WITTMANN BATTENFELD with innovative, highly efficient injection molding technology at the Chinaplas in Guangzhou

From 20 to 23 May 2015, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will be presenting to trade visitors state-of-the-art injection molding machinery and processes as well as innovative automation and peripherals for the plastics industry at the Chinaplas in Guangzhou, the leading plastics trade fair in Asia, at booth 4.1C01. At a second booth, No. 4.2D21, the potentials in robot technology will be demonstrated by an example of robots playing basketball.

particularly attractive for the WITTMANN group. WITTMANN has been active in China with a production plant in Kunshan since 2005. Here, robots, temperature controllers, material loaders and granulators are produced, mainly for the Asian market. The WITTMANN group currently employs a total of about 200 associates in China.

At this year’s Chinaplas, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will demonstrate its competence in the area of injection molding machines by showcasing two injection molding machines from its compact, energy-efficient HM series with interesting applications.

AIRMOULD® and IML application
On an HM 300/1000, two different processes will be demonstrated by producing a hockey stick made of LGF-PP supplied by Borealis, Austria, with a mold from Haidlmair, Austria. Firstly, the AIRMOULD® gas injection process from WITTMANN BATTENFELD will be used and, secondly, IML technology will be demonstrated as well. With the new nitrogen- and- pressure generator developed in-house by WITTMANN BATTENFELD, a gas channel with a length of 1300 mm is created inside this molded part. The hockey stick is produced by a partial filling process. First, a piece of sheet supplied by Verstraete (B) is inserted at the end of the flow path; here the gripper is designed for handling the insertion of the sheet as well as parts removal. To counteract warpage of the part over its entire length and keep the cooling time as short as possible, the parts are deposited in a cooling station specially developed for this purpose. The robot used is a W832 model from WITTMANN.

2-component technology
On a hydraulic 2-component machine with a ServoPower drive, an HM 180/525H/210S, spacer brackets are manufactured from PP and POM using a single-cavity mold. The parts are removed and deposited by a W823 robot from WITTMANN. The parts will be removed and placed on a conveyor band by a WITTMANN W823 robot.

Using a machine with a servo drive for multi-component injection molding enables sustainable production of the parts with extremely efficient use of resources. Firstly, several process steps can be replaced in this application by functional integration, which has a positive effect on the energy balance. Secondly, the servo motor’s high degree of efficiency and speed-controlled volume regulation provide energy savings of more than 30% compared to conventional drive systems with asynchronous 3-phase motors.

WITTMANN automation and peripheral equipment
In addition to the robots and peripheral appliances integrated in the injection molding machines, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present a wide range of robots and peripheral appliances at the Chinaplas as stand-alone solutions, among them the absolutely new W838T robot model. The products on display will come from the production plant in Kunshan.

In the area of automation, robots for smaller injection molding machines will be on display, including the models W808 and W818, and a W818TS with a telescopic axis. Of course, the W828S robot model will also be on show, with its massive horizontal stroke profile positioned directly in the main carriage, which has a range of up to 1,300 mm. W828 robot models are suitable for injection molding machines in the medium-sized clamping force range.

Furthermore, a new model, the W838T robot, will be introduced. This model with 15 kg load capacity is currently the strongest type of robot produced by WITTMANN Robot (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. and constitutes a perfect addition to the product portfolio already being made in Kunshan. Its design and technical structure follow the new pro series. For example, the telescopic stroke of the vertical axis is supported by two linear guides and consequently offers improved rigidity. The W838T model is equipped as standard with a pneumatic pivoting C axis, which comes with a torque twice as high as that of the next smaller robot model W828 (with a single arm). The W838T can be fitted with a pivoting B servo axis with up to 150 Nm capacity as an option.

Like all other WITTMANN robots, the W838T comes exclusively with the innovative R8.3 robot control system, which offers features to improve and optimize processes such as QuickNew for extremely easy, animation-assisted creation of new operation sequences, EcoMode for automatic selection of optimal movement speeds and thus increasing the energy efficiency, and SmartRemoval for further shortening of parts removal time.

On the separate stand No. 4.2D21, an automation cell will be shown with robots playing basketball. Here, the precision, timing and networking of several robots with each other will be illustrated. The team of three consists of a W832, a W833 and a W853 with various additional axes and high-speed upgrades.

The most outstanding model among the dryers is the DRYMAX Aton2 F30 segmented wheel dryer. This dryer consists of numerous separate chambers loosely filled with desiccant balls. In conjunction with the innovative 3-save process, this not only ensures efficient use of energy, but also a continuous drying process with a constant dew point. Thanks to the dryer’s intelligent, automatic adaptation to any environmental conditions, a constant dew point of about -40° C can be reached even in adverse drying conditions. Moreover, the use of conventional desiccants instead of honeycomb wheels permits low-cost exchange of the desiccant without having to replace an expensive, complete wheel. WITTMANN segmented wheel dryers are available with capacities of 30 m³/h, 70 m³/h and 120 m³/h for medium throughputs of up to about 60 kg/h, depending on the plastic granulate to be dried.

In the area of temperature controllers, the low-cost models TEMPRO basic C90, TEMPRO basic C120 and TEMPRO C140 will be shown, as well as two models from the powerful TEMPRO plus D series.

Furthermore, WITTMANN will present its range of granulators at the Chinaplas, among others the MAS grinders MAS1 and MAS2, and the screenless beside-the-press granulator models Minor 2 and Junior 2 Compact.

The group’s competence in the field of conveying systems will be demonstrated by a wide range of material loaders from the FEEDMAX B and FEEDMAX S3 series. Here, the FEEDMAX S3 Primus deserves special attention, as it combines sturdy design, maintenance-friendliness and process reliability with easy operation, and features a comprehensive, self-explanatory display as well.

In the area of metering technology, a volumetric DOSIMAX metering device and a GRAVIMAX B34 blender with a throughput of up to 200 kg/h will be shown.
For accurate metering, wear-resistant, high-precision stainless steel valves are used. The metering accuracy is ensured by RTLS technology (real time weighing). Two weighing cells are active throughout the entire metering cycle; they weigh accurately down to the single-digit gram level and thus guarantee consistent parts quality from one shot to the next.

Source: WITTMANN BATTENFELD