May | 2015
The magazine from ENGEL for the plastics industry
Efficient injection moulding of metal alloys Liquidmetal opens the door to new product characteristics page 8 Experience. Innovation. Passion. ENGEL Symposium 2015 with several world premiers
page 10
The direct route ENGEL presents new customer portal and new app
page 13
Making thick LED lenses the "easy" way ENGEL system solutions boost efficiency for J.W. Speaker
page 16
The heating method is the key Lightweight construction with thermoplastic FRP requires new directions in processing
page 14
be the first.
Welcome to the ENGEL Symposium 2015
Dr. Peter Neumann CEO ENGEL Holding
In mid-June, it will finally be time for the ENGEL Symposium 2015 to open its doors. Our in-house exhibition is firmly established as an important gathering for the injection moulding sector. This has been confirmed by the surge in registrations, which leads us to believe we may surpass the attendance figure of 2012, when we welcomed 2,700 guests. It is clear from those who have registered so far that the visitor profile is becoming even more international. We look forward to welcoming you to our premises here in Austria, as you join us for a glimpse into the future of injection moulding. At our wide-range exhibition, you will encounter the fascinating new solutions we have developed to resolve your technical production challenges. In an exciting lecture programme we will explain how we change the requirements you have today into innovative concepts, based on our experience and values. Last but not least, we hope to inspire you with something fresh and unusual: Karim Rashid, the ‘pop star of design’, will entice you into his visionary world to give you design ideas for your own products. During the business year 2014/15, which closed at the end of March, ENGEL generated turnover in excess of one billion euros for the first time in its history. We believe this result resoundingly proves that we have interpreted sector trends accurately and, based on that, have consistently produced innovative products for our clients. Above all, though, this success will serve as an incentive to continue utilizing our creative talents to maximise customer benefit. Ultimately, we can only succeed if you – our customers – are successful. These days, in more and more cases, maximising customer benefit calls for a customised approach. At the Symposium (and on page 10 of this issue), we will present numerous examples of what this means in practical terms. Each new project presumes a detailed analysis of requirements, site conditions and the sector in question; this is the only way it is possible to develop an optimised process in regards to economic viability, quality and safety. Too much and too little are equally unwelcome traits; ‘keep it simple’ is a refrain we often hear from customers. In most cases, though, that doesn’t mean a standard solution: much more often, we are challenged to transform what can be highly complex tasks into manufacturing cells that are simple and easy to grasp. Therefore, when a client like J.W. Speaker in Wisconsin, speaking to Injection magazine, describes the manufacture of sophisticated headlamp lenses as ‘simple’, it is no understatement. As the practical example on page 16 demonstrates, only a wealth of expertise and experience can bring about a cost-effective injection moulding process. The new and ingeniously simple production solution guarantees of continued success.
IMPRINT Publisher: ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH | Ludwig-ENGEL-Straße 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, www.engelglobal.com Editorial team: Susanne Zinckgraf, ENGEL / Mag. Birgit Degwerth, ENGEL (responsible editor) Layout: neudesign – office for visual communication Injection is the ENGEL customer magazine. It is published regularly in German, English, Turkish and Polish. Articles may be reprinted with the editor’s consent and reference to source.
NCurrent ewsEvents Retrospective 4
ENGEL worldwide. around the corner. Fairs, events, projects
8
Liquidmetal: Efficient injection moulding of metal alloys Technology interview with Gerhard Dimmler and Heinz Rasinger
10
Experience. Innovation. Passion. ENGEL Symposium 2015 with several world premiers
13
The direct route ENGEL presents new customer portal and new app
14
The heating method is the key Lightweight construction with thermoplastic FRP requires new directions in processing
16
Making thick LED lenses the "easy" way ENGEL system solutions boost efficiency for J.W. Speaker
18
Stable, reliable and flexible Tie-bar-less design facilitates integration of multiple technologies at Plastivaloire
20
From a single source – mould included Turn-key solution for competitive production of oil level sensors
22
A good mould alone does not make good parts awetis uses tie-bar-less machines for sampling
ENGEL worldwide. around the corner. Lots of room to network – ENGEL med.con in Hannover Uncompromising cleanness, maximum product safety, economic efficiency – the ENGEL med.con in Hannover provided answers to current and future challenges in medical technology. The programme included specialist lectures, expert panel discussions, live demonstrations, a partner fair, as well as manifold networking opportunities. More than 50 medical experts took part. "The ENGEL med.con has established itself as a networking event for plastics manufacturers in the field of medical technology," explains Christoph Lhota, Head of the Business Unit Medical at ENGEL AUSTRIA. "Our customers and partners use this platform to exchange ideas and to learn about current trends and strategies, as well as innovative products and methods. Participants often tell us that many of these ideas can be implemented right away." Process integration and peak performance – this year ENGEL med.con in Hannover focused on these topics with two live exhibits. Drip chambers for transfusions
and needle-holders for insulin pens were produced. During the specialist lectures, experts from ENGEL as well as from partner companies and the processing industry delved into the topics of safety, precision and efficiency. Current challenges, success factors and market opportunities were discussed and personal experience was brought to bear on the subject. "The key to success in medical technology lies in cooperative partnerships between the companies along the value added chain," says Christopher Vitz, Managing Director of ENGEL Germany and host of the ENGEL med.con in Hannover. At the conclusion of the conference, ENGEL invited all the participants to a very special evening event. "Get on board and fly away!" was the motto at the Hannover airport. Following the culinary delights, the guests were invited to take a place in the pilot's seat – in the simulator – and end the evening with a good landing.
"It is important to us that ENGEL med.con participants have a chance to interact." Christopher Vitz, Managing Director of ENGEL Germany
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A quicker route to new TPE materials New machine starts operation at ACTEGA DS' technology centre ACTEGA DS in Bremen, Germany, develops and produces tailor-made TPE compounds for applications in the fields of medical technology, health care and pharmaceuticals, as well as in the consumer goods and household goods industries. Recently, the company added an ENGEL victory 120 tech injection moulding machine to its technology centre. "The new injection moulding machine will give a real boost to our development projects," says Wilfried Lassek, managing director of ACTEGA DS GmbH. "We now have the opportunity to fine tune our TPE materials and to define the optimum parameters for injection moulding. Together with our customers we are able to carry out pilot projects and produce pilot series and thus support the launch of new products to the market in a sustainable manner." Apart from customer trials and pilot series production the new injection moulding machine is intended for the manufacturing of testing rods and complex testing bodies, which product developers use to determine material properties. For this reason, mould set-ups are performed every day at the technology centre. With its tie-bar-less clamping unit the ENGLE victory tech offers a particularly high degree of flexibility. The barrier-free
access to the mould area speeds up set-up processes and facilitates the removal of parts from the mould, which at the technology centre is often done manually.
