The topic of Industry 4.0 is a main focus of the upcoming International MuCell Conference, from November 21 to 22, at ENGEL in Schwertberg, Austria. The injection moulding machine manufacturer is hosting this strongly practice-oriented event in cooperation with its technology partner Trexel, and is expecting more than 100 participants. "Self-optimising injection moulding machines are opening up a tremendous potential to further increase the stability of MuCell foam injection moulding processes. So far, this potential is being used far too rarely", says Wolfgang Kienzl, Technology Specialist at ENGEL. It is therefore the goal of the event in November to present the new possibilities and to make the associated available technologies tangible. In his lecture, Kienzl will present the results of a currently ongoing series of experiments that are concerned mainly with the impact of iQ weight control on the foam injection moulding process. During the injection process, the iQ weight control software from the inject 4.0 programme of ENGEL analyses the pressure curve over the screw position in real-time and compares the measured values online with a reference cycle in order to adjust the switch-over point and the injection profile to current conditions, shot by shot. The result is an injection volume that remains consistent throughout the entire duration of the production, independent of fluctuations in the environment or raw material. "As a rule, fluctuations in shot weight are higher in the foaming process than in compact injection moulding", says Kienzl. "We are therefore expecting a high degree of positive influence on the consistency of the production process and product quality."
During the conference, a victory injection moulding machine equipped with iQ weight control will produce MuCell components in ENGEL's technology centre. The CC300 control of the machine is capable of simulating process fluctuations; allowing for the automatic readjustment by iQ weight control to be tracked live on the display of the machine.
Automotive supplier reports on its practical experiences
The other lectures will address the basics of injection moulding, the machine and mould technology that it requires, well-established and innovative material systems as well as the newest insights in research and development. In addition to ENGEL and Trexel, the speakers on these topics come from GK Concept, SimpaTec, sauer product, LyondellBasell Industries, Borealis and the Johannes Kepler University in Linz.As is customary at ENGEL events, the practical side has not been overlooked. "We are pleased that with SuK Kunststofftechnik, we have gained a major automotive supplier as a lecturer", says Michael Fischer, Head of Business Development Technologies at ENGEL. Martin Witulski, Chief Representative of SuK, will report on his experiences and provide conference attendees with insights into his manufacturing strategy. At its headquarters in Kierspe, Germany, SuK annually produces close to 30 million housing components for door locks using the MuCell foam injection process. SuK customers include BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Ford and PSA, among others. In order to combine outstanding product quality with the highest efficiency and availability, SuK relies on highly automated, integrated injection moulding system solutions, and is increasingly setting its sights on Industry 4.0 solutions for the future.
The lectures during the two-day conference will be held in German or English and simultaneously translated into the respective other language.
