Fakuma 2017: Smart, smarter, Arburg!

Further highlights are a practical Industry 4.0 application for flexible injection moulding in single-unit batches, the production of ready-to-use LSR/LSR watches within the injection moulding cycle, newly qualified materials for industrial additive manufacturing as well as high-speed packaging application. Arburg will also have a recruiting stand in Friedrichshafen.

"As a co-founder of Fakuma, we are proud to have been part of the event from the outset and to be the largest exhibitor at the 25th edition of this successful trade fair in 2017. With ten machines on our own stand and eight more on partner stands, our focus this year will again be on 'smart' and practical solutions for production-efficient plastic parts manufacturing. With over 30 years of experience in networked and flexibly automated production, we also offer everything an injection moulding machine needs in the context of Industry 4.0 – from the 'smart machine' and the Arburg ALS host computer system to 'smart services'," explains Michael Hehl, Managing Partner and Spokesperson for the Management Team. "The absolute highlights are the ground-breaking large machines. After the success of the Allrounder 1120 H, we are now also presenting the Allrounder 920 H with a new design and a new Gestica control system."

New large machines, new control system, new design

At the K 2016, Arburg celebrated a world premiere with the hybrid Allrounder 1120 H and expanded its range of clamping forces by 30 percent to 6,500 kN. In the meantime, the new large machine has been successfully used by pilot customers and can be ordered by customers worldwide from the Fakuma 2017 onwards. The next step in the direction of the future-oriented new Arburg design and new Gestica control system is the hybrid Allrounder 920 H with a clamping force of 5,000 kN. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, modern colour scheme and shape, the well-conceived design provides for enhanced functionality and significantly improved ergonomics. The innovative Gestica control system has a high-resolution full-HD screen and uses industrial multi-touch technology to reproduce to the "look and feel" of smart mobile devices.

While the Allrounder 920 H will produce a technical part at the Fakuma 2017, the Allrounder 1120 H will form part of an innovative turnkey solution, producing the familiar folding step stool in the Arburg design in a cycle time of 60 seconds. The eight individual parts will be handled by a Multilift V 40 linear robotic system and assembled ready for use by means of a six-axis robot and assembly station.

fig.: Arburg's new hybrid Allrounder 1120 H with a clamping force of 6,500 kN, new design and new Gestica control system can be ordered from the Fakuma 2017 onwards.

Industry 4.0: Practical example: rubber tension belts

Rising costs, efficiency and scheduling pressures, greater diversity with smaller production orders and increasing automation all lead to increasingly complex processes that should nevertheless remain easy to control and economically efficient. This topic, which is gaining increasing attention under the headings of "Industry 4.0", "Digital Transformation" and "Smart Factory", calls for host computer systems like the ALS and the integration of IT solutions in the production process. Arburg will use the example of elastic tension belts to show how customer wishes expressed online can be integrated into the ongoing injection moulding process. In industrial practice, such flexible production in single-unit batches is ideal for cable assemblies for the automotive industry, for example. In the application presented at the trade fair, visitors will be able to choose between rubber bands of different lengths and in different colours, as well as end pieces in hook/hook, hook/eyelet or eyelet/eyelet combinations and have their order recorded directly at a terminal. A vertical Allrounder 375 V with a 4-cavity mould (two cavities each for the eyelet and hook) flexibly produces the desired variant from shot-to-shot. The two corresponding cavities and hot-runner nozzles are controlled by means of slides. The inserts are handled by a six-axis robot.

Turnkey: LSR/LSR watches produced within the injection moulding cycle

LSR/LSR wristwatches require complex manufacturing processes and set the standard for what can currently be achieved in the processing of liquid silicone. The centrepiece of the turnkey system is an electric two-component Allrounder 570 A. Two two-tone wrist straps made from the LSR materials Silopren 2670 (hardness 70 Shore A) and 2620 (hardness 20 Shore A) are produced fully automatically in a cycle time of 75 seconds. The 2+2-cavity mould is from Rico, the dosing system from Reinhardt-Technik and the temperature control system from Regloplas. A Multilift V 15 linear robotic system copes with the demanding task of handling the flexible parts. The assembly of the watch mechanisms to complete the ready-to-use wristwatch takes place automatically within the injection moulding cycle.

Packaging technology: four IML tubs in a cycle time of less than two seconds

A packaging version of the Allrounder 570 H specially designed for thin-walled parts demonstrates a high-speed application for the packaging industry. The production cell produces four IML tubs from PP in a cycle time of less than two seconds. The mould and the automation system for inserting the IML labels and removing and stacking the 3.55-gram decorated finished parts are from Brink.

Technical injection moulding for the automotive industry

Based on the example of ring gears for transmissions, an Allrounder 370 E Golden Electric will be used at the Fakuma 2017 to demonstrate that the powerful electric entry-level machines meet the requirements for precise and energy-efficient production of complex moulded parts. Four 8.5-gram injection moulded parts made from mineral-filled PA6 will be produced in a cycle time of around 20 seconds. A linear Multilift Select robotic system performs the handling tasks.

A hydraulic two-component Allrounder 470 S with a 1 + 1-cavity mould will produce covers for car interiors. This exhibit is also automated with a Multilift H linear robotic system. Arburg is thus exhibiting a total of six out of eight injection moulding machines at the Fakuma 2017 in automated set-ups and/or as turnkey systems.

New features in industrial additive manufacturing

With two Freeformer exhibits, Arburg is showcasing innovations in the industrial additive manufacturing of functional parts and small-volume batches using qualified standard granulates. These include the processing of PP and the specially developed water-soluble armat 12 support material. At the Fakuma 2017, screw cap prototypes for the packaging industry will be produced from this semi-crystalline material.

As the Freeformer and Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) is an open system, users retain independence. They can therefore also qualify original materials, as used in injection moulding for example, and optimise process parameters specifically for their particular application.

Service: remote maintenance via secure data connection

Exhibits in the service area include the new remote maintenance tool from Arburg that enables fast, efficient and reliable online support, demonstrated on a hybrid Allrounder 370 H. The Allrounder injection moulding machine is equipped with a service router and integrated firewall for this "smart service". Malfunctions and process sequences can be efficiently analysed and optimised with the online support.

Dedicated recruiting stand

After the premiere in 2015, Arburg will again be present at the Fakuma in Hall A3 with a separate recruiting stand, with the aim of meeting specialists and experts in order to recruit them for the company. Employees from the HR department will present numerous vacancies for permanent positions and internships.

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