Handover of the new ENGEL victory machine in Bremen. Wilfried Lassek, managing director of Actega DS (centre), with sales director, Udo Pape (left), and Sales Area Manager, Andreas Heckmann (right) of ENGEL Deutschland.
Maximise total efficiency – Plastindia in Gandhinagar, India Compact manufacturing cells, fast mould changes and flexible process integration: The tie-bar-less-technology was the centre of attention at ENGEL's trade fair stand at Plastindia in February. On an ENGEL victory tech injection moulding machine pipe distributors for domestic drain systems were produced in the course of the six trade fair days. The manufacture of fittings places special demands on production engineering. It calls for large moulds with projecting cores, while the clamping force required for the application is fairly low. Hardly any other machine on the market meets this requirement profile as perfectly as the ENGEL victory with its tie-bar-less clamping unit. ENGEL gave an impressive demonstration together with
its mould making partner ifw mould tec from Micheldorf, Austria. "If we used an injection moulding machine with tie-bars, the machine would have to be almost twice the size to be able to mount the voluminous mould," as Jitendra Devlia, the CEO of ENGEL Machinery India, emphasises. For 16 years, ENGEL has had its own offices in Mumbai, India; in this time, ENGEL has become the number one importer of efficient, premium quality injection moulding technology. ENGEL has responded to the importance of this market by continually expanding its local sales and service capacities.
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Further education on ENGEL e-mac ENGEL equips Nypro University Further education is a priority at Nypro. Back in the late 1970s, the injection moulder founded its own training centre: Nypro University. The special thing about this is: The further education program is not offered
Nypro expands the machine park of its training centre by adding an all-electric ENGEL e-mac 105 US injection moulding machine.
exclusively for their own employees, but also for employees of customers and other plastics processing companies. More than 600 students attend Nypro University in Clinton, MA, USA, every year. Recently, ENGEL provided a new all-electric ENGEL e-mac 105 US injection moulding machine. "One of the most sustainable competitive edges a company can have is to learn faster than the competition," stresses Doug Thorpe, Director Process Training at Nypro University. "It is our goal to support our students in maintaining, advancing and expanding their knowledge and skills to ensure the performance of their companies and their customers." In order to achieve this, Nypro's training has a strong practical orientation. The training centre's machine park contains four injection moulding machines – including the new ENGEL e-mac. "We try to equip the training centre with the latest and best equipment available on the market," says Thorpe. "For this reason, we work with suppliers who are considered the best in their fields."
Inspire pupils with technology ENGEL is partner of the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil The objective of the new school laboratory of the HSR technical university in Rapperswil, Switzerland, is to get pupils excited about technology and to inform them about technical professions. 'Don't watch, contribute!' is the school lab's motto. The ENGEL (Schweiz) AG equipped the HSRlab with an ENGEL victory spex injection moulding machine with an ENGEL viper robot for this purpose. Almost 2,000 pupils in the 2nd grade of secondary school have so far visited the HSRlab and injection
"Totally cool" and "exciting" – is the pupils' feedback after spending a day exploring the world of plastics in the HSRlab at Hochschule für Technik in Rapperswil
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moulded roughly 4,000 plastic cups themselves. "I thought it would be more like everyone working alone. But instead we needed to discuss a great deal," tells one of the participants. This plays right into the
"The HSRlab gives us the opportunity to support young people also in Switzerland." Felix Hüthmair, Managing Director at ENGEL (Schweiz) AG university's hands, because "many pupils are put off by technical professions, because they have the wrong or no expectations," stresses Prof. Dr. Frank Ehrig, Head of the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing at HSR. "This is exactly the starting point for our school lab." For one day the pupils experience the daily routine of a plastics engineer from the concept to the finished product. They pre-dry the raw material, add the right amount of the selected colour and operate the machine. At "Pupils, Inc." everybody has their fixed place - in development, production or marketing. The pupils take responsibility, acquire new knowledge and make decisions on their own. "This is really motivating," states Prof. Ehrig. "Teachers are often surprised at how committed even usually shy pupils are here."
Over 50 years and still ready for operation machine built in 1962 at Synthos The name ENGEL stands for durability. Proof of this is provided by the company Synthos in Kralupy nad Vltavou, approx. 20 km north of Prague. During a training course for operators at the training centre of ENGEL CZ, Miroslava Řezníčková, Head of the polystyrene laboratory, spoke of an ENGEL machine at the site, which has 1962 indicated as the year of construction on its type plate. Up to now the machine is periodically in use, even if the lion's share of the injection moulding jobs is carried out by the newer machines, among others an ENGEL victory spex 80. "We value ENGEL machines for their reliability and safety and last but not least because of the fast and high-quality service ENGEL offers on site in the Czech Republic," says Miroslava Řezníčková. In Kralupy nad Vltavou Synthos
produces polystyrenes, which among other things are used as food packages.
For highest design demands Plast in milan With highly integrated and automated system solutions from a single source, ENGEL increases product quality, manufacturing efficiency and thus its customers' competitiveness. At the PLAST trade fair in Milan in early May ENGEL demonstrated what this can look like in reality by means of five innovative applications. One of the main features was achieving particularly high-quality surfaces. ENGEL developed a variothermal process together with its partner Wegaplast in order to manufacture design objects with wall thicknesses varying from 0.3 to 4 mm and high aesthetical demands.
This attracted a lot of interest among trade fair visitors. And not just because the design objects were very sought-after give-aways. The little trees from PC-ABS in piano black serve as door stoppers of bookends and can also hold smartphones during charging. The objects have been designed by Francesca Acciardi, who has been awarded a prize from the ISIA Design Institute in Faenza, Italy. To manufacture them at the trade fair, a tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 330/80 tech injection moulding machine, equipped with an ENGEL viper 6 linear robot, was used. Partner for temperature control was HB-Therm from St. Gallen, Switzerland. The switching unit Vario-5 from HB-Therm was integrated into the ENGEL machine's CC300 machine control unit via an interface, so that the entire injection moulding process can be controlled and monitored centrally through the machine display.
Preview 2015 ENGEL Symposium, in Linz and St. Valentin, Austria, 16th to 18th June IRC, Nuremberg, Germany, 29th June to 2nd July T-Plas, Bangkok, Thailand, 26th to 29th August Art for many purposes: the design object being produced on an ENGEL victory machine makes a good figure whether as a doorstop, bookend, or smartphone holder.
