www.wittmann-group.com

Technics – Markets – Trends Volume 7 – 1/2013

Quarterly magazine of WITTMANN Kunststoffgeräte GmbH and WITTMANN BATTENFELD GmbH. Appears to meet the informa- tional demands of staff and customers. Editorial office: WITTMANN Kunststoffgeräte GmbH, Lichtblaustrasse 10, 1220 Vienna;tel. +43-1 250 39-204, fax +43-1 250 39-439; bernhard.grabner@wittmann-group.com; http://www.wittmann-group.comIssue 2/2013 of “WITTMANN innovations” will appear at the beginning of the second quarter 2013.

WITTMANN innovations (Volume 7 – 1/2013)

Articles that appeared in WITTMANN innovations so far

Automation• Productionandqualitycontrolinmedi-

calengineering1/2007• Thehandlingoflargestructuralfoamparts2/2007• ThenewR8robotcontrol3/2007• High-end:Theproductionofseatadjustmentrods1/2008• Driveengineeringforrobots1/2008• Automatingtheproductionoftrans-ponderpins2/2008• Automatedproductionofremotecon-trolkeys3/2008• AutomationatCarcloTechnicalPlas-tics,UK4/2008• TheflexibleautomationcellasABA-PGT1/2009• ThecultivationofgrowthwithWITT-MANNrobots2/2009• Brudertoywheelproduction4/2009• ProductionofpalletsatGeorgUtzinPoland1/2010• EcoModehelpsgettingenergyefficientrobots2/2010• Automatedproductionofoillevelsen-sors2/2010• Automatingrotationwelding3/2010• ThenewR8.2robotcontrol4/2010• Linearrobotsinthecleanroom1/2011• Super-fastpartremoval2/2011• Automationofcupsandlids3/2011• Superiormulit-componentmolding4/2011• Theautomationofinsertmolding1/2012• Theexpertautomationoflids2/2012• LSRpartsatSilcotech,Switzerland:Qualitythroughautomation3/2012• Zero-rejectproductionispossible4/2012

Conveying/Drying• CentraldryingandconveyingatRobert

BOSCH1/2007• QualitycontroloftheWITTMANNdryers1/2007• DryingandconveyingsystematKrom-berg&Schubert2/2007• Costefficientmaterialdrying2/2007• FEEDMAXconveyingunitsfitforthecleanroom3/2007• ThenewDRYMAXED80materialdryer3/2007• Focusonmaterialfeeding1/2008• TheWITTMANNnetworkcontrolatArge20002/2008• Changingparameterswhenconveyingdifferentmaterials2/2008• Optimizingamaterialconveyingsystem3/2008• DRYMAXdryerscompletewithenergyrating3/2008• Metchemcentralmaterialhandlingsystem4/2008• AuxiliariesatDelphiinChina1/2009• TheLISICOSMETICScentralsystem2/2009• Perfectplanningofcentralsystemsavoidsdowntime3/2009• TestingtheWITTMANNenergyclaimsatFKT4/2009• ThenewFEEDMAXB1001/2010• GreinerissavingenergybyusingWITTMANNdryers2/2010• TheA.C.S.conveyingsystem3/2010• TnenewFEEDMAXPrimusmaterialconveyor4/2010• ThenewDRYMAXAton2/2011• TheBKFconveyingsystem2/2011• WDKunststofftechnikanditscentralsystem4/2011• PETprocessorusesaWITTMANNconveyingsystem1/2012• ThePLASTICOMsystem2/2012• TheNICOMATICsystem3/2012• Savingenergyinmaterialdrying4/2012

Granulation• Inlinerecyclingofsprues1/2007• GiantgranulatorMCP1002/2007• ThenewMASgranulator3/2007• Thechallengingrecyclingprocess

1/2008• TheMC70-80granulatoratCentrex2/2008• GiboPlastenforcesrecycling2/2009• ThenewAFaugerfeedforMCcentralgranulators4/2009• Grindingofferrite1/2010• Grindingcriticalmaterial3/2010• TMPCONVERT:Customizedsolu-tions1/2011• InlinerecyclingwithMinor23/2011• Granulatorsunderthepress2/2012

Blending• ThenewWITTMANNblendersofthe

GRAVIMAXseries2/2007• Thetruthaboutblendereconomics3/2007• ThenewGRAVIMAX14Vblender3/2009• Theartofblendingregrind3/2011

In-Mold Labeling• WITTMANNIMLstackmoldsystems

3/2007• TheWITTMANN2+2stackmold1/2008• ATMd.o.o.inSerbiagrowswithWITTMANNsystems3/2009• QuadrangularIMLdesignatPLASTIPAKinCanada4/2010• TeaPlastinAlbaniawantstobecometheNumberOneinIML3/2012

News From The Subsidiaries• Australia2/2008• Austria2+3/2008, 1/2010, 3/2011,

4/2012• Benelux3/2008,2/2009• Brazil3/2007,1/2009• Bulgaria2/2009• Canada1/2007,1+2/2008,3/2009• China2/2010• Colombia2/2012• CzechRepublic/Slovakia4/2009• Denmark1/2009• Finland4/2008+1/2012• France2/2007,3/2008• Germany1/2007, 3/2012• GreatBritain2/2009,2/2010• Hungary1/2008• India2/2008,3/2010, 2/2012• Israel1/2012• Italy4/2008, 1/2010, 4/2011• Mexico3/2007,3/2009, 1+2/2011• Russia4/2012• Slovenia/Croatia1/2010• SoutheastAsia2/2007• SouthKores3/2010• Spain3/2007• Sweden2/2009• Switzerland1/2008, 2/2012• Taiwan4/2009• Turkey3/2008, 2+4/2011• USA2/2008,3/2009, 1/2011

