At this year’s Fakuma, Wittmann BattenfeldD will present to its visitors a selection of machines of unrivalled energy efficiency combined with excellent performance. In addition to all-electric machine models from the EcoPower and MicroPower series, a servo-hydraulic SmartPower with an electric injection aggregate will be shown for the first time as well.
Electric injection aggregate for even more powerful performance and energy efficiency
With the optional electric injection unit, the machine combines the advantages of the servo-hydraulic SmartPower’s generous mold space with those of the all-electric EcoPower to provide highly dynamic regulation with maximum shot-by-shot reproducibility.
At the Fakuma, this powerful machine will be shown in the Combimould version. On a SmartPower B8X 120/350H/130S with an electric injection unit, the production of a bottle opener made of PC and TPE will be demonstrated, using a mold supplied by FKT Formenbau und Kunststofftechnik, Germany. The SmartPower B8X 120/350H/130S comes as a compact Insider solution with a W918 robot from Wittmann and a conveyor belt integrated in the work cell. The robot inserts the metal parts fed from a magazine into the mold, where they are over-molded with polycarbonate. The resulting base body is subsequently passed on to the second station by a rotary unit and there over-molded with TPE, to give it a better grip. The finished parts are then deposited on the conveyor belt of the Insider cell.
Added efficiency by using direct current in the injection molding process
In addition, Wittmann Battenfeld will present at the Fakuma the next step in the use of DC energy as power source for injection molding systems. While only the machine and the robot were shown last year operating with direct current, it has now also become possible for the Wittmann temperature controller to draw its energy from the machine’s DC intermediate circuit. Further DC-compatible auxiliary appliances are in planning.
On an EcoPower B8X 180/750 DC Insider cell with an integrated WX142 robot in DC version from Wittmann and also a DC-compatible Tempro plus D temperature controller, the housing of a plug-in connector for DC technology will be manufactured using a 2-cavity mold supplied by Harting, Germany.
A finished connector of this type made by Harting is built into the machine and used to connect the Tempro plus DC appliance to it. This component is a product from Harting’s Han Lock & Light range of active connectors, which are able to connect flexibly and safely built-in and auxiliary appliances powered via the machine by DC voltage (600 - 750 V). An integrated and electronically controlled locking device ensures that the connector can only be disconnected after the machine’s control system has signaled to it that the voltage from which it draws its power supply has been switched off. An additional lighting element on its base serves as a visual status indicator.
Where previously fixed wiring was usually required for safety reasons, a proven plug-in connection is now used instead - thus providing more flexibility for the appliances to be connected. Han Lock & Light is currently going through the evaluation stage. The application of the Harting plug-in connector solution shown at the fair demonstrates impressively how the temperature controller connected by it can be exchanged fast and flexibly without able downtimes.