Expo Plast, Bucharest, Romania, 8th to 11th September Composite Europe, Stuttgart, Germany, 22nd to 24th September Fakuma, Friedrichshafen, Germany, 13th to 17th October
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ENGEL presents a Liquidmetal application at its symposium
Efficient injection moulding of metal alloys With Liquidmetal, ENGEL opens the door to completely new classes of material and product characteristics; metal alloys can now be efficiently injection moulded. Injection spoke with Dr Gerhard Dimmler, Vice President of Product Research & Development, and Heinz Rasinger, Vice President of the Teletronics Business Unit, about the possibilities that this technology is opening up to plastics processors and metal goods manufacturers. Mr Rasinger, what does the term "Liquidmetal" refer to? Rasinger: Liquidmetal stands for a completely new class of material with outstanding mechanical characteristics. These are zirconium alloys that are marketed by Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA, and we have developed an injection moulding machine to process their alloys efficiently. We are exclusively licensed as the machine manufacturing partner and therefore the only provider worldwide that can offer integrated system solutions for the injection moulding of Liquidmetal alloys. Mr Dimmler, what new possibilities and opportunities result from this technology? Dimmler: Components made of Liquidmetal alloys demonstrate an amorphous (that is, non-crystalline) structure which is responsible for its outstanding properties. This is also called metallic glass. The components are extremely hard, but at the same time very elastic, which leads to very good recovery behaviour. For example, the elasticity of steel is 0.2 percent and for titanium it is 1 percent, while the value for components made of Liquidmetal alloys is 2 percent. In
8_ENGEL injection-2015
addition, the materials are characterised by their low specific weight and excellent corrosion resistance. This forms the basis for developing products with a completely new profile of characteristics that can be injection moulded with high economic efficiency and an outstanding surface finish quality. What is the difference between a Liquidmetal machine and conventional injection moulding machines? Dimmler: On the basis of our proven all-electric ENGEL e-motion model series, we have developed an injection moulding machine for processing Liquidmetal that differs from a conventional injection moulding machine for processing plastics primarily in the injection unit. The Liquidmetal alloys are available in the form of slugs cut from round rods. These slugs are automatically fed into a melting chamber where the material is melted under high vacuum conditions. Instead of a screw, the machine has a piston with which the molten metal alloy is injected into a thermo-regulated mould. Very rapid cooling under exclusion of oxygen leads to the forming of the amorphous structure. Standard robots, for example from the ENGEL viper series, are
Heinz Rasinger, Vice President of the Teletronics Business Unit (left) and Dr Gerhard Dimmler, Vice President of Product Research & Development (right)
used to remove the finished parts. The sprue can for example be removed with the help of a water-jet cutting machine or mechanical shears. What are the advantages compared to other manufacturing processes like CNC machining or metal injection moulding, also referred to as MIM? Dimmler: In CNC-processing, individual metal components are machined out of a metal block by milling and drilling. In this way, complex three-dimensional precision parts with a high-quality surface finish can be produced. In comparison to injection moulding, however, this is a very time- and cost-intensive fabrication process. The MIM process is also an injection moulding procedure, however, the materials processed are not metal alloys, but rather metal/plastic powders. The plastic is removed thermally after injection moulding and the finished component is obtained by a sintering process. These are additional process steps that can require much time depending on wall thickness. Moreover, the quality of the surface finish achieved by sintering is not as good as in the Liquidmetal process. All these disadvantages are eliminated by the Liquidmetal technology. It provides highly efficient and economical ready-to-install precision components with a previously unreached surface finish quality. The cycle times lie between two and three minutes, which is significantly shorter than the processing time needed for CNC processing. Another advantage is that there is no waste accumulated in Liquidmetal processing because the sprues are recycled and can be returned to the process chain. What kinds of products are conceivable? Rasinger: We see much potential in the area of medical technology, which is why we will be producing
parts for medical forceps at the ENGEL Symposium. We expect that a large number of the applications will be in this industry. Endoprostheses like hip joints or stents are also conceivable. Thanks to the excellent mechanical properties of the material, very robust components can also be achieved with very low wall thicknesses. In general, the materials are interesting for components subject to high mechanical stress, which opens up a broad spectrum of applications – from sports equipment to aviation and aerospace to electronics. Liquidmetal has already found application in the entertainment electronics and watch industries. There are no more licenses available for these areas. How does one acquire a Liquidmetal license? Rasinger: The licenses are obtained from Liquidmetal Technologies, and ENGEL delivers machines to the licensed partner. Due to the high demands placed on the moulds, the mould manufacturer also need corresponding certification. Liquidmetal Technologies initiates contact with certified mould manufacturers and provides support for the design and construction process. Our mould construction partner for the ENGEL Symposium 2015 is for example Saga in Padova, Italy. The Liquidmetal material is obtained from Materion with headquarters in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, USA. Do interested processors have to travel to California in order to find out more about Liquidmetal? Rasinger: No, that is not necessary. The ENGEL Symposium 2015 from 16th to 18th June in St. Valentin and Linz, provides a preliminary opportunity in Europe. In addition, we also have a Liquidmetal machine at our technology centre in Schwertberg. Interested customers can make an appointment for an individual demonstration or initial trial directly with us.
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ENGEL injection-2015
Experience. Innovation. Passion. With several world premiers, numerous challenging applications and pioneering solutions, the innovative strength of the ENGEL Symposium 2015 from 16th to 18th June will once again surpass its previous editions. more than 3000 visitors from all regions of the world are expected in St. Valentin and Linz, Austria. Sophisticated components for the automotive, technical moulding, teletronics, packaging and medical industries will be produced at new levels of product quality and with previously unseen efficiency in a total of 15 highly integrated and automated production cells. In numerous Expert Corners, the focus will be on topics like new developments for intelligent process optimisation and the broad spectrum of ENGEL service products, among other things. Beyond that, a top-class lecture programme, a partner exhibition, and the 2015 ENGEL HL-Awards ceremony make the ENGEL Symposium an important international event for the industry.
Efficient injection moulding of metal alloys With Liquidmetal, ENGEL opens the door to completely new classes of material and product characteristics; metal alloys can now be efficiently injection moulded. As the exclusive machine manufacturing partner of Liquidmetal Technologies from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA, ENGEL is the only provider worldwide to offer system solutions for the injection moulding of Liquidmetal materials. For the first time, showcased in the production of medical instruments at its 2015 symposium, ENGEL will be presenting the technological and market possibilities. To find out more about Liquidmetal, take a look at page 8.
