Review: Arburg Technology Days 2012

The use of AES enables the energy requirements of the Allrounder Golden Edition machines to be reduced by up to 20 percent because a frequency converter continuously adjusts the speed of the electric motor to the actual power required. Thanks to the variable-speed pump drive, the machines can be operated at higher speeds in accordance with requirements. This results in a higher pump output, reducing the machine’s dry run time by around five percent. The cycle times can also be reduced accordingly. A further benefit is the minimisation of noise, heat and dust emissions. Moreover, the dissipated heat can be utilised for the purpose of energy recovery.

A further innovation is the servo-electrically driven “twin-screw Injester” for processing an extremely broad range of high-viscosity and paste-like compounds, such as moist polyester (BMC), solid silicone (HTC) or wax. In addition to the comprehensive spectrum of applications, extremely simple and fast cleaning is a further advantage of this Arburg solution. This results in shorter set-up and downtimes and therefore high cost efficiency.

As a global innovation and highlight with regard to process integration, Arburg, jointly with FPT Robotik, presented a production cell with an integrated inline printing system. The so-called InkBoT process combines digital printing and robotics. Thanks to high-precision robotic system kinematics and improvements in the print heads supplied by the inkjet industry, the inline printing system makes it possible to exploit the benefits of digital printing in the high-speed sector in industrial production processes for the first time.


At the Technology Days, personalised name plates were used to demonstrate how products with an individualised design can be flexibly produced using the new process. In addition to the inline printing system, the fully automated production cell designed for this purpose also featured an electric Allrounder 370 E and a six-axis robotic system. Two individually printed name plates were produced in a cycle time of approx. 20 seconds, impressively demonstrating the great flexibility of this innovative technology.

With more than 40 exhibition machines and applications, all the injection moulding processes and sectors were represented at the Technology Days. The electric, hybrid and hydraulic Allrounders with clamping forces from 125 to 5,000 kN, including vertical machines, produced parts for the automotive, electrical/electronics, medical technology, optical and packaging sectors, as well as for the wide-ranging technical injection moulding sector. The application range included the processing of various materials such as thermoset, LSR, metal and ceramic powders, as well as wood polymer. A wide variety of technologies, such as in-mould labelling, gas injection moulding, multi-component and micro-injection moulding, Mucell, clean room production, compression injection moulding, as well as the overmoulding of inserts were also on show.

Arburg's service and training offerings were also presented. Visitors showed great interest, for example, in the energy measurement feature, which experts presented on an electric Allrounder 470 E. Not only did they show the visitors how the measurements are made, but also explained the prerequisites for correct measurement and selection of the correct measuring instrument.
empty
 

ARBURG is one of the world's leading manufacturers of plastic processing machines.

Germany