Temperature Control• Theadvantagesofpulsedcooling

1/2007• Comparingwatertooil2/2007• ThenewtemperaturecontrollersoftheTEMPROplusCseries3/2007• ThenewCOOLMAXcompactcoolingunits2/2008• Temperaturecontroller“guarding”injectionmoldingmachines3/2008• TemperaturecontrollerswithDUOcooling4/2008• Variothermaltempering1/2009• ThenewTEMPROplusC1802/2009• ThenewTEMPROdirectC120[C250]3/2009• WFC:WITTMANNWaterFlowCon-trolfunctionality4/2009• TEMPROplusC180watertemperaturecontroller1/2010• WITTMANNTEMPRO:Theuniversalbenchmark2/2010• BFMOLDTMmoldcoolingsystem3/2010• ThenewTEMPROplusDtemperaturecontrollers4/2010• Online-thermography1/2011• TemperingandinjectionmoldingatFuchs&Sohn2/2011• TEMPROplusDintheautomotivesector1/2012• Oscilloscopefunction2/2012• Compacttemperaturecontroller4/2012

Injection Molding• WITTMANNBATTENFELD:One

stopshoppingforinjectionmolding4/2008• MetalinjectionmoldingatIndo-USMIM4/2008• Costoptimization:EcoPowerbyBATTENFELD1/2009• ITassistedservices1/2009• Waterinjectionforall-plasticparts2/2009• KronaIndústriaandWITTMANNBATTENFELD2/2009• Moldingmicro-partswiththeMicro-system503/2009• Multi-componentprocessatwolfcraft4/2009• Processdataacquisition:partnershipwithWilleSystem4/2009• Thenewall-electricEcoPowerinjection molding machine 4/2009• ThomasDudleyandWITTMANNBATTENFELD1/2010• IMLwithTMXpress1/2010• AIRMOULD®andAQUAMOULD®Mobile1/2010• DesignMoldedPlasticsandtheirmold-ingmachines2/2010• StadelmannreliesonWilleandWITT-MANNBATTENFELD2/2010• ThenewMicroPowermoldingmachine3/2010• AQUAMOULD®andprojectileinjec-tiontechnology3/2010• Newbenchmarkinlargemachines:MacroPower4/2010• STELLAreliesonWITTMANNBATTENFELDmachines4/2010• TheServoDrivetechnology1/2011• The75thmachineforKrona1/2011• PackagingspecialistTMXpress2/2011• WAVIN(CzechRep.)andWITT-MANNBATTENFELD3/2011• SANITmoldingasuccess3/2011• WEPPLERFilterusingBATTENFELDmachines4/2011• MacroPowerfortheproductionofcableties1/2012• TheCELLMOULD®process2/2012• ESMINproducescasesforcosmeticswith43WITTMANNBATTENFELDmachines3/2012• Remoteconnectivity3/2012• Foamedhigh-qualityparts4/2012• LECHNERandtheMacroPower4/2012

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 3

Editorial

DearReader,

Totakeadvantageofthefirstinnovationsissueofthisyear,Iwouldliketodoashortreviewoflastyear.Themostsurprisingthingintheyear2012forus(andmaybefortheentireplasticsmachineryindustry)wastheveryactivewill-ingnessforinvestment.

Insteadoftheeconomicslowdownthatwasanticipatedbyallhandsforthenearfuture,asortofconsolidationataveryhighstageappeared.Thismaynotbetrueforallmarkets,especiallywhenconsideringtheregionaldistinc-tionsthatarebecomingnoticeableinEurope,butforallourmarketsconsideredasawhole,wehaveachievedaremark-ableresult.TheWITTMANNGroup’sturnoverhasrisenby10%,anewmaximumvalue.Atthispoint,onceagain,Iwanttothankallofourbusinesspartnersandstaffmembersforanexcellentyear2012.

Weourselveshaveinvestedalotduringthepastyear;ourconstructionactivityhasbeenconsiderable.Duetotherisingdemand,wehavestartedtoextendseveralofoursubsidiaries:Kottingbrunn(Austria),Querétaro(Mexico),andTaichung(Taiwan).InDecember2012,WITTMANNRobotSysteme(Germany)movedintothenewbuildinginNurembergthatisreplacingthemuchsmallerformerfacil-ityinSchwaig.

For2013,wedon’texpectareversalofthetrend.Thetra-ditionalusersofinjectionmoldingtechniques–especiallyintheautomotiveindustry–movingforwardwillbeforcedtoinvestinnewtechnologiesandprocesses.Forus,thisisaconfidentandstimulatingperspective,pushingusforwardinourowninvestments.Again,thiswillleadtomanufactur-ingbetterproductsthatcanmeetalltherequirementsofthefuture.

Forthebestopportunitytogetageneralideaofournew-estinnovations,youshouldcalendarthe24thand25thofApril,thedateofthisyear’sCompetenceDays,whichwillbeheldagainatourmainplantforinjectionmoldingmachinesinKottingbrunn/LowerAustria.Thereyoucantakeacloserlookatalltheaspectsofourtrendsetting"Power"spectrum.Bymeansofseveralpresentations,wewouldliketobringhometoyouthelateststate-of-the-artprocessesandtech-nologiesfromtheworldofinjectionmoldingmanufacturing.Andlastbutnotleast,wewillofferyoutheopportunitytovisitourbrandnewassemblyhallforlargemachines.WewouldbeverypleasedtowelcomeyouinKottingbrunn.

Sincerely,

MichaelWittmann

Michael Wittmann

ContentInjectionMolding

MacroPower 1000 at GT LINE

Praise for the standard machine!

Tempering

Blending

Quality through optimization

4-fold IML with the EcoPower

Gabriele Hopfon a producer of high quality cases …Page 4

IML

… and on special parts for motorcy-cles from J.D. von Hagen.Page 6

WolfgangGlawatschdescribes the Buzek Plastic tem-pering process.Page 8

Klaus PeterSchmittvisits Norsystec and talks about their dosing system.Page 10

BernhardGrabneron the remarkable Fakuma IML application.Page 12

Central system for large partsGranulation

Christina Ebertand Denis Metralon the new KHW installation.Page 13

Wiba Tech ApS in Denmark.Page 14

MAPRIMAQ S. A. in Central America.Seite 15

Portraits

Blending at the highest level

WITTMANN innovations – 1/20134

Injection Molding

aMacroPower1000witha13800injectionunit.Furtherbenefitsforthecustomerincludethesmallfootprintofthemachineanditshighspeed.

