ahead - km.kraussmaffei.com · the customer magazine of kraussmaffei issue 01.2016 ahead the...

Engineering Passion

Fiber composite solutionsfor advanced lightweight components

www.kraussmaffei.com

RTM TechnologyStructural and semi-structural components such as underbody structures, side frames or seat structures

IMC TechnologyFiber-reinforced, structural components such as front ends, mounting supports, instrument panel carriers

Surface RTM TechnologyFiber-reinforced, paintable surfaces such as roof elements, door inner panels, trunks or engine hoods

Wet molding RTM TechnologySemi-structural components made of recycled carbon fibers, e. g. hybrid components

FiberForm Technology Continuous fiber-reinforced components such as crash elements, B- pillar reinforcements or seat structures

KM_Anz_Leichtbau2015_DE-EN_AHEAD_210x280+3_5c.indd 1 25.08.15 10:37

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016 AHEAD

THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF KRAUSSMAFFEI Issue 01.2016

INDUSTRIAL (R)EVOLUTIONCUSTOM-MADE NETWORK-ING WITH PLASTICS 4.0

WET MOLDING PROCESS MADE READY FOR SERIES PRODUCTIONCFRP IN INCREASINGLY SHORTER CYCLE TIMES

18382016

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

6 Custom-made networking with Plastics 4.0

10 Interview: “Networking goes far beyond just processing polyurethane”

BRAND & MARKETS

12 GX goes East 14 Interview: Growth with quality 16 Interview: Packed full with

performance 18 High-performance polyurethane

molds and trimming technologies

PROCESSES & PRODUCTS

20 Advanced surface effects in the one-shot process

22 FiberForm helps attain the desired weight

24 Up to 30 percent energy savings 25 Gripping carriers from the printer

PARTNERS & PROJECTS

26 CFRP in increasingly short cycle times 28 Peak technology for efficient operation 30 All-around lightweight construction

talents on a science mission 32 Complexity made easy 34 Fit for large series 36 Streamlined transport crates for

South Africa 38 Better light with OptiSys

KRAUSSMAFFEI GROUP

4 Change of ownership at the KraussMaffei Group

5 New Vice President Sales at the Injection Molding Machinery segment at KraussMaffei

39 Strong together and unique all over the world

39 Imprint

EDITORIAL

APRIL–OCTOBER 2016 TRADE SHOW CALENDAR

Chinaplas, Shanghai, China 25.04.2016–28.04.2016 KraussMaffei GroupPlastpol, Kielce, Poland 17.05.2016–20.05.2016 KraussMaffei GroupOpen House KMC, Florence, USA 18.05.2016–19.05.2016 KraussMaffei GroupPU China, Shanghai, China 02.08.2016–04.08.2016 KraussMaffeiChina Composites Expo, Shanghai, China 31.08.2016–02.09.2016 KraussMaffeiColombiaplast, Bogotá, Columbia 26.09.2016–30.09.2016 KraussMaffeiK2016, Düsseldorf, Germany 19.10.2016–26.10.2016 KraussMaffei Group

IMPRINT

Publisher: KraussMaffei Technologies GmbHKrauss-Maffei-Strasse 280997 MunichGermanyPhone +49 898899-0Fax +49 898899-2206www.kraussmaffei.com

Responsible: Imre Szerdahelyi (responsible for content according to German media law)Editor-in-chief: Ashenafi Shawl

Editorial team: Stefan Fenske, Michael Flurl, Erich Fries, Manfred Holzner, Dr. Sabine Kob, Anna-Maria Meyer, Jochen Mitzler, Petra Rehmet, Dr. Reinhard Schiffers, Joachim Weber

Photo credits: BMW, Fotolia, iStockphoto, KraussMaffei, Shell, TU Chemnitz

Concept and design: Kirchhoff Consult AG, Hamburg, www.kirchhoff.de

Printing: omb2 Print GmbH, Munich

The customer magazine is published twice a year in German and English. The magazine may only be reprinted with the written permission of the publisher.

39

STRONG TOGETHER AND UNIQUE ALL OVER THE WORLDThe KraussMaffei Group is among the globally leading manufacturers of machines and systems for the production and processing of plastic and rubber.