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Producing mass products competitively O-rings and flat gaskets are central to the reliability and safety of many different applications. Moreover, standard mass-market products in particular are subject to exceptionally high pressure on pricing. These products can only be built competitively with highly precise, reliable and efficient manufacturing technology. In order to provide even better support for its customers in this area, ENGEL has developed a new hydraulic machine for all common rubber compounds. The horizontal machine with screw injection unit ensures very high precision for production with small and mid-sized shot volumes. It makes fully automatic processing possible with use of conventional brush modules. Additional features include a compact footprint and high energy efficiency thanks to the standard ecodrive drive unit.
New machine size reduces cycle times with large shot volumes ENGEL e-speed – that is the latest machine innovation from the ENGEL packaging business unit. ENGEL presented the 650-tonne hybrid machine with electrical clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit for the first time at the K 2013. At its 2015 symposium, ENGEL will be presenting a second variation of the high-speed machine with a larger injection unit. Even with large shot volumes, the new machine size 6 with a screw diameter of 120 mm guarantees short cycle times. The ENGEL e-speed will provide an impressive demonstration of this with the production of cartridges for the do-it-yourself market. The cartridges have a wall thickness of 1.4 mm and a weight of 50 g each. In a 16-cavity mould, this results in a total shot capacity of 800 g. A cycle time of under 10 seconds is achieved for this process.
Set targeted component properties To control specific component properties with the injection moulding process and boost cost efficiency at the same time – this challenge is the focus when producing seat shells for office chairs. The Allgaier Kunststoffverarbeitung company specialises among others in 2C sandwich processes for this purpose. A current project employs a co-injection head, a new development from their machine construction partner ENGEL, that will be presented at the ENGEL Symposium. There an ENGEL duo 4400/700 injection moulding machine with an integrated ENGEL viper 40 robot will be producing seat shells for the new IN office chair from Wilkhahn. Because the backrest and the seat constitute one unit, diverse properties must be combined in the component. The backrest must achieve high rigidity, while the seat must be flexible in some areas. In addition, there are high demands placed on the quality of the surface finish, because the visible areas are not processed any further after the injection moulding process. Allgaier masters these challenges with the help of co-injection technology. Glass-fibre reinforced polyamide is processed for the core, and unreinforced polyamide for the outer layer.
is employed for the production of operating consoles. The ENGEL easix places two capacitive films in the mould per cycle, and removes a finished part at the same time. One film provides a single-touch and the other a multi-touch functionality. They are situated at the back of the component, while the front side is decorated via IMD. The decoration film has blank areas that will later be backlit in the completely assembled console. Transparent ABS is injected between the decoration film and the functional films. In so doing, the ENGEL duo machine demonstrates its sensitivity. In order to avoid displacing the films or damaging the capacitive electronics, the flow of the melt must be controlled very precisely. Together with Leonhard Kurz and the functional film manufacturer PolyIC, ENGEL presents the immediate future of functional surfaces with ready-for-connection capacitive film technology with this application. The exhibit shows a complete process chain for the production of sensitive functional components in a cleanroom environment.
Composite technologies from a single source Lightweight design in automobile construction is currently one of the strongest motors for innovation. At its Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies in St. Valentin, ENGEL promotes the intensive interdisciplinary development of fibre composite technology together with partner companies and universities.
An ENGEL easix multi-axis robot does a headstand The Teletronics business unit also presents itself with a large-scale machine application, the most impressive aspect of which is its extremely space-saving robot integration. The ENGEL easix multi-axis robot hangs head-down into the production cell and therefore needs no separate floor space. An ENGEL duo 1800/400
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During its symposium, ENGEL provides visitors with insights into the work being done. Together with Fill and Hennecke, ENGEL will be giving a step by step demonstration of an HP-RTM process with a generic test component on an ENGEL v-duo 3550/1100 machine. Thanks to the close cooperation with its partners, ENGEL can also provide highly integrated system solutions – including the production of preforms – for the production of FRP components from a single source. Visitors at the ENGEL Symposium will also be given exciting insights into the assembly of the ENGEL v-duo machines during the tour of the exhibits. Among the things that can be seen will be an ENGEL v-duo 3600 – the largest model in the series.
Increase the homogeneity of the melt One prerequisite for the production of high-quality injection-moulded parts is the thermal homogeneity of the plastificated plastic mass. However, the mass transported by the screw into the screw antechamber exhibits radial and axial gradients in temperature. For a long time, the precise measurement of these differences in temperature during the injection moulding process was impossible due to the difficult conditions. Together with the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, ENGEL has developed an innovative method for measuring the radial and axial temperature gradients in the melt in the screw antechamber based on fact that the speed of ultrasonic waves varies depending on temperature. During its symposium, ENGEL will be presenting the potential this method has for applications.
Determine the required clamping force automatically The iQ product family for intelligent process control and optimisation is growing. A new software will celebrate its world premier at the 2015 symposium. The software automatically determines the clamping force required for the respective mould – without any specifications being set by the technicians. The clamping force is ascertained quickly and objectively on the basis of mould breathing. Since mould breathing is caused by the expanding pressure in the cavity, it can therefore be used – like the cavity pressure – to optimise the process. In contrast to the cavity pressure, this significant signal can be utilised without additional sensors. By monitoring mould breathing, the risk of flaws such as burr formation can be reduced significantly, and the mould can be reliably protected against overfilling. Even when the process conditions change, the software ensures that mould breathing remains constant by automatically adjusting the clamping force accordingly. The software and the functions it includes is the first of its kind worldwide and represents yet another unique product that distinguishes ENGEL in the market.
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more than a machine Smart solutions are also the topic in the ENGEL plus exhibit area of the ENGEL customer service division. There it becomes clear that industry 4.0 is not just a buzzword for ENGEL, but has already become daily practice in many areas. The latest product is the new ENGEL e-connect customer portal and customer app (more on page 13). Further smart solutions in the Expert Corner are the MES solution ENGEL e-factory and the ENGEL plastyfine app, a comprehensive image database that not only helps operators identify faults, but at the same time also describes the physical causes and possible technical processing solutions. Industry 4.0 – for ENGEL, that means supporting the people in the production department.
Learning from the pop star in the world of design It is already a long-standing tradition for ENGEL to not only present numerous innovations in the areas of products and technology at its symposium, but also to organize top-quality presentations and speakers for the accompanying conference at the Design Centre Linz. Industry 4.0 is only one of the many interesting topics that will be discussed this year in the context of the current challenges and trends in injection moulding. A special highlight will be the topic presented by Karim Rashid, who will be coming to Linz from New York for the ENGEL Symposium. Karim Rashid is considered to be the pop star in the world of design. Over the past 30 years, his product designs, which are unusual, but always suitable for everyday life, have significantly influenced the way we see products. Rashid will take the guests at the ENGEL Symposium into his world of "blobism" and will reveal new aspects of functionality and design.
