Arburg at Chinaplas 2018: Innovative technologies for Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing, LSR processing

Arburg at Chinaplas 2018: Innovative technologies for Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing, LSR processing

• Industry trendsetter: Innovative technologies for Industry 4.0, injection moulding and additive manufacturing
• Extensive portfolio: Efficient plastics processing
  – from one-off parts to high-volume production
• Customer-oriented: Arburg is strong on service, consulting and individual solutions

LOSSBURG, Germany, 30-Jan-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — With its “Wir sind da.” brand promise, Arburg formulates its high standards with regard to quality, reliability and personal proximity to our customers and partners, across all plastics processing industries and technologies. The company will show what this really means at the Chinaplas in Shanghai from 24 to 27 April 2018 at the Arburg stand, L61 in hall 2. Here it will focus on Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing, as well as innovative lightweight construction for the automotive industry, LSR processing for the 3Cs sector (communication, computer, consumer), a medical technology application and an ambitious turnkey solution for the packaging industry. Everything from the one-of part to high-volume production will be presented.

“You can rely on Arburg. As a globally positioned family-run company, we offer high-quality machines ‘Made in Germany’ as well as first-class consulting and service,” explains Zhao Tong, Managing Director of the Arburg organisations in China. “At the Chinaplas, we are presenting ourselves as a leading machine manufacturer and competent technology partner. The relocation of to the new exhibition site was an opportunity for Arburg to expand its stand area by a factor of 2.5 to now 600 square metres.”

Pioneers in digital transformation

With over 30 years of experience in digitally networked machines including peripheral equipment, Arburg is the industry leader in digital transformation. From the smart machine and host computer system to the Smart Factory and Smart Services, the company offers everything a ‘smart’ injection moulding company needs to enhance added value in networked and flexibly automated production, production efficiency and process reliability.

As a central component of Industry 4.0, the Arburg host computer system (ALS) enables complete traceability of orders, batches and individual parts. Machines and peripheral components can thus be networked in a simple, standardised way by means of interfaces based on the OPC UA application protocol. All exhibits on the Arburg stand are automated and connected to ALS. Visitors will be able to see for themselves how ALS can be used to record and archive the relevant process data online.

On the exhibition stand, they can also find out which solutions Arburg offers for the Smart Factory and the “Made in China 2025” state-sponsored industrial development plan and how Industry 4.0 components can be individually combined. These include, for example, industrial Ethernet, as well as online process control, data acquisition, detailed planning and status monitoring. Further information is also available, for example on the individualisation of high-volume parts as single-unit batches by combining injection moulding and additive manufacturing. Further offerings include the new remote maintenance tool and numerous assistance systems for starting, setting-up, optimising, producing and monitoring tasks.

Strength in service and automation

Arburg China’s first-class range of services includes fast, competent service, both at local level and over the phone. In addition, a broad range of training courses relating to machines, application technology and service are provided in the local language. The team in China is growing continuously, particularly in service and after-sales. “Our customers attach great importance to individual consulting and personal contact,” stresses Zhao Tong. “We are very proud to offer them comprehensive support and to continue to grow with them.” An important topic in this context is automation. In order to increase added value, an increasing number of more complex process steps are being integrated into the injection moulding process. Arburg offers a broad range of automation solutions from a single source. These cover everything, from simple pickers to six-axis robots featuring the Selogica user interface and complex turnkey systems.

In this way, for example, a sophisticated turnkey system produces folding crates for the packaging industry: a hydraulic Allrounder 920 S with a clamping force of 5,000 kN and a 1 + 2 + 2-cavity family mould first produces the five individual PP parts in a cycle time of 32 seconds. A Multilift V 40 linear robotic system with a load capacity of 40 kilograms then removes all moulded parts simultaneously and positions them in a separate assembly station. There, the 950 gram end product is automatically assembled within the injection moulding cycle and the ready-to-use folding crate (40 x 30 x 15 centimetres) is placed on a conveyor belt by the Multilift V 40.