Our international customers come from an extremely wide variety of industries.Au

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Consumer goodsElectrical and electronics

Chemicals industry

Medical and pharmaceutical

Major appliances

Dear customers, dear readers, Everybody is talking about Industry 4.0. KraussMaffei is working on the vision of completely networking all processes in production. We call this “Plastics 4.0.” Under this category, we are developing solutions that open up new areas of potential in your production. We bundle our solutions into three areas: Intelligent Machines, Integrated Production and Interactive Services. This issue of AHEAD describes how we offer a custom-configured solution from these intelligent functions.

As a global company with comprehensive expertise, exceptional innovative ability and passionate dedication to engineering plastics machines, we offer customized systems consisting of the machine and peripherals. KraussMaffei customers in China now enjoy concrete advantages when purchasing a GX injection molding machine. Production of this machine has now been started at our plant in Haiyan, China. It goes without saying that the same worldwide KraussMaffei standard of quality is applied. Local companies benefit not only from the quality and efficien-cy of our machines, but from time savings during delivery. For more information about the Chinese market and the GX series for the growing automotive, packaging and medical technology industries, read on in this issue.

This issue also features numerous interesting project highlights that repeatedly display our expertise in “Trendsetting” – including the areas of resource conser-vation, lightweight construction, energy efficiency and surface aesthetics. However, we are not resting on our laurels. In conjunction with our project partners, we are continuing to advance the development of innovative solutions. In doing so, our objective is to offer you new technologies and improved products and services that help make your processes and products better. We will present a few of these areas of progress at the Chinaplas trade show in Shanghai in April.

I’m particularly looking forward to K2016. Even today, I can promise that you’ll have the opportunity to see firsthand high-quality and innovative products and processes of the KraussMaffei brand in Düsseldorf. Be sure to stop by and visit our booth. You have my personal invitation.

Have a good read!

Dr. Hans Ulrich GolzManaging DirectorPresident of the Injection Molding Machinery segment

4,500 PEOPLE

1,200 PATENTS

10PRODUCTION

FACTORIES

KraussMaffei Berstorff

KraussMaffei Netstal

The KraussMaffei Group, with its three product brands KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal, can thus cover the com-plete range in machine construction for the plastics and rubber processing in-dustry and serve customers on an individual basis.3

BRAN

DS

KraussMaffei Group

The fascination and passion for mechanical engineering can be traced back contin-uously through the history of the KraussMaffei Group to 1838.

KraussMaffei Imprint

3KraussMaffei

22Budget-friendly lightweight construc-tion alternative Two LRX-350 linear robots in a CX 300 produce optimum results for auto motive supplier Takata.

20DMH technology Complex surfaces created in the one-shot process.

26Wet molding process in auto body construction The BMW Group is setting new standards with the new BMW 7 Series.

Contents

EXPRESSING THEIR PLEASURE AT THE CONTRACT SIGNING FOR THE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE KRAUSSMAFFEI GROUP(from left to right): Ting Cai, Chairman and CEO of China National Chemical Equipment Co., Ltd. (CNCE), Dr. Frank Stieler, CEO of the KraussMaffei Group, and Chen Junwei, CEO of ChemChina Finance Co., Ltd.

CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP AT THE KRAUSSMAFFEI GROUP*

term,” relates Stieler. “This will enable us to ensure that we can sustain and grow the high standard of performance and quality of our brands,” he continues.

Strong brandsThe strong KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal brands will be con-tinued and will still also stand for the high-est quality, technology and value retention of the machines and systems in the future. “The brands will not be watered down,” con-firms Stieler. “We offer our customers the right solutions they need to meet the increas-ing challenges they face manufacturing their products.” Responsibility for production, technology (including patents) and Research

The KraussMaffei Group management greets the pending change of ownership enthusias-tically*. “Our new investor is ChemChina, a Chinese chemicals conglomerate that has been interested in our company for many years now. The company is a strategic and long-term oriented investor,” says Dr. Frank Stieler, CEO of the KraussMaffei Group.