The direct route ENGEL e-connect – this is the name of two new service products. On the one hand, there is the customer portal, which makes processing service requests and ordering spare parts even easier and faster, while also adding even more transparency. And on the other, there is a new customer app, which opens the doors to the world of ENGEL and at the same time to one's own machine park, anytime and anywhere. Be the first in line at any time of day: With its new customer portal, ENGEL shortens the distance to its customers, cuts annoying waiting time and reduces the administrative burden for customer support processes, such as ordering spare parts. With ENGEL e-connect, plastic processors can now request quotations and place orders online at any time. The advantage: It is not necessary to know the exact designation of the spare parts that are needed. In the system, all machines and manufacturing cells that ENGEL has delivered to a respective company are documented along with the corresponding parts lists. There are animated 3D-models of many machine components, so the part that must be replaced can quickly and easily be found and selected, with just a click. In addition, the online-catalog also contains the current prices for the parts as well as availability information. Should personal advice be needed, or if there are any questions, a number of diverse communication tools are provided such as text and video-conferencing modules, as well as an electronic whiteboard. Placing service requests via the ENGEL e-connect portal is just as easy as ordering spare parts. Immediately
after the order has been placed by the user, the request is automatically sent to the respective service team and processing can begin without delay. The system also provides the service technicians with access to the complete history of the plant, which speeds up their search for the solution. Once submitted, the processors can track the status of their service requests, making it possible to plan more reliably.
Via the ENGEL e-connect app, machine status and other operating figures can be kept track of in real time.
With the help of parts lists and 3D models, the needed spare parts can be selected very easily and quickly.
Service requests via mobile phone The new customer app makes it possible to send service requests to ENGEL from any location, directly from a smart phone. If the injection moulding machines, robots and system solutions are linked via network, the app provides a complete overview of the machine park at all times. Machine status, alarm lists, production volume, cycle times and other operating figures are transmitted in real time to the mobile phone. In the case of unplanned downtime or in the event of a fault, the person responsible for the process can immediately initiate corrective measures via the app, without having to be physically present on site.
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ENGEL injection-2015
Using infrared radiation, thermoplastic fabrics can be heated very economically.
The heating method is the key Thermoplastic fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) play an important role for lightweight design in automobile construction. In comparison to other thermosetting polymers, they enable shorter cycle times and provide interesting possibilities for functionalisation, which has a positive effect on unit costs, particularly for large-series production. In order to tap into the enormous potential of this group of materials, ENGEL develops innovative machine and plant technology as well as process technologies at its Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies.
Both economical and gentle Rapid heating can be achieved particularly well with infrared radiation. The application of heat is accomplished by directly exciting the matrix molecules with electromagnetic waves, circumventing the time-consuming process of transferring heat between the surfaces of a warm medium and the semi-finished material. That's why ENGEL focused on this heat source in the development of its own system for heating semi-finished FRP material. Most recently, the ENGEL IR-oven was presented in the production of composite brake pedals at the NPE2015 in Orlando, Florida. As a system provider, ENGEL ensures that the heating system can be completely integrated into the injection moulding machine and can be controlled
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with consistent operating logic via the display of the machine. Another significant characteristic is that the temperature as a quality-relevant variable is regulated and documented with contact-free temperature measurement sensors (pyrometers), which is a prerequisite for a heating process that is both gentle on the material and economical. IR-emitters have an output density between 20 and 30 kW/m² and an emission spectrum in a typical range of wavelengths between 1 and 5 µm. All materials – including plastics and fibrereinforced semi-finished materials – absorb part of the infrared radiation, reflect part from their surface, and let part of the radiation pass through. Short-wavelength infrared penetrates deep into solid materials, while mid-wavelength infrared is already absorbed by the outer layer and for the most part heats up the surface. The better the emission spectrum of the IR-emitter corresponds to the absorption spectrum of the material 600 500 400 300 200
penetration depth [μm]
Thermoplastic FRP components differ from thermoset solutions not only in their characteristics, but also in their production. The chemically uncured matrix in semi-finished thermoplastic FRP material, such as thermoplastic fabrics or tapes, can be melted by applying thermal energy. Like the plastification of plastic granulate in the injection moulding process, this heating is an essential step in the process. The heating process should be very quick for both thermoplastic granulate and semi-finished FRP materials. First, because from an economic perspective, the duration of the heating process has a direct effect on the total cycle time of the production process. And second, because from a material perspective, long periods at high temperatures can damage the material and change its mechanical and optical properties.
λ = 4,5 μm λ = 2,5 μm
100 0
λ = 1 μm PA6
PA66
PC
PEEK
Polymer
The penetration depth of the IR-radiation depends on both the wavelength and the matrix polymer that is used.
Bild: Lanxess
to be heated, the better the efficiency. Many plastics absorb mid-wavelength infrared radiation particularly well and transform it directly into heat. However, the penetration depth that can be achieved is rather low for plastics. It is about 50 µm for polyamide, while for PEEK it is between 100 and 550 µm, depending on the wavelength. The lower the penetration depth, the more energy must be transported to the inner layers by conduction. If more radiant energy is applied to the surface within a short period of time than can be diffused by conduction, it results in thermal damage to the plastic. Using this knowledge, an optimal heating system can be tailor-made for any application. The achievable heating speeds also depend on additional factors like the colour, geometry and thickness of the semi-finished material. For example, 1 mm thick thermoplastic fabric on the basis of black coloured PA6 with glass fibres has a heating rate of about 7 K/s, while the same combination with PP reaches up to 10 K/s.
Not one but two IR-ovens with a drawer-system are integrated into a production cell that Bond Laminates, a Lanxess subdivision, has taken into service this spring at their facilities in Brilon, Germany (picture above). It is a demonstration cell for the close-to-series processing of continuous-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites of the Tepex brand. The inlays are delivered to the machine individually from a magazine, so that different shapes can be handled in one production process. The inlays are handled by an integrated ENGEL easix multi-axis robot. After being heated up, the inlays are shaped and overmoulded in an ENGEL insert 130 injection moulding machine. If the heat-up duration the decisive factor for the cycle time, then the heating cycle can be reduced by heating multiple inlays simultaneously.
Controlled heating even of variable thicknesses The semi-finished materials used today usually have uniform thicknesses. From the perspective of material strength, optimal use of the potential of lightweight construction for parts that are exposed to multi-dimensional stresses can only be achieved when the thickness and the layer structure can be varied. For this reason, the IR-heating system from ENGEL is also able to perform controlled heating of semi-finished material with varied thicknesses. This is made possible by independently regulated heating modules. Further developments of both materials and processes will make the semi-finished FRP products of the future even more flexible and, most importantly, allow them to be specifically fashioned for the respective application to an even greater degree. This will open up more opportunities for lightweight construction in automotive engineering.
