Technology report: Moulding the future

London - Sustainability, automation, energy-costs, end-product- complexity are major priorities for producers of moulded rubber products, the latest feedback from major injection machinery manufacturers indicates.

Germany-based machinery maker Desma attracted almost 300 visitors to its OpenHouse 2023 event (lead image) in Fridingen, where it addressed many of the challenges now facing large sections of the elastomer processing industry.

The 12 Oct event, themed ‘partnering for transformation’ featured presentations covering automated production cells and displays covering the entire elastomer-article production process.

The highlights included two fully automated production cells, with complex article pre- and post-processing, including integrated traceability marking.

Also of interest to visitors was an extended PCF Navigator Ecos, which can directly access real consumption data of Desma injection moulding machines.

“This means that the original purpose of a product carbon footprint assessment to find the best possible production technology has now been extended to include a reality check,” explained Desma.

Fakuma in Friedrichshafen, Germany, provided another recent stage for new developments in the field of rubber injection moulding.

Among the exhibitors at the 17-21 Oct expo, Sigma presented the use of its software on several applications running on injection moulding machines across the show.

Arburg, for instance, presented the production of a complex LSR component on a two-component mould, developed by RICO in a project with the University of Arts in Linz.

Challenges presented by the LSR over-moulding process included risks due to process- and material-dependent shrinkage and warpage of the simultaneously injected plastic part.

Sigma software was used to design the entire process in detail, including ensuring a homogeneous temperature distribution with an optimal energy balance.

Also, a ‘virtual moulding’ app was employed to precisely adapt the cavity for the soft component to the inserted plastics part – eliminating flash and any post-processing of finished parts or changes of the mould.

Sigma also demonstrated an ‘economics’ software, which allows for the calculation of component costs, change costs, and potential savings.

“Reliable calculation determines the economic success of a component even before the project starts,” explained Thomas Klein, managing director of Sigma.

“But this applies not only to the simulation-based design of new moulds but also to the reliable calculation of production costs, depending on process parameters and raw materials,” added Klein.

Machinery maker Arburg, meanwhile, showed a two-component process, with two electric injection units, making a multifunctional box made of PBT and self-adhesive LSR.

The Allrounder More 2000 set-up was designed to demonstrate how functional integration can save time and money in multi-component injection moulding.

A special fluorescent marker was added to the thermoplastic box, which allowed products to be clearly traced, distinguished from counterfeits and, if necessary, sorted by material.

At its open house in May, Steinl Group highlighted a range of sustainability initiatives, including the increased potential of LWB automation solutions to deliver reduced cycle times, energy-savings, particularly in the plasticising and injection units.

The LWB Steinl sustainability theme also extended to the reuse of rubber waste from mixing plants and the growing use of bio-based raw materials.

Also, Matteo Bernini, CEO of Italian rubber and silicone compounder Comet spoke about the automated operation of rubber mixing plants and cooperation with Steinl Group company Prodicon.

And Chris Laycoe, senior VP and general manager of Airboss Flexible Products highlighted the US manufacturer’s use of an LWB multi-station concept.

Splitting a serial injection moulding process “into the injection process and the curing time to be run in parallel in separate stations”, has significantly increased production flexibility and efficiency, reported Laycoe.

Furthermore, representatives from sealing technology company Wallstabe & Schneider and software firm OCQ-soft presented an example of increasing production efficiency with the help of digitisation tools.

A speaker from Mercedes-AMG, meanwhile, showed how adhesives and application technology from Steinl Group company Drei Bond are used in AMG engine assembly processes in line with Industry 4.0 standards.

Another highlight was a machine with vertical frame with 9,000kN clamping unit clamping force and dual set-up for two thermoplastic injection units – presented as an alternative to conventional 2K horizontal machines.

The clamping unit featured a rotary table with a turning diameter of 2,100 mm, providing the capability for clamping an injection mould with a platen size of 1,700 x 1,500 mm and a weight of up to 20 tonnes.