Strong growthThe KraussMaffei Group will accelerate its growth course significantly in light of the possible synergies provided by the planned transaction. “ChemChina will enable us to improve our market access in China. We see substantial potential for reinforcing and expanding our market position for the long

and Development will remain in Europe. The existing corporate structure is being maintained, and the headquarters of the KraussMaffei Group will remain in Munich. Customers and suppliers will continue to have the same contact persons.

Identity and independence“We are growing our company by acquiring one of the world’s leading mechanical engi-neering companies, which boasts a 178-year tradition. We place great priority on mak-ing sure that the KraussMaffei Group main-tains its identity and independence,” says Jianxin Ren, Chairman of ChemChina. “We prize the company’s vast management and technological expertise and believe that we

* The change of ownership is subject to closing conditions including customary regulatory approvals. This is expected in the first six months of 2016. (The article reflects events as of press time on March 31, 2016. Later news was not able to be incorporated into this issue. For current information, refer to the Internet site.)

4 AHEAD Issue 01.2016KraussMaffei Group

KraussMaffei Group

Since January 1, 2016, Nadine Buhmann has been the new Vice President Sales in the Injection Molding Machinery segment for the KraussMaffei brand. She took over these responsibilities from Dr. Hans Ulrich Golz, who performed this role in addition to his responsibili-ties as the Managing Director of KraussMaffei and as the President of the Injection Molding Machinery segment of the KraussMaffei Group.

Buhmann is responsible for the worldwide sales of KraussMaffei brand injection molding machines and systems as well as the associated areas of strategic product management, configuration, application technology, TechCenter and technology development. Buhmann con-siders the focus of her new position to be on strengthening success-ful operational sales within the business units and regions by focusing on strategic focal points. She earned her degree in business man-agement and has over 15 years of leadership experience in the inter-national capital goods market. Before joining KraussMaffei, she was the Vice President of Sales at MTU Friedrichshafen/Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

NEW VICE PRESIDENT SALES AT THE INJECTION MOLDING MACHINERY SEGMENT AT KRAUSSMAFFEI

NADINE BUHMANNSince January 1, 2016, she has been the new Vice President Sales for the KraussMaffei brand.

ABOUT CHEMCHINA

ChemChina is China’s largest chemi-cals company. The group is internation-ally active, on a worldwide expansion course and, in recent years, has ac-quired shares in various companies in Italy, France, Norway, the UK and Singapore – with a recent example be-ing Pirelli, a tire manufacturer with a rich tradition.

can use them for some of our subsidiar-ies in China. Together, ChemChina and the KraussMaffei Group are ideally positioned for future growth,” adds Ren. Accelerated growth will have sustainable positive effects for the company. The bottom line should be net worldwide job creation. Later this year, K 2016 will be another highlight at which the company will shine the spotlight on its inno-vations. “We hope that our customers will vis-it us at the trade show booth in Düsseldorf in October,” says Stieler.

Founded in 2004

37 billion eurossales volume

(2015)

140countries140,000

employees

4 divisionsagrochemicals, petro-chemicals, specialty

chemistry, elastomers (rubber)

5KraussMaffei KraussMaffei Group

6 AHEAD Issue 01.2016Cover Story

7KraussMaffei

WITH KRAUSSMAFFEI, PLASTICS PROCESSORS CAN ALREADY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF INDUSTRY 4.0

CUSTOM-MADE NETWORKING WITH PLASTICS 4.0Everybody is talking about Industry 4.0. This technology makes it possi-ble to network machines and production processes. This fourth indus-trial (r)evolution gives plastics processors tremendous opportunities to increase output and take advantage of potential savings. Plastics 4.0 is the category under which KraussMaffei offers its customers very con-crete opportunities to take advantage of Industry 4.0.