Live at the NPE2015: thermoplastic fabric for the production of composite brake pedals is heated in the IR-oven directly beside the injection moulding machine.
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ENGEL injection-2015
Making thick LED lenses the "easy" way Lighting systems for automobiles are continually being reinvented within short periods. For more than half a century, the J.W. Speaker Corporation in Germantown, Wisconsin, USA has been involved in this dynamic market and taking on the constant challenge of uniting innovative strength with cost-efficiency. The focus already stood on the automobile industry when the company was established in 1935 by John W. Speaker. In the 1960s, the family-owned company placed its concentration on lighting technology and quickly became an important partner for the leading major OEMs. Today, the company and a broad product program are managed by John’s grandchildren. Among other things, J.W. Speaker develops and produces lighting systems for passenger, utility and two-wheeled vehicles. "The requirements are getting tougher all the time. Vehicle lighting is continually achieving higher levels performance and integrating more and more functions," explains Sales Manager Matthew Galloway. "We implement the innovative technologies in intelligent solutions and efficient production processes." And this is achieved within short periods of time, because the past ten years have seen great leaps in the development of LED technology alone. "Our first LED worklights had a light output of 100 effective lumens, today we produce worklights with 20,000 effective lumens," says Galloway. One key factor for this high level of output are the optical lenses, which are increasingly being made out of plastics. In comparison to glass, polymers allow a lot of freedom for the design. In addition, they can be produced easily and economically by injection moulding. In 1988, J.W. Speaker invested in its first ENGEL machine, and has been relying on this brand to one hundred percent ever since. "The longer one works together
with a partner, the closer the connection becomes," says Co-President Jamie Speaker: "ENGEL is familiar with our applications and adapts individually to our requirements. That is also something we appreciate about our longstanding partnership."
Almost 30 years of partnership: Mike Wright from ENGEL Machinery Inc., Matthew Galloway and Jamie Speaker from J.W. Speaker, Franz Pressl from ENGEL AUSTRIA and Bill Greuel, also from J.W. Speaker (from left to right).
Multilayer technology reduces cycle times The partners develop some injection molding processes together, the most recent example being for a new generation of lenses that are built into headlamps for the world leading OEMs. "Together with ENGEL, we were able to master the transition from glass to plastics,"
System competence for optical challenges
J.W. Speaker produces headlamps for the world leading OEMs. The lens for the low beam has a thickness of 49 mm.
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The production of optical lenses out of plastics places particularly high and very specific demands on the injection molding process. ENGEL bundles its system competence for this application under the name ENGEL optimelt. The machine manufacturer has already been dealing with multiple-layer processes for more than ten years now and recognized very early that forming the lens out of at least three layers leads to significantly greater productivity. ENGEL holds several patents on the process for the production of multiple-layer optical components.
Light is their specialty at J.W. Speaker. The injection moulding facilities occupy 57,000 square meters of floorspace at their headquarters in Germantown.
emphasizes Matthew Galloway. With a thickness of 49 Â mm for the low and 60 mm for the high beam lamps, the lenses are already close to the upper limits of what injection moulding can currently achieve. "Our goal was to also produce the very thick lenses in a comparatively short cycle time. In addition, it was necessary to keep the injection points small in order to ensure that we achieve the desired photometric output." The solution to these challenges was found by splitting the injection moulding process into three steps. The basis for this is the ENGEL optimelt technology, in which a substrate is first moulded and then overmoulded with the same material multiple times. "The advantage over a single-component process lies mainly in much shorter cycle times due to shorter cooling phases. Another benefit is that shrink marks and other defects on the surface of the previously injected layer are filled by the overmoulding process, thus making it possible to produce thick lenses with a very high optical quality using injection moulding," explains Mike Wright, Account Manager at ENGEL Machinery Inc. with headquarters in York, Pennsylvania, USA.
In the future even thicker lenses with injection moulding The lenses are manufactured from PMMA on an ENGEL victory 160 injection moulding machine with an integrated ENGEL viper linear robot. For this, a rotary plate mould is used. The robot removes two lenses per shot and places them on a conveyor belt. "With the help of multi-component technology, we have been able to develop a very easy solution for a very sophisticated application," concludes Matthew Galloway. The word "easy" describes the ease with which the serial process achieves a high level of efficiency, but is not meant to detract from the great deal of expertise that was needed for its development. First, simulations were used to determine the ideal number of components that the lenses should be made of, and how the boundaries of the segments should be arranged for optimal results. The same care was applied to ascertain the best balance of flow distances, injection points and speeds, processing temperatures and pressures for the three individual injection moulding steps. An effort that has paid off considering the high levels of efficiency and lens quality. For J.W. Speaker, this pioneering technology points the way to further advances. "In the future,
For the production of the lenses, J.W. Speaker invested in a tie-barless ENGEL victory 160 injection moulding machine with ecodrive and an integrated ENGEL viper robot.
we will be producing even thicker lenses with injection moulding," says Galloway. Just like the ENGEL victory 160, many other injection moulding machines and production cells at the plant have been configured for a specific product. But flexibility is still important at J.W. Speaker. "The ENGEL machines are very robust," says Facilities and Maintenance Team Manager Bill Greuel. Several machines have already been in service for more than 20 years and have outlived a number of products in that time. "We are convinced that we will also successfully master these challenges together with our partner ENGEL," says Jamie Speaker, looking towards the not-too-distant future. "We are confident that ENGEL will remain ahead of the field in the future. Like us, ENGEL is a familyowned company. We both think in the long term and make far-sighted decisions."
Injection moulding technician Sharon Powell with one of the company's oldest tie-bar-less machines, which is still being used to manufacture optical lenses.
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ENGEL injection-2015
Images: Mercedes
The colour displays are mounted on the headrests of the front seats for the rear-seat entertainment system.