Thelatterisaresultofthecombinationofahighpres-surebuild-uptimeandanextremelyshortlockingperiod,whichisrealizedthroughthemachine'snew,innovativelockingsystem,theso-calledQuickLocksystemfromWITT-MANNBATTENFELD.

BecauseofthesizeofthemoldsusedbyGTLINEinCre-spellano,theMacroPower1000/13800wasalsoequippedwithatie-barpullingdevice.

The MacroPower machine from WITTMANN BATTENFELD

TheMacroPowerinjectionmoldingmachineofferstheshortestfootprint,aswellasspeed,modularity,ultimateprecisionandabsolutecleanliness.Themodulardesignofthisnewlargemachinemodelmakesitsuitableforagreatvarietyofapplications.

Thelinearguidesystemofthemovingplatenensuresacleanmoldspaceandmaximumprecisioninmoldpro-tection.

TheWITTMANNBATTENFELDMacroPowerreachesitsremarkablehighspeedwithfastmovementsandmini-mallockingandhigh-pressurebuild-uptimes.Averyspe-cialhighlightofthisnewmachinegenerationistheeasewithwhichmoldscanbeinsertedsidewaysfromtherearofthemachine.

Anextendedsafetygatestrokeattherearofthema-chine,combinedwithtie-bars’positionatbelow-averagelengthbecauseofthelockingsystemthathasbeeninte-gratedinthemovingplaten,allowsfortheeasyinsertionofbulkymolds,inmostcaseswithouttheneedforatie-barpullingdevice.•

GTLINE,establishedinBolognaintheyear1970,isaleadingmanufactureroftechnicalhard-shellcases,specializinginthemosttechnicalcasesin

theindustryfromtheverybeginning.Inonlyafewyears,thecompanymanagedtoreachone

oftheleadingpositionsinEuropewithawiderangeofextremelyrobusttoolcases,bagsandmultimediacases.GTLINEoffers4differentproductlinesaspartofitsstan-dardrange:

• GTLINE–standardtechnicaltoolcasesthataremadefromvariousmaterials.

• WORKLINE–toolbags,backpacks,andtooljacketsespeciallydesignedfortheneedsoftradespeopleandofdo-it-yourselfworkers.

• EXPLORERCASES–virtuallyin-destructible,waterproofcasesforuseunderextremeconditions.

• @HAND–specialbagsformultimediaequipment,electronicequipmentandlaptops.

TheISO9001-certifiedcompanyalsomakesmorecus-tomizedcasestomeetcustomers’specificspecificationsforavarietyofuses,includingcasesfortheelectronic,ITandcosmeticindustries,casesformedicaltechnology,andcasesforuseunderextremeconditionsinthetransport,logisticsanddefenseindustries.

The GT LINE company and WITTMANN BATTENFELD

GTLINEneededaninjectionmoldingmachinewithanespeciallyhighinjectionpressure,ahighinjectionvolumeandalargescrewwithahighstabilityandbreakresistancefortheproductionofbasepartsfortoolcases.WITTMANNBATTENFELDhasbeenabletomeetthecustomer’srequirementswithregardtoinjectionpressureandvolume,aswellasthescrewdimensions,bybuilding

At the beginning of 2012, WITTMANN BATTEN-FELD placed its first MacroPower 1000 injec-tion molding machine with a 13800 injection unit at the GT LINE company, a widely known Italian manufacturer of high-grade tool cases based in Crespellano, Bologna. The most impor-tant parameters for GT LINE were the injection pressure and the injection volume, but also the dimensions of the screw.Gabriele Hopf

Tool case half-shells, manufactured on a MacroPower 1000

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 5

Injection Molding

Injection unit type 13800, used for the GT LINE production of half-shell cases. It comes with a specific injection pressure of 1,300 bar and a maxi-mum shot volume of 10,603 cubic centimeters.

The MacroPower 1000 from the new large-scale machine series from WITTMANN BATTENFELD with a clamping force of 1,000 tons.

One example from the GT LINE EXPLORER CASES series: virtually indestructible, wa-terproof hard-shell case for use under extreme conditions.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/20136

The J.D. von Hagen AG company (JDEHA) based in Iserlohn, Germany, was established in 1885. It is a family-owned and owner-managed enterprise, now in its fifth generation. Its current core business comprises of sophisticated compo-nent modules for the automobile and motorcycle industries, primarily packaging case systems and motorcycle encasements. For the packaging case systems, J.D. von Hagen uses injection molding machines from WITTMANN BATTENFELD.Gabriele Hopf

Today,13ofthe18injectionmoldingmachinesinstalledatJ.D.vonHagen,withclampingforcesrangingfrom60to1,600t,havecomefromWITT-

MANNBATTENFELD.Allmachinesarestandardmodels,i.e.withstandardinjectionandclampingunits.

ThemachinesfromtheHMseriesarethebackboneofJ.D.vonHagen’sproduction.Theyareavailablewithahydraulic3-platenclampingunitinthe35to300tclamp-ingforcerange,andfrom400to650tclampingforcewitha2-platenclampingunit.Whatbothversionshaveincom-monaretheirextremelycompactclampingunits.Thisisparticularlytrueofthe2-platenversion,whichkeepsitsfootprintextremelysmallthankstoanoverlappingconfigu-rationoftheclampingcylindersandtheinjectionunit.

Characteristicfeaturesofthemachinesaretheirgener-ouslydimensionedmoldspaceandtheirplatensupport,withhighlyaccuratelinearguides.Thetie-barshavenoguidingfunction;theyarefreelyretractable,centeredand

merelyserveasforcetransmitters.Thankstotheplatensupportonthelinearguides,theguidingprecisionremainsunchangedevenwiththeadditionofloadsduetoheavymolds.Thelinearguidesandtheretractabletie-barsarealsoincludedinthe3-platenHMmachinemodels.

Allinall,thesefeaturesprovideoptimalconditionsforprecisionwithgreatlyvaryingmoldsizes,whichareacon-stantfactoronvonHagen‘sproductionfloor.