TEXT: DR. SABINE KOB PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

ell-organized small shops with injection molding technology are a model of networking. When everyone knows the entire production process,

mutual support can be provided by quickly calling over a colleague, and sometimes with-out exchanging words at all. Someone sees that the heater is running needlessly and turns it off. Another goes ahead and organiz-es the individual parts so that things can get rolling faster. Industry 4.0 transfers this idea

of continuous networking to the machines in the shop and to manufacturing sequences. In practice, this can mean that the material dryer knows that the machine has only 200 more parts to produce and stops what it is doing in time to save energy and conserve granulate. Another example is when the injection mold-ing machine contacts the mold setter with a notification that maintenance is required soon. The basis for this is that all devices work intel-ligently, interact with each other and speak a common language. One approach is OPC UA,

W

Cover Story

8 AHEAD Issue 01.2016

which has established itself as an “interna-tional standard for machine-to-machine com-munication,” explains Dr. Rainer Schiffers, Head of Machine Technology and Project Manager for Industry 4.0 at KraussMaffei. The connection with the master computer takes place via a corresponding interface. This currently is Euromap 63, which is to be replaced by Euromap 77, which will then use the OPC UA protocol. KraussMaffei plays a leading role in the Euromap committee. Günther Grimm, Head of Software/Control Engineering, explains, “Euromap 77 makes data exchange even faster and easier.” KraussMaffei is bundling its Plastics 4.0 activities into three categories: Intelligent Machines, Integrated Production and Inter-active Services.

Intelligent machines is the name for machines that optimize themselves to improve produc-tivity and part quality. One example of this is the APC (Adaptive Process Control) function, which continuously measures melt viscosity and adapts the switchover point from the in-jection phase to the holding pressure phase to ensure uniform part quality. This makes it possible to compensate for batch fluctuations or changes in ambient conditions.

Another function that enables systems to act intelligently is the KraussMaffei Weekly Timer. Until now, machine operators determined the starting point of the preheating phase of the plasticizing unit and hydraulic system, usually the same for all machines together

The basis for this is that all devices work intelligently, inter act with each other and speak a common language.

and independently of how long they needed for this phase. Machines that heat up quickly would spend time idling before the actual start of production. This wasted energy. The Weekly Timer now enables each machine to define the desired beginning of production. Since each machine knows the specific amount of time it requires, it will start at the right time in order to be ready for use immediately. The program is integrated into the MC6 machine control sys-tem free of charge and is a truly one-of-a-kind product on the market.

Real-world example: Monday morningWhen starting up production, such as on a Monday morning, the communication chain is as follows: The Weekly Timer tells the injec-tion molding machine when it wants to begin production and passes this information on to the material dryer. Because the material dryer knows how much time it needs, it starts up the heater in a timely manner so that it is available exactly when it is needed. The dryer, in turn, is selected in accordance with the re-quired throughput so that no capacities are wasted here either.

The combination of the Weekly Timer with an energy management system in place within the building gets into the area of Integrated Production. The energy costs for buildings are often measured according to consump-tion peaks that are measured by the quarter- hour. This means that in some cases, it can be worthwhile to start the machine two min-utes later to ensure that a certain peak is not

Cover Story

YOUR CONTACT:

Dr. Reinhard SchiffersHead of Machine [email protected]

9KraussMaffei

exceeded. If the machine receives a signal indicating “not yet” from the energy man-agement system and transmits this signal to the connected material conveyor, the en-tire system waits until the critical period is passed. This saves costly electricity.

Real-world example: mold changeThe seamless networking of injection mold-ing machine and material supply is also help-ful for other scenarios. An impending mold change is one of these. When the dryer knows that only a few more parts are being produced, it stops working in a timely manner to save en-ergy and prevent the material from drying out excessively. If there is a problem with the ma-terial supply, the injection molding machine can get help in a timely manner before it runs dry itself. This boosts availability.

For these cases, the production does not have to be connected to the Internet, but doing so opens up many other additional options. Interactive services include monitoring, diagnostics and remote configuration using Remote Manager. The KraussMaffei solution is integrated into the company network as a preconfigured system. This makes it possible to monitor and control all systems, including status messages and process parameters, remotely. The more rapid the advance of col-lecting production data and the connection to the Internet, the more relevant security considerations become. Schiffers com-ments, “Data protection is, and will remain, an extremely important topic. Another critical

question is who stores the data where. We’re doing active research and development work in this area and have access to reliable and future-proof solutions.”