Stable, reliable and flexible Rear-seat entertainment systems help make car trips a relaxing experience. To ensure the production of the display frames also runs smoothly, Plastivaloire in Langeais near Tours in France relies on tie-bar-less injection moulding machines from ENGEL. For the automotive supplier, they guarantee high precision and the flexibility to integrate multiple processing technologies at the same time. High-quality finishes are one of the specialties of the Plastivaloire Group, which is at home in the field of automotive, multimedia, industrial, household appliances and recreation. Very diverse technologies are in use at the altogether 25 production sites in Europe and North Africa: from variotherm tempering to in-mould decoration and paint finishing to chrome-plating. At the headquarters in Langeais, the development team is continuously working on new techniques for which they are increasingly combining different technologies into one integrated process. "The requirements of our customers are becoming more complex," explains Fabien Kiffer, director of the facilities in Langeais. "A high-quality finish alone is not enough. At the same time, we must also reduce unit costs, and save raw material and weight." Plastivaloire produces 100,000 frames for colour LCD displays per year. These are installed in the rear-seat entertainment system of the Mercedes S-class, which is an option that the automobile manufacturer also offers for several other models. Until recently, the frame consisted of two pieces. The mounting and decor were injection-moulded separately, fitted together and then painted. In order to increase production efficiency even more, Plastivaloire developed a new manufacturing
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process. This not only saves one complete production step, it also improves the quality of the product. The key to this lies in the combination of physical foam injection moulding with variotherm process control on a tie-bar-less ENGEL e-victory injection moulding machine. "We were able to achieve a marked increase in production efficiency with the new process," says Dominique Manceau, director of research and development at Plastivaloire: "Now we can produce thin-walled parts out of PC-ABS with very high quality surfaces and excellent fine structure reproduction at the same time in a single injection moulding step. In addition, we make a contribution to lightweight design. The new frames weigh 30 percent less than the twopiece version." Optically, the visible parts fulfil the high requirements directly after the injection moulding step. The paint with which they are subsequently sprayed only serves to improve the scratch resistance.
Sophisticated thin-walled parts with a perfect surface For mould temperature control, Plastivaloire implements an inductive method from Roctool. Before the injection of the plastic melt, the inner surfaces of the cavities are heated and then cooled after the form has
been filled. This method raises the contact temperature between the melt and the mould wall, thus retarding the development of a solidified layer at the edge and reliably preventing the formation of flow marks on the surface of the part. While the variotherm process brings a shine to the piano–black surface, the MuCell foam injection process developed by Trexel opens up new freedom for component design, reducing the amount material needed and reducing component weight. "Foam injection moulding makes it possible for us to realise component geometries that could not be produced using conventional compact plastic melt," says Manceau. Tie-bar-less injection moulding machines provide advantages for foam injection moulding, since the foaming process improves the flow properties of the melt and thus reduces the required clamping force. The tiebar-less technology makes it possible to choose the machine size according to the amount of clamping force actually needed instead of according to the size of the mould. As a result, the tie-bar-less design supports the trend towards more compact production cells and reduces both the investment and operating costs.
technologies will continue to gain importance," says Fabien Kiffer. "Thanks to the barrier-free clamping unit, the tie-bar-less machines offer great flexibility in this respect." The more technologies that are combined, the more complex the process as a whole becomes, and the process window becomes smaller. "We need extremely stable and reliable machines for this," says Vincent Garon, director of production at the headquarters in Langeais. "We know that we can rely on the high process stability and reproducibility of the ENGEL victory and ENGEL e-victory machines."
"With the double integration of technologies, we achieve thin-walled parts with a very high-quality finish and at the same time an excellent rendition of fine structures, all in one single production step." Dominique Manceau, director of research and development at Plastivaloire
Perfectly equipped for the future with hybrid machines In Langeais, the preferred model is currently the ENGEL e-victory hybrid machine with a tie-bar-less hydraulic clamping unit and all-electric injection unit. "Many of our moulds have hydraulic core-pulls and sliders," explains Patrice Quellier, director of maintenance at the site. "Thanks to the integrated hydraulics of the hybrid machine, we don't need an extra hydraulic system for the core-pulls, and at the same time we can achieve very high precision with the electrical injection unit." Plastivaloire is certain that it is also optimally equipped for future challenges with tie-bar-less injection moulding machines. "The integration of multiple
Long-year cooperation: Vincent Garon, Patrice Quellier and Fabien Kiffer of Plastivaloire with Philippe Sterna, managing director at ENGEL FRANCE, and Franz Pressl, product manager for the tie-bar-less ENGEL victory and ENGEL e-victory machines at ENGEL AUSTRIA (from right to left).
The machine park in Langeais contains 55 mostly tie-bar-less injection moulding machines.
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ENGEL injection-2015
From a single source – mould included more efficiency, process reliability and quality: An automotive supplier in the Czech Republic is handling the higher order volumes optimally by means of a new highly automated manufacturing cell. To manufacture oil level sensors, the company invested in a turn-key solution by ENGEL. Housings for oil level sensors, which use ultra sound to check the fill level and measure the oil temperature at the same time, are among the most challenging components the automotive supplier is producing at its Czech facility. Both the part geometry and the connector elements required for integration into the car pose a considerable challenge for the injection moulding process. Geometrically speaking, the pocket for the NTC sensor is particularly tricky. It is 12 mm high, has an outer diameter of just 3 mm at its peak and the wall is only 0.5 mm thick at its thinnest point. 12 pins in five different designs with regard to coating and shape project downwards from the component. They are used to connect the sensor with the car's electronic system. Three pins lead to the lateral connector and therefore require four-fold bending. In addition, the housing requires three bushes for mounting it on the oil pan. Sums up to a total of 15 metal inserts which have to be inserted into the mould for every component. As recently as one year ago, the single cavity mould used back then was filled manually. 12,000 parts were produced per week. Then the requested numbers rose steeply and it became clear that a simple scale-up of the existing manufacturing process would not provide
efficient production. "The cycle times vary in the manual process. Furthermore, the risk of rejects was high and the quality control was time-consuming," says the project manager at the automotive supplier company. "By increasing the number of units we reached the break-even point for an automated manufacturing cell."
machine, mould and automation mesh perfectly In order to meet the diverse requirements of the component equally, the decision for a turn-key solution was made. "With such complex insert applications the injection moulding machine, mould and automation need to mesh perfectly," stresses the technical expert. "Therefore it was important for us to match all plant components right from the outset. We wanted the overall responsibility to lie with a single supplier." As a system supplier with a lot of experience in automation and mould manufacturing, ENGEL came into the focus of the project decision makers. Another reason for the decision was the strong local presence of the machine manufacturer in the Czech Republic. "It makes things a lot easier if our employees can speak to our suppliers in Czech."
Injection moulding, metal processing, quality control and automation were integrated on a very compact space.
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The rotary table reduces the cycle time. During the injection moulding process the 4-cavity mould is filled outside of the clamping unit.