High flexibility demanded

Asthenumbersofunitsperorderinmotorcyclecom-ponentsarelessthanthoseinautomobilecomponentsbyafactorofbetween10and100,anelaboratesystemofpartslogistics,adequatereserveinventorycapacity,flexibilityandtechnicalfacilitiestoshortenset-uptimesareamust.Toillustrate,typicalorderquantitiespermodelandyearareabout12,000units,or5,000unitspermodelvariant.These

Praise for the standard machine!Injection Molding

The development and production of motorcycle cases, top-cases and en-casement parts for motorcycles and motor scooters are the core business of J.D. von Hagen AG (JDEHA) in Iserlohn, Germany. In the production of its component portfolio consist-ing of case shells and accessories, JDEHA relies most-ly on WITTMANN BATTENFELD injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 60 to 1,600 t.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 7

quantitiesaredividedinto12deliverylots,whichresultsinreleasedquantitiesbetween400and1,000unitspermonth.Butconsistently,projectsrequiringspecialcustomizedmodelsproducedinquantitiesoflessthan100unitsmustbeproducedsimultaneously.Handlingthistypeofprogramininjectionmoldingproductionrequiresuser-friendlystan-dardmachineswithregardtotheelectroniccontrolsystem,

Injection Molding

Top-cases for motorcycles and motor scooters constitute the largest proportion of von Hagen’s production. The top models are equipped with pneumatic levers to assist with opening, and interior lighting. They are carpeted and have a shell matching the color of the motorcycle.

aswellaseasyaccesstotheclampingunit.Italsoneces-sitatesauser-friendlyandflexiblequickmoldclampingsystem.Accordingly,themajorityoftheinjectionmoldingmachineshavebeenfittedwithamagneticmoldclampingsystemfromEAS.

Forpartsremoval,J.D.vonHagenreliesontheexcellentperformanceofthestandardlinearrobotsfromWITT-

MANN.Onthemid-rangemachines,theUNI-ROBR10SandR20Slinearrobotshavebeeninoperationformanyyears.ThelatestmachineisequippedwithastateoftheartWITTMANNW823servorobot.

AIRMOULD® for light-weight parts

Suitcasesneedhandlesandstiffeningprofilesincorporatedintheshell.Toformthesewitharoundedcross-sectionthatisgentleonthehand,whilesimultaneouslyproducingthemwithineconomicallyfeasiblecycletimes,J.D.vonHagenreliesonWITTMANNBATTENFELDAIRMOULD®gasinjectiontechnology.

Twocompressorunitscombinedwithnitro-gengeneratorssupplyseveralmachines.Theappropriatemoldtechnologyforgasinjectionmoldingisproducedin-house.Thegreatdepthofproductionandknow-howisoneofthemostimpressivecharacteristicsofJ.D.vonHagen.Accordingtothecompany’sownfigures,itac-countsforroughly74percentofthesalesfigure,acomparativelyrarevalue,butlikelyisthebasisfortheautomotiveandmotorcyclesubcon-tractor‘sflexibility.Itrangesfromcomponentdevelopment,metalpartproductionandplasticinjectionmoldingallthewaytospray-paintingandcomponentassembly.

A successful partnership

Whereagreatvarietyofmodelsandsmallproductionlotsdemandultimateflexibilityinproduction,thefirstchoiceisalwaysuniversal,multi-purposeproductionequipment.

Ifthehighestlevelsofuniversalityanduser-friendlinessarealreadyincorporatedinthestandardequipment,productionisevenmoreefficient.

ThisisalsotheconclusiondrawnbyMartinvonHagen,whoadds:“SincetheseareexactlythequalitieswefindintheBATTENFELDmachines,wehavebecomeaBATTENFELDcustomeronceagainafterabreakofseveralyearsaroundthetakeoverofBATTENFELDbyWITTMANN.OnecontributingfactorwastheexcellentsupportprovidedbythenewlyestablishedWITTMANNBATTENFELDorganizationinMeinerzhagen.Theysupportusinallmattersoftechnologyandapplicationtechnology,whichisavitalcontributiontothecooperationinviewofthegreatdiversityofourproducts.”•

Gabriele Hopfis the Marketing Manager at WITT- MANN BATTEN-FELD in Kotting- brunn, Lower Austria.

The only viable quick mold clamp-ing system is a magnetic system. A visible sign: traces left by the magnetic elements on the molds’ con-tact surfaces.

JDEHA Chairman and CEO Martin von Hagen and WITTMANN BATTENFELD’s sales partner Frank Höher in front of a “mock-up” encasement system for a stan-dard motorcycle model. Most of the encasement components come from JDEHA’s production.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/20138

Tempering

oftheserequirements.Consequently,therewasnofurtherobstacletoimplementingthiscomplexsolution.

WITTMANN temperature controlling

Aself-optimizingmicroprocessorcontrollerintegratedintheTEMPROplusDapplianceprovidesextremetemper-

On its 19 injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 270 to 450 t, the Polish company Buzek produces the dishwasher tab wrappings from water-soluble plastics for a well-known detergent manufacturer. Both the material and the process demand a special solution for mold tempering.Wolfgang Glawatsch

Altogether,11ofthese19injec-tionmoldingmachinesareHM270andHM400injection

moldingmachinesfromWITTMANNBATTENFELDwithpartsremovalhandledbyWITTMANNW732robotsineachcase.

BuzekPlasticmanufacturesabout1billionofthesepartsperyearinitsinjectionmoldingmachines,someofwhichareequippedwith32-or64-cav-itymolds.Additionally,processingthespecialplasticmaterialusedalreadypresentsquiteachallengeinitself.Theproductionrequiresperfectcoordina-tionoftoolingandprocessingmachin-ery.ThefullyautomaticremovalofthefinishedpartsbytheW732robotsisimmediatelyfollowedbyqualityinspec-tionusingacamerasystem.

Finally,defect-freeproductionofthesepartsalsorequirespreciselycontrolledmoldtempering,includingcompletemonitoringofthetemperingparameters.

Requirements for the tempering system

BuzekPlastic’srequirementsforthenecessarytemperingequipmenttoim-plementthissolutionwereascertainedinthecourseofdetaileddiscussions.Oneofseveralcrucialdemandswasafacilityforcompleteflowcontrolofalltool-ingchannelpassages.