Plastics 4.0 offers plastics processors major opportunities, whether they are regional com-panies or conglomerates with global pro-duction. The degree of networking can be selected individually based on requirements and customized to the individual company. KraussMaffei supports its customers and stands by them, providing the entire band-width while also taking regional differences into account. For example, in China with its great enthusiasm for technology, the trend towards Industry 4.0 is accelerating in leaps and bounds.

“ We’re doing active research and development work and have access to future-proof solutions.”

Cover Story


INTERVIEW WITH NICOLAS BEYL ON THE OPPORTUNITIES AND POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRY 4.0 FOR REACTION PROCESS MACHINERY

“ NETWORKING GOES FAR BEYOND JUST PROCESSING POLYURETHANE”

Intelligent Machines, Integrated Production and Interactive Services are the buzzwords with which KraussMaffei is advancing the vision of Plastics 4.0. What does this mean for customers in reaction process machinery and what does it mean for production? Nicolas Beyl, Managing Director of KraussMaffei and President of the Reaction Process Machinery Segment, explains.

INTERVIEW: PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

Cover Story

11KraussMaffei

AHEAD: The topic of Industry 4.0 is being talked about mostly in Injection Molding Machinery. What specific possibilities do you see for Reaction Process Machinery?Beyl: Industry 4.0 also offers great potential for Reaction Process Machinery. This involves closely networking the individual produc-tion systems but also goes beyond the limits of strict polyurethane processing. Take, for example, the production of instrument panels in vehicle manufacturing. This involves vari-ous technologies, including injection molding, thermoforming, polyurethane back-foaming, punching or milling, or various automation technologies. An increased level of network-ing, meaning intercommunication, provides a large amount of potential for optimizing the processes. Concretely speaking, if the in-jection molding carrier and the surface skin are handed over to a polyurethane system for back-foaming, the data that accrues in each production step is collected and passed on to the higher-level data management system. This data capture continues during the punch-ing or milling of the instrument panels. Using a continuous process data entry system, the pro-duction data can be read out in bundled form, analyzed and used to optimize the entire sys-tem. At KraussMaffei, we bundle these activi-ties under the category of Integrated Production.

AHEAD: What is the ideal implementation of Integrated Production? What are the advantages for the customer?Beyl: The networking of the individual system parts is being implemented on a customer- specific basis nowadays. By introduc-ing more standardized protocols, the trend

in coming years will go more and more to-wards plug and play. These will very likely be based on the OPC UA report. In injection molding technology, KraussMaffei is current-ly drafting the Euromap 77 recommendation in conjunction with other manufacturers. Of course, reaction process machinery is a more diverse field than injection molding technol-ogy. Despite this, we are following the de-velopment of this guideline very closely to draw some conclusions for Reaction Process Machinery.

AHEAD: What is your definition of Interac-tive Services?Beyl: Interactive services are another impor-tant pillar in implementing Industry 4.0. Even today, many of our customers have decided in favor of installing what is known as a web box on the Reaction Process Machinery systems. After being given access by the customer, our service and software technicians can access the systems via the Internet and carry out service work. At the same time, the customer can access this web portal to query the status

of its systems from central locations. The next step will be a service portal solution on which the entire system data is stored along with the history, documentation or system-specific spare parts catalogs. We at KraussMaffei are working intensively on creating genuine add-ed value for our customers. For us, the topic of data security is of utmost importance – it will be ensured under all circumstances.

AHEAD: What do your customers think about the vision of Industry 4.0? Do you ask them specific questions?Beyl: Much of the technology we summarize under the general term of Industry 4.0 is not new. Customers have been asking questions about individual, specific topics from the area of Industry 4.0 for a while. As we just men-tioned, we also offer these solutions. How ever, the new, one-of-a-kind feature is the CPU power we now have available to advance these ideas into new dimensions – within the entire process chain. As a result, it makes sense to take a closer look at these new opportunities as a part of the discussion on Industry 4.0.