Represented in all industries

With its modular product range, Arburg offers suitable solutions for every industry. The continuing trend in China is towards high-quality products. Lightweight parts are of interest to many industries, in particular the automotive sector. Arburg will therefore be presenting the ProFoam physical foaming technology in China for the first time. “As well as reducing weight, they can also be used specifically to improve mechanical characteristics and part quality. The innovative process can be used on conventional injection moulding machines. The exhibit is a hybrid Allrounder 570 H with a size 800 injection unit that produces an interesting component for passenger car engine compartments. Processing involves fibre-reinforced materials (PA66, 30 GF). With its fine cell structures, the ProFoam part is characterised by low weight, few sink holes, uniform shrinkage and greatly reduced distortion. A granulate lock ensures a continuous feed of material and gaseous blowing agent. As well as a version with a capacity of one litre, Arburg also offers a five-litre granulate lock for size 1300 to 4600 injection units.

Medical technology is an important market for Arburg and is characterised by high growth rates. The modular Allrounder can be precisely tailored to customers’ requirements. The range extends from machines and production cells that are docked to a clean room from the outside to a machine or turnkey system in the clean room itself. An Allrounder 370 E Golden Electric is used at the Chinaplas 2018 to demonstrate that the entry-level electric series is also suitable for the precise production of medical technology parts. The exhibit uses a 2-cavity mould from Wellmei to produce Y connectors for intravenous drip therapy. The moulded parts made from PC are removed and set down by a Multilift Select linear robotic system.

Arburg is a pioneer in the processing of liquid silicone (LSR) and demonstrates its competence at the Chinaplas 2018 with a machine designed for LSR processing from the Golden Edition entry-level series: an Allrounder 420 C Golden Edition produces flexible LSR cases for the iPhone 8. The mould is provided by Prover, while the LSR dosing unit comes from 2 KM. A Multilift Select linear robotic system performs the handling tasks.

Industrial additive manufacturing

A Freeformer and a variety of functional components will be used at the Chinaplas 2018 to demonstrate that Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) is not only suitable for prototyping but also for the industrial additive manufacturing of functional components in particular. The exhibit processes qualified standard PP and the water-soluble support material Armat 12 to produce functional cable clips with delicate yet durable structures. Visitors can handle so-called “experience parts” at an interactive station and convince themselves of their functionality and quality.

One great advantage of the APF process is that it can be adapted to the requirements at hand. The open system affords users independence: Freeformer customers can qualify their own original material and optimise the freely programmable process parameters specifically to the relevant application. In addition to amorphous standard granulates such as ABS, PA and PC, the ever-expanding range of materials qualified by Arburg includes, for example,elastic TPE, medical grade PLLA, PC approved for the aerospace industry and semi-crystalline PP.

Contact
ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
Press office
Dr Bettina Keck
Postfach 1109
72286 Lossburg
Tel.: +49 (0) 7446 33-3259
presse_service@arburg.com

About Arburg
A German family-owned company, Arburg is one of the leading global manufacturers of plastic processing machines. The product portfolio encompasses Allrounder injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 125 and 6,500 kN, the Freeformer for industrial additive manufacturing and robotic systems, customer and industry-specific turnkey solutions and further peripheral equipment.
The company places the topic of production efficiency at the centre of all its activities, taking into account the entire value-added chain. The objective is to enable Arburg customers to manufacture their plastic products, whether as one-off parts or in high-volume production, with optimal quality and at minimum unit costs –
e.g. for the automotive and packaging industries, communication and entertainment electronics, medical technology or the white goods sector.
An international sales and service network ensures first-class customer support at the local level: Arburg is represented by fully owned organisations at 33 locations in 25 countries and by trading partners in more than 50 countries. The machines are produced exclusively at the parent company in Lossburg, Germany. Of a total of around 2,800 employees, about 2,300 work in Germany. About 500 further employees work in Arburg’s organisations around the world. In 2012, Arburg became one of the first companies to gain triple certifications: ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 50001 (energy).
Further information about Arburg can be found at www.arburg.com.

SOURCE: Arburg