Additionalrequirementsincluded±0.2°Ctemperingac-curacy,increasedcoolingcapacityandcommunicationofallrelevantdatatotheprocessingmachine.TheTEMPROplusD90two-circuittemperaturecontrollerfulfilledeveryone

Quality assurance through the optimal tempering process

This picture shows the inside of a WITTMANN TEM-PRO plus D two-circuit tempera-ture controller. The circular markings highlight the dual flow measurement devices installed for each tempera-ture control circuit.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 9

Tempering

ingaccuracy,whichensuresthatthemaximumtolerancemarginof±0.2°Cisnotexceeded.Sincethisapplicationdemandsthedissipationofenormousamountsofheat,theflowcapacityofthecoolingchannelsmustalsobeincreased.Thisisachievedbyusingastrongerpumpwithadisplace-mentcapacityof60l/minanda5.8-barpumppressure.

FlowcontrolatBuzekwasimplementedbywayofinteg-rated4-foldflowmeasurement.Toobtainbetterheatdistributioninsidethemold,itwasnecessarytoseparatetheflowpertemperingcircuitintotwoflowcircuits.Theflowmeasurementdeviceintegratedinthetemperaturecontrollercontrolseachoftheindividualflowvalues.Thefreelyconfigurable5.7"colortouchscreenoftheWITT-

Visualization on the two-circuit temperature controller: the display shows the process tem-perature and the two flow values measured for each of the temperature control circuits.

Wolfgang Glawatschis the Regional Sales Manager for Austria of WITT- MANN BATTEN-FELD in Kotting- brunn, Lower Austria.

MANNTEMPROplusDtemperaturecontrolleroffersclearvisualizationofallfourflowvalues.Oncethetolerancemarginshavebeenset,continuouselectronicmonitoringofthevaluestakesplace,whichcanthenbecombinedwithanacousticerrorsignalifnecessary.Eitherway,constantcontrolofalltoolingchannelsisprovided.

Asthefinaltouch,thetempera-turecontrollerisconnectedtotheprocessingmachineviaaserial20mAinterface,whichWITTMANNoffersasanoptionalauxiliary.

On the way to comprehensive process optimization

Dipl.-Ing.A.Huberexpresseshissatisfactionwiththenewtemper-ingsolutionimplementedatBuzekPlastic:“First,wecalculatedtheoptimalflowvalueinsidethemold,whichisthencomparedtothedevia-tionscausedbydepositsforminginthecoolingchannelsinthecourseoflong-termoperation,whichhavenowbecomemeasurable.Thisprovidesuswithasimplemeanstoascertaintheoptimaltimingforservicingthemolds.”

Furthermore,theadherencetotemperaturetolerances,andtheimprovementinheatdissipationbythelargercapacityofthepump,bothalsocontributetoimprovingthepro-cessconditionsandthusultimatelytohigherqualitystandardsforthefinishedparts.

InsummaryitcanbesaidthatthroughtheuseoflatestWITT-MANNtemperaturecontrolsys-tems,anotherdecisivestephasbeentakenattheBuzekcompanytowardsprocessoptimizationandzero-rejectproduction.

Consideringthat,inadditiontoinjectionmoldingmachinesfromWITTMANNBATTENFELD,WITT-MANNrobotsandtheWITTMANNtemperaturecontroltechnologydescribedabovearebeingusedaswell,thisisyetanothersuccessfulexampletodemonstratetheWITT-MANNGroup’scorporatemottoof“onestopshopping”inpractice.•

WITTMANN innovations – 1/201310

Blending

Norsystec GmbH (Nohra-System-Technik) based in Nohra, Thuringia, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of KKT Holding. Complex parts for the automotive industry are produced on the company’s state-of-the-art injection molding machines (with clamping forces ranging from 500 to 10,000 kN). Norsystec very success- fully uses the material conveyance and dosing equipment from WITTMANN.Klaus Peter Schmitt

AtNorsystec,theassem-blyprocessesfollow-inginjectionmolding

arecarriedouteitherdirectlyonthemachine(andbythemachine),ortheindividualcomponentsareputtogethertomakeupcompleteassem-bliesonthecompany’sownassemblyfloor.Here,state-of-the-artqualityassurancemethodsarepracticed.

ThisishowNorsystechasdevelopedintoawell-knownautomotivesuppliercapableofprovidingacompleterangeofservices,fromtheproto-typingofnewproducts,tomonitoringofqualityinseriesproduction.

Norsystec and WITTMANN

Inordertomeettheever-increasingdemandsofthemostdemandingmarket,Norsystecfounditnecessarytoseekcooperationwithcom-petentpartnersabletosatisfyitsownincreasinglystringentrequirements.Accordingly,whenNorsystecwasfoundedin2008,WITTMANNwaschosenasitssupplierofmate-rialdryingandconveyanceequipment.Later,aspecialsolutionfordosingandtheblendingofvariousmaterialshadtobefound.

Hereagain,WITTMANNveryquicklycraftedthedeci-siveoffer,sothatithasnowalsobecometheprimarysup-plierinmattersofdosingtech-nology.Inthisareatoo,thehighquality,functionalityandreliabilityoftheWITTMANNequipmentgaveimmediateconviction.

Dosing material on the highest level

This picture taken at the Norsys-tec production hall shows a GRAVIMAX B14 dosing system from WITTMANN, combined with two FEEDMAX material loaders: a FEEDMAX S3 (mounted on top of the dosing ap-pliance on the left) and a FEEDMAX from the B series.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 11

NorsystecchosetheWITTMANNGRAVIMAXB14blenderfromthelatestgenerationofdosingequipmentwhichhadonlyjustbeenrolledoutattheendof2011.TheGRAVIMAXblendersprovedacompletesuccessfromthefirsttimetheywerefittedtothefeedzonesoftheinjectionmoldingmachines.

Inspiteofthevibrationcausedbythemachines,neitherthenecessarydosingaccuracynortheabsolutereliabilityofthedosingequipmentwerecompromisedinanyway.“Theconceptofthisequipmentissimplyperfect”,aNorsystecrepresentativecomments.