An increased level of networking provides a large amount of potential for optimizing the processes.NICOLAS BEYL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KRAUSSMAFFEI AND PRESIDENT OF THE REACTION PROCESS MACHINERY SEGMENT

Cover Story


KRAUSSMAFFEI EXTENDS ITS PRODUCT RANGE AT THE SITE IN HAIYAN

GX GOES EAST KraussMaffei customers in China now enjoy concrete advantages when purchas-ing a GX injection molding machine. Production of this machine has now been started at our plant in Haiyan, China. It goes without saying that the same worldwide KraussMaffei standard of quality is applied. There is no need for costly and time- consuming ocean transport.


Brand & Markets

Brand & Markets

13KraussMaffei

or Jörg Wittgrebe, Sales Director at KraussMaffei, local manu facturing is an important prerequisite for of-fering his customers even more attractive delivery times. “The

deadline pressure is tremendous, because mold makers in China now supply entire series of molds within one to two weeks and end customers of plastics processors also act on ever-shorter timelines.”

Absolute platen parallelismThe GX series is directed towards the growth sectors of automotive, packaging and med-ical technology with its clamping force range of 4,000 to 9,000 kN and high basic speed (dry cycle time of just 2.3 seconds). It thus complements the large MX, which has been produced successfully in Haiyan since June 2012. The most important features of the GX series include the compact two- platen design, which allows for fast clamp-ing movements and modularity that can be used to select the necessary plasticizing unit, for example, as though it were being select-ed from an assembly kit. The specially devel-oped GuideX guide shoe – which carries the moving platen, guarantees absolute platen parallelism even for heavy molds and has a force- absorbing effect – increasing the ser-vice life of the molds. The smooth movements also result in very low energy consumption.

These inner values make the GX series suit-able for both high-volume projects with aggressive cycle times and technically sophisticated applications, such as those in lightweight automotive construction. Today, more electric vehicles are currently on the road in China than in Europe – and an increas-ing number of weight-saving procedures are in demand for increasing their range in the future. The GX can, for example, be com-bined with FiberForm technology, which involves back-injection of thermoplastically

impregnated fiber-reinforced composite materials (refer also to p. 20), or with the MuCell/CellForm physical foaming process, also with compression injection stroke if nec-essary. In the packaging industry, larger ob-jects such as transport crates, buckets and even disposable products such as end caps for shampoo bottles, can be produced on the machine using multi-cavity molds. The medical sector benefits from the clean room compatibility of the GX series. For example, one customer produces disposable syringes in a stack mold.

Customized solutionsIn addition to the time saved during delivery and during spare parts’ procurement, another advantage of producing locally in Haiyan is being able to offer prospective Chinese customers customized packages made of machines and peri pherals. For the less tech-nically advanced components of a manufac-turing cell such as conveyor belts, the team can make use of local manufacturers and thus offer highly attractive terms and conditions. The cycle time-relevant core components of an automation system, such as the LRX lin-ear robot, will continue to be produced by KraussMaffei. Expanding local sourcing and guiding suppliers towards compliance with the KraussMaffei quality standards is a goal for the next few years, specifically expressed by Sales Director Jörg Wittgrebe. Chinese customers will then receive the best of East and West.

F

YOUR CONTACT:

Jörg WittgrebeSales Director, KraussMaffei [email protected]

Brand & Markets


JÖRG WITTGREBE TALKS ABOUT TRENDS IN CHINA

GROWTH WITH QUALITYMajor opportunity for premium suppliers: Plastics processors in Asia are becoming increasingly conscious of quality and actively requiring high-tech features for increasing efficiency and user-friendliness. KraussMaffei’s locations in Haiyan and Shanghai, headed by Sales Director Jörg Wittgrebe, are taking advantage of this trend for their own growth.

INTERVIEW: DR. SABINE KOB PHOTOS: ISTOCK, KRAUSSMAFFEI

AHEAD: How do you feel the Chinese market is developing for KraussMaffei? Wittgrebe: We couldn’t be happier. We’re finding that even local Chinese companies are placing increasing value on the quality and efficiency of machines. This opens up great potential for additional growth. Inter-national customers who, for reasons of con-sistency, want to run KraussMaffei machines at their Chinese plants, are already famil-iar with us and what we do. To ensure that we can offer a more comprehensive product

range and additional service offerings in the future, we have boosted staffing levels and want to grow even further.