60 metal inserts at once
at once. Before positioning them, the camera system checks whether the set is complete to avoid producing rejects due to pick-up errors. The inserts are charged in parallel to the injection moulding process, in the bottom half of the mould, which is outside of the clamping unit at that time. The comprehensive, fully automated quality control and the laser labelling also run in parallel. Every 36 seconds the manufacturing cell produces four new polyamide housings ready to be installed – with maximum process reliability and reproducible quality. The tolerances of this component are between 0.1 and 0.05 mm. Also in the Czech Republic there is a trend towards automation when it comes to high unit numbers. The reason, however, is not just rising labour costs. Rather the increasing functional integration which leads to ever more complex components is driving this development. The automation competency helps the plastics processors to acquire new orders, to increase their competitiveness and to continue to grow.
The manufacturing of the sensor housings starts with bending and cutting the pins. On a very small footprint, ENGEL integrated metal processing equipment, a vertical ENGEL insert 650V/130 rotary injection moulding machine with a 1200 mm rotary table, four Scara robots, a rotary table for preparing and feeding insert parts, another rotary table with five quality-control stations and a data matrix printer, a camera for monitoring the gripper, as well as a tray system for discharging finished parts. The new mould has four cavities, each comprising a slide unit to form the connectors as well as an underfloor slider for lateral perforation. In total, 60 metal inserts are handled in each cycle. The Scara robots take parts directly from the conveyor belts of the bending and cutting unit. The 15 insert parts required per cavity are pre-sorted and picked up by the gripper all
Four Scara robots carry out the complete handling of inserts and finished parts. From metal processing to injection moulding, quality control and removal of parts.
Petr Odehnal, sales engineer at ENGEL CZ, is the main contact person for the plastics processor. He coordinates the project plan, the involved partner companies and his colleagues at ENGEL's head office in Schwertberg, Austria. The mould technology team is based there, which is an important interface in the system solution business, because often factors in the mould decide how efficient the interplay of injection moulding machine and automation is going to be. "As a system supplier we usually don't get the simple tasks," says Johann Holzer, member of the ENGEL mould technology team. "People in the industry know that we have a lot of experience with complex components and always know the right partners to meet specific requirements." For the oil level sensor project ENGEL took IKO Isidor Kurz Werkzeug- und Formenbau from Haigerloch-Owingen, Germany, and automation specialist MKE from Heidenreichstein, Austria, on board.
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ENGEL injection-2015
A good mould alone does not make good parts Extremely robust, environmentally friendly and biocompatible – silicones are being used for more and more applications thanks to their outstanding characteristics. In order to live up to this increase, awetis engineering+manufacturing GmbH in Laudenbach an der BergstraĂ&#x;e is making targeted investments in this business area. Recently, a tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 120 LIM injection moulding machine was added to their technology centre. In 2010, awetis emerged from the plant and mould technology department of the Weinheim-based Freudenberg group and specialises in moulds, automation and IT solutions for processing elastomers and silicones. As a supplier of turnkey solutions, awetis provides support to their customers from the automotive industry, the fields of electronics, household goods and medical technology, from the initial product idea through the start of series manufacturing. "Silicone is clearly a growing area, partly rubber is already being replaced with silicone," stresses Sales Manager, Konrad Burkhardt. "Especially in the fields of medical technology and consumer products the demand is increasing substantially." Whether they are being used for medical devices, smart phones or engine components, silicone projects have one thing in common: the high requirements for resource efficiency. "Only those whose work is low in burrs, waste-free, highly automated and does not require reworking will survive the competition," says Burkhardt.
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"This defines the challenges for us as suppliers." awetis has secured unique selling propositions with specific mould technologies; among others e.g. the cold runner system fColdRunner with divided distribution level.
Maximum precision for efficient material use "A good mould alone is not enough to produce good parts," so Burkhardt. "The interaction of mould, injection moulding machine and peripheral units is the deciding factor." Exactly for this reason awetis uses ENGEL injection moulding machines in their own technology centre where moulds are sampled together with customers. "I have been working with ENGEL machines since my time as an apprentice," says Burkhardt. "ENGEL victory machines with tie-bar-less clamping units are able to reconcile the high quality and efficiency requirements of silicone processing particularly well." This is because of the specific characteristics of this
machine design. Thus the central flex link enables the moving mould mounting platen to follow the mould exactly while clamping force is being built up, which results in a high degree of platen parallelism. On the other hand, the patented force divider ensures that the clamping force is distributed evenly throughout the entire platen face and the cavities near the outer edge of the platen are closed with exactly the same clamping force as the ones in the middle. Both reduces mould wear and increases product quality, particularly when processing low-viscosity liquid silicone. The components have constant wall thicknesses and no burrs occur.
Reduce footprint Another feature is the high degree of flexibility thanks to the barrier-free access to the mould area. "At the technology centre we change moulds almost every day and with tie-bar-less machines this is achieved particularly quickly and comfortably," explains Burkhardt. For awetis flexibility also means to be able to sample a broad range of moulds with a relatively small machine. The largest silicone moulds have up to 256 cavities. While these moulds have a large volume, the injection moulding process requires only a low clamping force due to the rather small projected part area. In this case, the tie-bar-less technology makes it possible to choose the machine size according to the amount of clamping
"Flexibility is of particular importance at our technology centre. We can set up the tie-bar-less machines quickly and the mould area is clearly visible." Konrad Burkhardt, Sales Manager, awetis
force actually needed instead of according to the size of the mould. "Space is a very valuable good here at the technology centre," says Konrad Burkhardt. "In order to increase area productivity many of our customers also use tie-bar-less ENGEL machines." awetis is a customer and a partner of ENGEL at the same time. During the ENGEL Symposium 2015, ear plugs from liquid silicone will be manufactured in a mould from awetis (see page 8). Soon afterwards, ENGEL will present an integrated process chain for the manufacture of O-rings at the International Rubber Convention IRC 2015 from 29th June to 2nd July in Nuremberg. The UFO, which has been newly developed by awetis, will be used for this purpose. The universal rubber skin deburring machine for O-rings consumes significantly less energy than machines with cryogenic deburring and is furthermore particularly fast and clean.
Thanks to the tie-bar-less clamping unit, awetis is able to sample a broad range of moulds using the 120-tonne machine. There is also room for large multi-cavity moulds.
At their technology centre awetis employees injection moulding technology by ENGEL and dosing systems by nexus automation (Marchtrenk, Austria).
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ENGEL injection-2015
E NGEL Injection_en/ndes/05-2015
years | tie-bar-less
See The Possibilities Only those who have a clear view can see new ways. That’s why we at ENGEL are always open to new ideas. We welcome inventive thinking in the plastics industry – in the shape of injection moulding technology that gives your imagination free rein. It’s been 25 years since the launch of the ENGEL victory, the injection moulding machine with the revolutionary tie-bar-less design that allows limitless innovation. Free yourself from the conventional, and do the impossible.
Visit our website for more information on tie-bar-less projects.
www.engelglobal.com