The WITTMANN dosing equipment concept

ThetechnicalconceptionofthenewGRAVIMAX,itscompactdesignandtheexcellentworkmanshipintheappli-ancewereidealforNorsystec’sneeds.Oneoftheparticu-larlyimpressivefeatureswastheeasilydetachablestainlesssteelmaterialhopperthatwaslockedintoplacewithquick-releasefastenersandequippedwithclear-viewwindowsatthecorners.

Theingeniouspositioningoftheclear-viewwindowsper-mitsquickvisualcheckingoffillinglevelsinsidethehoppersfromvirtuallyanyangle.Theveryeasydetachabilityofthesewindowsalsomakesforquickandeasycleaningofthehop-pers.AspecialbenefitofGRAVIMAXistheuseofuniformdosingvalvesinallofitsmaterialhoppers.

Thismeansthatanyandalltypesofmaterial(whethervirginmaterials,ready-madecompoundsorregrinds)canbefedintoanyofthehopperswithoutanyrisk.

TheWITTMANNGRAVIMAXmaterialblendersofferextremelyeasyandcomfortableadministrationofcom-poundformulationsandparametersettingontheappliancesviatheirtouchscreencontrolsystem.Withthehelpofthiscontrolsystemanditsself-explanatoryuserinterface,eveninexperiencedoperatorscanmakeasuccessful,trouble-freequickstartofthesystem.Thankstothevariousmaterialdosingmodes,whichcanbesetindividually,allaspectsof

thedosingprocesscanbeadaptedtosuiteverymaterial.

AnotheroutstandingfeatureofGRAVI-MAXisitsinnovativeballmixer–“noangularchamberwithsedimentationandnon-homogeneousblending”ishowNor-systecputsit.

Theroundeddesignofthemixingchamberandthespeciallydevelopedmixingpaddleinsidemakesurethattherearenomore“deadcorners”.Thematerialismixedintoahomogeneousblendandremovedfromthemixingcontainerwith-outleavinganyresidue.Inthisway,itisguaranteedthattheentirecontentsofthemixingchamberarefedintotheinjectionmoldingmachine.

ThroughthecombineduseofuniqueRTLStechnology(RealTimeLiveScale)andhigh-precisionstainlesssteelmaterialvalves,itbecomespossibleforeverysinglebatchtoreachtheexactpre-setweight.Everysinglematerialbatchisweighedinrealtime,whichensuresconsistentweigh-ingaccuracy.

Thisinturncontributestosavingmate-rial,withthefurtherconsequenceofre-ducingcostsandincreasingearnings.Thesimple,intuitiveoperationoftheappliancereducestheworkloadoncompanystaffandimprovesproductivity.

Theweighinghopper,whichismountedontwoguides,canbedetachedfromtheappliance.Itisspeciallydesignedtopre-ventanylossofmaterialduringthedosing

procedure.Thedustproofhousingofthemixingchambersupportstheefforttokeeptheproductionprocessascleanaspossible.

Joint success

Theuseoftop-qualityequipmentisvitalforbringingpremium-qualityplasticpartstomarketthatcansatisfyeventhemostdemandingcustomers.Thisiswherethedos-ingtechnologyconceptfromWITTMANNhasproventobetherightchoiceforNorsystec.

Thismeansthatthecompany,whichalreadyhasseveraldosingappliancesfromWITTMANinuseatpresent,willcontinuetobenefitfromthereliabilityandcompetenceofWITTMANNinthefuture.•

Blending

Klaus Peter Schmittis Product Manager for bulk material technol-ogy at WITTMANN Robot GmbH in Gross-Umstadt, Germany.

The product pho-tos show several examples from the sophisticated automotive port-folio of Norsystec GmbH.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/201312

IML

At the Fakuma trade show 2012 in Friedrichshafen, for the first timeever, an IML application (In-Mold Labeling) was presented in combinationwith an EcoPower molding machine from WITTMANN BATTENFELD.The fully automated IML system produced plastic cards in a 4-cavity mold.The visitors’ attention was particularly drawn to the short cycle time.Bernhard Grabner

ThefullyelectricEcoPowerisoneoftheWITTMANNBATTENFELDPowerSeriesmodels.Itisahighlyprecise,cleanmachinewithupmostenergyeffi-

ciency.Thebrakingenergyofthedrives,normallywastedorrecoveredbyanelaborateprocess,istotallyutilizedinsidethemachineforthepowersupplyofthemachinecontrolandthecylinderheating.Thefastbarrelchangefacilityofthemachineanditsopendesignprovidethehighestflexibil-ity.Thusthehandlingofrobotscanbeintegratedseamlesslyinthemachinecontrol.

IML system with four cavities

ThisFakumaapplicationthatwasdesignedforthemostchallengingrequirements,producedplasticbank/loyaltycardsapplyingadouble-sidedIMLprocessusing4cavitiessimultaneously.Toprocessthechosenbio-material(PLA),

anEcoPowerinjectionmoldingmachinewithaclampingforceof180tonswasused.Foreachpart,theinsertionoftwolabelswithdifferentprintedartworkwasnecessary.Theinsertionofthelabelswascarriedoutbyalaterallyrunning-inWITTMANNW837HighSpeedrobotthatalsoremovedthefinishedpartsfromthemold.

Finally,theplasticcardswerecarriedintoaninspectionunit,whereacameracheckedthepositionofthelabels.

Perfect interaction

Thecycletimethatwasneededfortheentireprocesswasveryshort.Overall,itcametonomorethanfourseconds.Withthisapplicationanditsinterlockingcomponents,theWITTMANNGroupagainprovedtheirabilitytosuccess-fullyinstallandoperatehigh-classproductionfacilities,eveninthemostspecializedfields.•

Fakuma 2012: The fourfold IML with the EcoPower injection molding machine

The fourfold grip-per of the W837 robot removes the molded parts from the IML mold. The injection points are clearly vis-ible on the cards (originally small circular openings in the labels).

BernhardGrabneris Head of the Graphic Design Department and the Editorial Office at WITTMANN Kunststoffgeräte GmbH in Vienna, Austria.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 13

ThesuccessstoryofKHWstartedin1948,whereitbeganasawoodcraftsfac-

toryforfencematerials,furniture,andladders.

