- ring, fitted onto the bottles and packaged. tion-regulated screws with liquid-medium Thanks to the seamless collaboration temperature control, four blow-out valves, between the suppliers, it was possible to integrated vacuum controllers and sys- put the system into operation within the tems, a total of 18 integrated heating con- envisaged time frame with only minor ad- INFOBOX trol circuits for mould heating, interfaces justments and it has operated extremely for LSR dosage units and pneumatic brush reliably ever since. Name: Philips Avent devices, plus host computer interfaces. Location: LSR production in The teats are moulded in various Glemsford, United Kingdom 8-cavity sliding carriage moulds featuring Products: “Natural Bottle” cold runner technology. Here, the princi- range with breast-like teats, pal challenge was the narrow tolerances milk pumps and bottles which had to be met for the lateral air Material: Elastosil LR 3040/50 valves. The drinking holes in the teats, from Wacker as LSR for the teats with a diameter of 0.3 millimetres, are cre- Machine fleet: 15 ALLROUNDERs ated in the mould as part of the injection with clamping forces from moulding process. After the injection pro- 1,300 to 2,000 kN cess, with a cycle time of 30 seconds, the Contact: http://www.philips.co.uk/c- slides move apart for demoulding and the m-mo/philips-avent-and-your-baby teats are removed from the moulds by the

today 57/2015 25 TECH TALK

TECH TALK Oliver Schäfer, Technical Information

Ready, steady, go! SELOGICA “Part status” function simplifies start-up of complex process sequences

n order to achieve efficient pro- inserts, employing several lower mould involving inserts, for example (and not duction, complex process sequenc- sections and therefore stations, as well as just for rotary table machines) as well as I es often need to be implemented. performing different work steps at one multi-component injection moulding. In To ensure that these nevertheless station depending on the position in the other words, all applications with com- remain as simple and easy to handle sequence, e.g. introducing or overmould- plex process sequences. Here, restarting as possible, the “Part status” function ing inserts. Owing to this complexity, it after interruptions or malfunctions offers of the SELOGICA control system offers is important to know the current state huge potential for reducing downtimes extremely practical assistance. It en or “part status” at each station before a and actively relieving operating person- ables machine operators to restart work step takes place. A status such as nel of stress. The robotic interface of the the system after an interruption or “Insert in mould” or “Finished part re- SELOGICA was therefore enhanced in a malfunction not just effortlessly, but moved from mould,” for example. The targeted manner to ensure fast, simple also considerably faster. What does necessary exchange of signals between production start-up and included in the this function entail? the rotary table machine and the robotic “Part status” function. system is controlled via the interface ac- First, here is a brief history of this cording to Euromap 67.1. Function saves time and money SELOGICA function: Initially, the “Part During implementation of this robotic status” function was developed for interface in the SELOGICA control system, The machine and robotic system know rotary table machines featuring automa- the ARBURG software specialists quickly the position of inserts, pre-moulded tion. Here, the requirements for a reli realised that knowledge of the part sta- parts and finished parts at all times – not able, fully automated process sequence tus is also useful and interesting for other only in the mould, but also in the gripper. are extremely demanding: working with applications. These include all operations This further expanded, direct exchange

26 today 57/2015 SELOGICA “Part status” function simplifies start-up of complex process sequences

of signals considerably exceeds the range screen page and adapted in a controlled The “Part status” function monitors of functions of a standard robotic inter- manner. the states of the machine and robotic face according to Euromap 67. The sys- system (photo, bottom), thereby ena- tem components automatically detect Start-up at the touch of a button bling a far more efficient start-up of their position in the interrupted process complex systems (photo, top). sequence and can autonomously resume Operators are provided with the flexi- operations at the correct point. For op- bility they require in their everyday work – erators, this means no more clearing by especially in the case of demanding tasks. hand and no more moving to the start This is demonstrated by the production “Part status” function then becomes an position. This saves time and money – es- of the hybrid plug-in “Power-Connector” invaluable help: instead of intervening pecially with delicate, complicated and/ from H&B Electronic (see page 16). manually, a restart can be accomplished or expensive inserts. At the same time, Delicate contacts are overmoulded with far more efficiently – virtually at the press there is less risk of the melt thermally de- several components on a rotary table ma- of a button. composing in the cylinder module, which chine. For this purpose, several robots op- would lead to further time wastage due erate hand-in-hand. Accordingly, the pro- to necessary cleaning work. cess sequence is highly complex. In the The “Part status” function can event of interruptions or malfunctions, it be individually integrated in the pro- would be extremely difficult for the oper- cess sequence via dedicated symbols. ator to retain an overview of the status of Furthermore, the status of the mould and the individual stations and when, where gripper can be displayed on a separate and what work step is taking place. The

today 57/2015 27 THE ART OF PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY

Production efficiency and art have a great deal in common. To create something really extraordinary, every detail has to be mastered. We prove this on a daily basis. Whether it is individually configured technology, comprehensive consulting or first-class service. Make your own picture – of your future perspectives!