Topic focus of "production efficiency" proved extremely popular at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag's customer open day

How can I pro-actively influence production efficiency and exploit my resources to optimum effect? This key question was answered by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH on the occasion of their customer open day with numerous examples drawn from practice and reports derived from experience. The fact that the German-Japanese injection moulding machine manufacturer was able to provide exactly what injection moulding processors were looking for was proven by the high approval ratings awarded by the group of international customers and interested visitors attending. CEO Dr. Tetsuya Okamura, COO Shaun Dean and Christian Renners, General Manager, BU Sales & After-sales, were able to welcome over 400 visitors to Schwaig on 24 May 2012.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH has been working intensively on technologies aimed at increasing production efficiency for years. No fewer than 13 high-performance modules are now available to users to allow them actively to ratchet up their efficiency levels. The term "activePlus production efficiency" is used by the injection moulding machine manufacturer to cover these activities, which were at the heart of this year's customer open day.

"A maximum of qualitatively perfect parts, produced in as cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways as possible - that is what our customers focus on", is what Bernd Tröger, head of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag's marketing operations, makes clear. "In these regards, we support our users with concrete machine performances and technologies, which are precisely designed for the respective task in hand. We are partners for our customers in the areas related to production efficiency in which we are the experts, namely machinery and process technology. Furthermore, we regard ourselves as system integrators and involve partner companies which in turn are leading in their particular fields. That is what we aim to provide. In this way, optimum solutions are devised for our customers.”

Just restricting efforts to energy efficiency would mean neglecting a holistic approach. For customers of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, maximum production efficiency is provided by the effective inter-action between production performance, in other words quality and output, availability, energy efficiency and durability. All these aspects were to the fore in a total of eleven innovative exhibits from the IntElect, Systec and E-Exis SP series with correspondingly varying weightings: among these were, for example, the deployment of the switchable activeLock non-return valve for achieving the highest process consistency in high-precision manufacturing with all-electric machines as well as the activeFlowBalance and activeDynamics functions for further increasing the quality of parts. Acceleration and deceleration procedures can be individually optimised for the El-Exis SP hybrid high-speed machines using activeAdjust. In the case of hydraulic machines, activeCool&Clean ensures long oil change intervals. And even older NC4-controlled injection moulding machines can be tuned up for a more efficient future with activeDrive, a retrofittable energy saving drive. "Whether the emphasis is more on precision, speed, energy efficiency, availability or durability, our 13 technology modules mean the user can optimise their machinery in a totally customised way which addresses their needs. We were able to demonstrate that message very impressively with the various machine exhibits on show," emphasises Bernd Tröger.

Visitors were able to gather more information about the highlights of operating and processing technologies shown in the comprehensive range of exhibits through two series of presentations on the topics of production efficiency and packaging. André Lück, Neue Materialien Fürth GmbH, in a joint presentation with Robert Heizinger from ViscoTec Pumpen- und Dosiertechnik GmbH, Töging, was thus able to go into more detail about the advantages of colour change using activeColourChange. ActiveColourChange is a new liquid colour system which represents an alternative to master batch processing and which could be seen in action at the in-house trade fair in the manufacture of pen housings on a Systec 100. Christoph Klinkenberg from Bayer Material Science AG reported in depth about the research project for manufacturing multi-layer optics by pre-moulding a lens core and then subjecting it to tension-free flooding in a way demonstrated on an all-electric IntElect 100. Dr. Wolfgang Clemens presented a talk on uses and innovations in printed electronics on behalf of PolylC GmbH & Co. KG from Fürth, a company forming part of the Kurz Group. Heiko Weiner from the Ceracon Gmbh, Weikersheim, explained how injection moulding parts can be manufactured in just one single process step with PUR foam. The special requirements demanded when processing liquid silicone were dealt with in a talk by Michael Schaffer from Elmet GmbH, based in Oferting, Austria.

After this, Thomas Brettnich and Thomas Schnauffer, both from the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Company, presented the current innovations for focused increased efficiency in the injection moulding process as well as intelligent automation solutions and the role of customer engineering.

The presentations by the Marbach moulds & automation GmbH, Bad Urach, dealt with trends in packaging production and in-mould labelling technology. Adolph Keller from the Swiss company of Schöttli AG focused on new mould technologies for efficient packaging production, while Philip Knapen from the Borealis Group dealt with sustainable materials solutions with polyolefins and Mike Uhrain from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag shed light on the machine technology for high-speed packaging applications.

The varied programme of talks, the innovative exhibits and the tour of the works all aroused great interest among the visitors. "We are thrilled by the extremely positive feedback provided by our circle of customers", says Bernd Tröger: "The customer open day offered a whole range of contact points for both sides and has strengthened our resolution to expand our technology modules for increasing production efficiency even further."

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has helped shape the development of the plastics industry in a sustainable manner since it began. As a specialist in injection moulding machines for plastics processing, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is counted, together with its Japanese parent company, among the leading companies in the industry world-wide. The Japanese-German company was formed in the spring of 2008 by merging the injection moulding activities of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) and those of Demag Plastics Group.

The global development and production network of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag consists of four plants in Japan, Germany and China with more than 3,000 employees. The product portfolio encompasses all-electric, hydraulic and hybrid driven injection moulding machines with clamping forces ranging between 180 and 20,000 kN. With over 100,000 machines installed, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has a presence in all important markets throughout the world.
With more than 5,000 machines being sold each year, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, with its Plastics Machines Division, is ranked as one of the largest manufacturers of injection moulding machines in the world.
The main Sumitomo plant in Chiba, Japan produces machines with low and medium clamping forces. Around 95% of all machines supplied have an all-electric drive design.

The main Demag facility in Schwaig/Germany focuses on the hydraulic Systec and the hybrid high performance, high-speed El-Exis machines. Recognising the increasing importance of electric drive technology for injection moulding machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has expanded the former Demag factory in Wiehe/Germany into an international centre of competence for electric machines. Due to the production capacities created, Wiehe today supplies the international market with its IntElect series of electric injection moulding machines with up to 4,500 kN of clamping force as well as hydraulic machines in the Systec series with up to 1,200 kN of clamping force.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag continues to operate the former Demag plant in Ningbo/China which has been active since 1998. Since 2007, the subsidiary located there, Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. had its own, newly built plant and after reaching full capacity, has now moved to a larger factory site with a production area of 11,000 m². The injection moulding machine programme consists of the Systec C series with clamping forces of between 500 and 10,000 kN for Asian markets.

In addition to injection moulding machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag offers customised and standardised systems for the automated handling of moulded parts, technical solutions for special applications in operating and process engineering, tailor-made service concepts and various forms of financing for investments in injection moulding machines.
With its seamless sales and service network of subsidiaries and representations, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is represented in all major industrial markets.

Source: Sumitomo (SHI) Demag