Production efficiency, quality and flexibility are the decisive factors for the advancement of plastics processing enterprises in the process of the fourth industrial revolution, and ultimately determine their profitability and competitiveness. At the Chinaplas 2018 in Shanghai (April 24 to April 27, Hall 2 and Booth T01), KraussMaffei will showcase innovative injection molding machines and technologies and industry 4.0 solutions that will lead the future. Customers can use They continuously optimize production.
Making the best use of the potential of Industry 4.0
"Industry 4.0 is an important topic that has attracted the attention of our Chinese customers. The reasons for achieving Industry 4.0 of course include rising labor compensation or, for example, the expectation of complete records and tracking in the automotive industry. For us, this is a A great opportunity to position yourself as a premium manufacturer, because Industry 4.0 requires not only top-notch machines, but also high-performance automation equipment, control systems or interfaces, "said Jörg Wittgrebe, Deputy General Manager of Injection Molding Machine Sales at KraussMaffei (China).
KraussMaffei includes its Industry 4.0 solution under its brand Plastics 4.0. These include intelligent machine functions that are automatically optimized, reliable tools for seamless data collection and networking throughout the production process, and services worldwide. All in all, they help manufacturing factories become smart factories. "We see ourselves here as a partner for our customers and help them make the most of these opportunities and potential," Wittgrebe added. KraussMaffei will show how to do this in practice at the booth of Chinaplas with a carefully selected live demo as an example.
Greater transparency in production planning with MaXecution
A highlight at KraussMaffei's booth was the new MaXecution system, a manufacturing execution system (MES) tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized injection molding companies. "We will be demonstrating our new MaXecution system to our Chinese customers for the first time at Chinaplas, which will increase production transparency through productivity indicators such as overall asset efficiency, mold and resource management or machine and scrap statistics," Wittgrebe explained. KraussMaffei's new MaXecution system is based on the well-known HYDRAMES system provided by Mosbach's MES supplier Mopedewei (MPDV) to the market and offers three structural grades. In this way, the customer can determine how many MES functions he needs based on his needs. If customers need additional functions beyond these services, they can switch to MPDV's HYDRA system at any time. "Through the new MaXecution system and through the collaboration of our partner MPDV, we can continuously help our customers achieve digital, paperless production and provide them with tailor-made solutions to improve the performance of all their machinery and equipment. Utilization and increase the efficiency of their entire plant, "Wittgrebe said.
At KraussMaffei's booth at Chinaplas, visitors can experience how to collect and analyze production data during the injection molding process. In addition, KraussMaffei will explain practical MES functions in plastics processing in short reports multiple times a day.
GX650-4300: Asia's fastest dual-platen injection molding machine
Another highlight at the KraussMaffei booth was the GX650-4300 with the new linear robot LRX150. "Quality and efficiency standards are also increasingly important for our Chinese customers, especially in the government-promoted 'Made in China 2025' project. We pass the GX series of precision, speed, modularity, user-friendliness and long service life And other advantages to provide customers with tailor-made first-class solutions, "said Wittgrebe. The GX series has also been produced in China's Haiyan plant in 2016 in accordance with globally applicable KraussMaffei quality standards. With their extremely short dry cycle times, the GX series is considered to be the fastest hydraulic twin-platen injection molding machine in Asia. With on-site production, customers in China and Asia can also benefit from short delivery times and fast service delivery.
The GX series is not only suitable for high-volume projects with very short cycle times, but also for applications with very high technical requirements, such as those used in automotive lightweight structures. At the Chinaplas, a GX650-3400 with a clamping force of 6500kN demonstrated perfect repeatable process reliability in sequential injection molding. A cooling grill is produced in a cycle time of approximately 49 seconds. At the same time, the connected FlexFlow hot runner control system ensures perfectly balanced sequence matching. The result is a seamless, high-quality part that can be directly painted and plated in subsequent processes.
PX160-540: Faster processing of thin-wall closure caps
Thin-walled parts require power during injection. The all-electric PX160-540 used to produce Flip-Top drinking bottle flip caps at Chinaplas therefore exhibits a higher injection speed of 270mm / s. The lid is made of PP with a diameter of 28mm and features a short 1881 construction-a classic packaging application. "While achieving the high throughput required in this area, particularly short cycle times are required. Therefore, the PX160 is equipped with speed options: faster injection, faster ejection, higher torque and more Fast nozzle movement, "Wittgrebe said. This compact robot equipped with a linear robot LRX100 is used to remove the lid from the mold and place it in an integrated automation unit to close it. It saves time and space compared to common solutions on the market, such as in-mold closing and separate capping processes. “The PX160 at Chinaplas impressively combines the advantages of a high-precision all-electric injection molding machine and self-optimizing control system with the advantages of linear automation equipment and fully-automatic auxiliary equipment – with minimal installation space and highest efficiency. Way, we help our customers achieve fully automated production on a sustainable basis, "Wittgrebe explains.
GX600-3000: Outstanding Visible Parts for Consumer Electronics
At the booth of partner Roctool (HD Plastics), an inductive dynamic mold temperature system was used on a GX600-3000 to produce an exhilarating surface effect on a 13-inch laptop case. "The design possibilities are endless-whether it is a variety of shades, holographic effects, highlighting effects or matte effects-everything can be achieved in a one-step process without the need for additional post-processing steps such as film decoration or spray painting" Wittgrebe sums up the advantages of this technology. KraussMaffei's new-generation linear robot LRX350 ensures reliable and precise removal of parts from exhibits. At the same time, optimized kinematics and new compressed air saving features help achieve energy-efficient production. After the Chinaplas, the GX600 will head to Shanghai's new Roctool Technology Center for customers and interested parties to experiment and develop.
With APCplus, every part becomes a qualified part
All three exhibits GX650, GX600 and PX160 are equipped with extended APC plus functionality, which is another advantage of the KraussMaffei Plastics 4.0 solution. "The APC plus function ensures extremely stable component weight and the highest process reliability. As a result, almost every part becomes a qualified part. This saves material and money," Wittgrebe concludes by merits. Intelligent machine function APC plus is suitable for processing thermoplastics, multi-component injection molding or silicone processing. This enables special applications, such as thin-walled parts or sequential injection molding. In addition, APC plus also allows processing of recycled materials.