Lightweight construction: long-fibre direct injection moulding combined with organic sheet
Arburg presents an innovative leightweight process that is marked as an exhibit as part of the Blue Competence initiative of the German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers Association (VDMA): Using long-fibre direct injection molding a side feeder incorporates the fibres in the liquid plastic melt. The advantages of this innovative process include flexibly adjustable fibre lengths of up to 50 millimetres, a low incidence of fibre damage in the plastic melt and significant cost advantages compared to fibre-reinforced standard granulates.The process will be demonstrated on a hydraulic Allrounder 820 S, operating with a mould from company Georg Kaufmann Formenbau. Through the overmoulding of continuous-fibre reinforced thermoplastic inserts (organic sheets), high-strength, resilient composite parts are created, which weigh less than 200 grams at a length exceeding 500 millimetres. A six-axis robotic system picks up two organic sheets of different thicknesses from a magazine. The flat inserts are gently heated, process-reliably, using a new technology in the gripper system and transferred to the LIPA (Lightweight Integrated Process Application) mould at a precise forming temperature. Here, forming of the inserts and injection moulding of the functional and reinforcement elements are performed simultaneously in a cycle time of around 55 seconds. The composite part produced provides a good illustration of how lightweight parts can be manufactured, e.g. for the automotive industry, with a high level of functional integration and short cycle times by combining organic sheets and long-fibre direct injection moulding. Thanks to the servo-hydraulic system, the hydraulic Allrounder ensures particularly energy-efficient and low-emission operation.
Multi-component technology: Suction pad made from thermoplastic and liquid silicone
As a multi-component application, Arburg will demonstrate the production of vacuum suction pads made from thermoplastic and liquid silicone (LSR). For this purpose, an electric Allrounder 570 A is equipped with two injection units in L-position and a 4+4-cavity mould from Rico. Thanks to its horizontal configuration, the Multilift Select robotic system is able to enter the clamping unit from above. It transfers the pre-moulded PBT parts to the LSR cavities and sets the finished parts down onto a conveyor belt. Four vacuum suction pads (used e.g. for moving bulky or heavy loads in handling equipment), are produced in a cycle time of around 40 seconds.