Intheearlyseventies,plasticproductionwaslaunched.Thisproductionwascontinuouslyex-panded,aswellaswoodproduc-tionforsportequipment(gym-nasticandleisurearticles).

In1972,thecompanywasforcedintonationalization,andchangedintoapublic-ownedfac-tory(aso-calledVEB).18yearslater,thecompanywasreprivatized.After1990,KHWbecamemarketleaderwiththeirrangeofsleds(snowflyers).Today,morethan30modelsofsledsareproduced.

The requirement

In2012,afiredestroyedthegrindingfloor.KHWneededtoreplacethegrindingsystemassoonaspossible,becauseduetothelargepartdimensions,theuseofregrindisanessentialfactorforthecompany’sprofits.KHWurgentlyneededalargecentralgranulatorwithaconveyorbelt,metaldetection,anddedustingsystem.Thechallengewastoimmediatelyconstructaninstallationthatwouldcopewiththegranulationofsnowflyers,gardenfences,flowerpots,andoutdoortoyswithdimensionsofmorethan1meter.ThegranulatorneededtobeabletomanagethecompleterangeofKHWparts.Theriskofmetalliccontaminants(loosentools,metallichandles)wastobeeliminated,soaglobalmetaldetectionbeforeandafterthegranulationwasneededtoensurethebestregrindqualityaswellasalongdurabilityofthecuttingtools.

Thegrindingfloorwaslocatednexttoaprivatehouse,sothenoiselevelwasacrucialfactortomaintainingagoodrelationshipwiththeneighbors.Asaresult,anindependentcompanywashiredtotakenoisemeasurementsvalidatingtheefficiencyofthegranulator’ssoundprotection.

The solution

AdrianHuck,theKHWTechnicalManager,veryquicklybecamesureoftheWITTMANNMC70-80granulatorwith55kW,cuttingchamberdimensionsof690×800mm,570mmrotordiameter,andathroughputof850kg/hr.Easy

cleaningduetothetopaccesstothecuttingchamberalsowasakeysellingpointforHuck,asitoptimizedtheclean-ingtimeduringchangesofcolorsormaterials.Theelectro-assistedopeningofthehopperandthescreencradlealsoallowedforgoodaccessandaquickcleaning.Thecompleteinstallationandstart-upwasmadebyWITTMANNtobecost-efficient,andtheentiresystemwasgivenoverasaturnkeysolutionveryquickly.

KHWchoseadoublebigbagstationtoreducedowntimewhenproducingalargeamountofregrindoffthereel.Inregardtothemanycolorsandmaterialsthatareprocessed(ABS,PE,PP,POM,PA,PC/ABS,PBT),GeneralManagerRalfGrotelohwantedtogethigh-qualityregrindcontain-ingtheabsoluteminimumpercentageofdust.TheWITT-MANNexpertsbasedinGross-Umstadtrecommendedalargefilterstationtooptimizetheprocessofdustremovalandtoreducethemaintenancetime.

Thesystemwasdesignedasadouble-stagededustingso-lutionwithanenlargedfiltrationsurface.Thefilterelementscanbeaccessedveryeasilybytheoperators,andthereisnoneedforatechnicianwhenundertakingthestandardclean-ing/maintenanceprocedures.

Afteranoperationtimeofsixmonths,RalfGrotelohwasabsolutelysatisfiedwiththeresultsprovidedbythenewsolution:“Theexhaustedairisclean,andtheregrindquality–comparedtotheoldsystem–ismuchbetterthanwehadeverexpected.”•

Granulation

The KHW central system for the cre-ation of regrind with the WITT-MANN MC 70-80 granulator, con-veyor belt, and filter station.

Christina Ebertis working for WITTMANN Robot Systeme GmbH in Gross-Umstadt, Germany, for the Temperature and Granulators Sales Department.Denis Metralis International Product Manager for granulators at WITTMANN BATTENFELD France SAS in Seyssinet-Pariset.

KHW (Kunststoff- und Holzverarbeitungswerk GmbH) in Geschwenda, Germany, is a worldwide leader in the production of snow flyers.For the granulation of plastic parts, KHW has decided topurchase a MC 70-80 heavy-duty granulator.Christina Ebert – Denis Metral

A large solution for large parts

WITTMANN innovations – 1/201314

Portrait

Denmark:Wiba Tech ApS announcing further growth

WibaTechApSwas

takenoverbyJesperSkaarupasthenewGeneralManagerinMay2011andithasgrowneversincethen.Thecom-panyhasbeentheDanishagentoftheWITTMANNGroupfor30yearsandisacompletesalesandservicecompanyrunbyateamofnineexpe-riencedemployees.WibaTechisnotonlyactiveinDenmarkitself,butalsobeyonditscontinentalfron-tiers.Forinstance,shortlybeforetheturnoftheyear,anewHM65injectionmold-ingmachinewasdeliveredtotheLOOKNORTHcompany,aninjectionmolderbasedononeoftheFaroeIslandsfarnorthintheAtlanticOcean.Thiscustomerisus-ingitsplasticsprocessingmachinerymainlyforthemanufacturingoffishingequipment.“We’velearnedthatquiteafewof

ourcustomersarestillgrowing,es-peciallymanufacturerswithaglobalfocus,”JesperSkaarupstates.

A strong year with good prospects

During2012,nolessthan75injec-tionmoldingmachineshavebeeninstalledinDenmarkwith4different

customers,and“on-site”trainingformorethan75peoplewasconducted.ThemachinesthathavebeensoldwerefromtheServoPowerseries,rangingfrom65to150tons,includingsomeEcoPowermodels.

“ForasmallorganizationlikeWibaTech,theinstallationofsomanyma-chineswasareallogisticalchallenge.However,withcarefulplanningandex-cellentteamworkwithourcolleaguesfromKottingbrunn,weendedupwithhappycustomersandcouldprovideagoodbasisforfutureoperations”,JesperSkaarupadds.

NotonlywasbusinesswithWITT-MANNBATTENFELDinjectionmoldingmachinesgrowinginthelastyear,buttheWITTMANNperipheralequipmentwasaswell,especiallyasfarastemperaturecontrollersandrobotswereconcerned.

ThemostchallengingprojecthasbeenthedevelopmentofanewW838“tandemrobot”solution,consistingoftworobots.However,thefirsttestrunofthesystemwasanabsolutesuccessandfourmoresystemsofthesamekindwereordered.Thisspecialsolu-tionhasyettotapitsfullpotential.•

Despite certain global recession tendencies, Wiba Tech ApS,being the Danish WITTMANN agency, has had a very good year in 2012. And with a nice order book for 2013, Wiba Tech is looking aheadvery optimistically.

Not the actual homeland of the Danish WITT-MANN agency, but absolutely part of the Danish mar-ket: Klaksvík on the Faroe Islands. Picture right: Arrival of the HM 65 injection mold-ing machine at the LOOKNORTH plant in Klaksvík.

Jesper Skaarup (first from the left), General Manager of Wiba Tech ApS in Fredensborg, Denmark, with the bigger part of his team.

WITTMANN innovations – 1/2013 15

Portrait

Untiringly on duty for the plastics industry in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador: the team of MAPRIMAQ S. A. in Guatemala City, the local agency of the WITTMANN Group.

Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador:MAPRIMAQ S. A., the WITTMANN Group's agency in Central America

FromtheirGuatemalaCityhead-quarters,MAPRIMAQisservicing

thelocalmarketandthemarketoftheneighboringHonduras.TobealsopresentinthemarketinElSalvador,thecompanyisusingasub-agency.NinepeopleareworkingattheGua-temalaheadquartersandfourmorearerepresentingMAPRIMAQinElSalvador.

TheregionintheNorthofCentralAmericathatMAPRIMAQisrespon-sibleforisnotvast,andtheeconomiccircumstancescorrespondtothis.Thethreecountriesinquestionare,com-bined,onlyabout241,500km²,withatotalpopulationofapproximately30million.Duetotherelativelylowlydevelopedinfrastructureandthehighenergycosts,itisnoteasyforCentralAmericanmanufacturerstosucceedintheinternationalplasticsmarket.

The market situation

MostofthetechnicalplasticproductsareimportedfromChina,Taiwan,theU.S.,andMexico.Thus,theregionalplasticsindustryisfocusingontheproductionofconsumergoodssuchaspackaging,containers,closures,anddomesticplasticproducts.

Since2011,MAPRIMAQhasactedastheregionalagencyoftheWITT-MANNGroup.Thecompanystandsoutduetoitslonglastingregionalexperience.Forthelocalcustomers,awiderangeofmachineryisavailable,includinginjectionmoldingandblowmoldingmachinesaswellasextru-sionlines.Inaddition,MAPRIMAQissellingspecialrawmaterialsthatareneededwhenmanufacturingfilms,closures,andshoesoles.

Quiterecently,MAPRIMAQgotanorderforacompleteWITTMANNcentralmaterialhandlingsystem.This

installationwillfullyautomaticallysupplytwoextrusionlineswithvirginandregrindmaterial.ThecupsandplatescreatedfromthisproductionwillbesoldinCentralAmericaandintheCaribbean.

AnotherongoingprojectisthemandatetomodernizeanexistingIMLsystem(In-MoldLabeling)thatisequippedwithaWITTMANNrobot.ThisisthefirstIMLsystemofthebig-gestCentralAmericanbrewery,anditisusedfortheproductionofadvertis-ingmaterial.

ThepromotionofWITTMANNBATTENFELDinjectionmoldingmachinesandofWITTMANNperipheralequipmenthavealreadyattractedtheinterestofthetwobiggestplasticsgroupsinthisregion.TheyhaveannouncedthattheywillvisittheCompetenceDaysthatareheldintheAustrianWITTMANNBATTENFELDplantinApril.

Forbothofthem,theIMLtechnol-ogyisofparticularimportance,andtheirvisitinAustriawillcontributetotheirdecision-makinginregardtosomeoftheirupcomingprojects.

Future prospects

Inthenearfuture,theregionofNorthernCentralAmericawillintensifytheuseofallthepossibili-tiesthatseveraltradeagreements,theNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgree-ment(NAFTA),therespectiveagree-mentwiththeDominicanRepublic(CAFTA),andwiththeEuropeanUnion,areproviding.Nodoubt,hereliesgreatpotential.

Atpresent,profitablediscussionsarebeingheldinviewoftheregionalproductionofcompleteelectriccablesystemsfortheNorthAmericanauto-motiveindustry.Sofar,thesesystemshaveonlybeenassembledfromsinglecomponentscomingfromNorthAmerica.

MAPRIMAQS.A.isregularlytak-ingpartinthemostimportantindus-trialfairsheldinNorthAmericaandCentralAmerica.ThecompanywaspresentattheNPEshowintheU.S.andwillbeatthePLASTIMAGENshowinMexico,aswellasthemostimportantEuropeanfairs,particularlytheKshow.•

Launched in 1951, MAPRIMAQ is headquartered in a modern businessand conference center in Guatemala City. The company name of the familybusiness is referring to the Spanish “materias primas y maquinaria” –meaning “raw materials and machinery”.

BP00000034 – 1301

WITTMANNBATTENFELD INC.1 Technology Park DriveTorrington, CT 06790, USAtel.: +1 860 496 9603fax: +1 860 482 2069info.us@wittmann-group.comwww.wittmann-group.com

WITTMANN ROBOT(KUNSHAN) CO. LTD.No. 1 Wittmann Rd.DianShanHu TownKunshan City, Jiangsu Province215245 CHINAtel.: +86 512 5748 3388fax: +86 512 5749 3199info@wittmann-group.cnwww.wittmann-group.com

WITTMANNKUNSTSTOFFGERÄTE GMBHLichtblaustrasse 101220 Vienna, AUSTRIAtel.: +43 1 250 39-0fax: +43 1 259 71-70info.at@wittmann-group.comwww.wittmann-group.com

WITTMANNBATTENFELD GMBHWiener Neustädter Strasse 812542 Kottingbrunn, AUSTRIATel : +43 2252 404-0Fax: +43 2252 404-1062info@wittmann-group.comwww.wittmann-group.com