AHEAD: What are some special de-mands that Chinese processors make for their equipment?Wittgrebe: One example is that the desire for an easy-to-use control system is more widespread. Of course, our MC6 control sys-tem is a response to this request. It is clear-ly arranged, user-friendly and features

Brand & Markets

15KraussMaffei

JÖRG WITTGREBE, SALES DIRECTOR, KRAUSSMAFFEI CHINAMajor opportunity for premium suppliers.

intuitive operation. In China, there is no structured training system with different qualification levels like that in Germany, where almost all machine operators have completed apprenticeships.

AHEAD: How great is the desire for energy efficiency and sustainability? Wittgrebe: The topic of energy consumption is of primary importance to our customers, because electricity now costs nearly as much there as in Germany. At Pudong Airport, you see power plants everywhere. There is an energy efficiency label for machines simi-lar to the one we have from Euromap, and even local providers are making increasing use of servomotor technology to lower con-sumption rates. Therefore, processors have a great awareness of the topic and place high value on functions like the Eco button on the MC6 machine control system, which makes it possible to configure the injection mold-ing machine’s settings for optimum energy efficiency.

AHEAD: Industry 4.0 is a hotly discussed topic in the German-speaking plastics industry. To what extent is the topic also relevant in China?Wittgrebe: I’d say that here in China, it’s even more firmly established in peoples’ minds than in Germany. The customers ask us about it and want to know what specific solutions we can provide for networking production

systems. Some are focused on the coupling of machine and material supply, as we presented it at the Fakuma trade show. One motivation for Industry 4.0 is increasing wages, but another is the automotive industry’s desire to save all process parameters for five to ten years, to en-able production to be traced after the fact in the case of damage. This is a great opportuni-ty to position ourselves as a premium manu-facturer, because Industry 4.0 requires both first-class machines and correspondingly high-performance control systems and inter-faces. We have all that.

AHEAD: What are your goals for KraussMaffei China in the next three to five years?Wittgrebe: One milestone will be the open-ing of our new TechCenter, which will offer training courses and a range of other ser-vices to bring us closer to our customers and their processes. In terms of produc-tion, after starting with modular machines in standard configuration, we are now able to provide customized “Engineered Machines.” The next item on the agenda is multicompo-nent technology.

“ Industry 4.0 requires not only first-class machines, but the corresponding high-performance control systems and interfaces. We have all that.”

Brand & Markets


Whether pallets, large bins, crates or buckets – the market for logistics and large packages features an incredible level of variety. In mak-

ing a selection, processors often have en-tirely different requirements for the injection molding machine and the associated technol-ogy. Klaus Zeiler, Head of the Logistics/Pack-aging (LOG/Pack) Business Unit, talks about

current trends and developments.

INTERVIEW: PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

THE MARKET FOR LOGISTICS AND LARGE PACKAGES IN FOCUS

PACKED FULL WITH PER-FORMANCE

Brand & Markets

17KraussMaffei

AHEAD: What industries is the LOG/Pack Business Unit targeted towards?Zeiler: Our customers primarily come from the packaging and logistics industry. Our customer base includes all different types of companies, from small and medium-sized enterprises to large key accounts. What they value most about KraussMaffei is its system expertise, which offers injection molding and automation solutions from a single source. We can also draw from a wide network of mold makers and peripherals suppliers, as necessary. This benefits our customers around the world.

AHEAD: Let’s stay on the topic of logis-tics. What do your customers expect in this segment?Zeiler: For logistics applications, such as pallets or large bins like trash containers or containers, for example, it is essential for products to fulfill the required mechani-cal properties. This requires especially high- performance large machines with fast cycle times. In the MX series, KraussMaffei has one of the fastest large machines on the market, with clamping forces of up to 55,000 kN. With the exceptional repeat accuracy it provides for filling behavior and precision replication, the MX series offers ideal prerequisites, particu-larly in the high-performance area.

AHEAD: What is most important in terms of packaging solutions?Zeiler: In terms of the packaging area, the primary emphasis is on smaller transport packages such as boxes or buckets. Com-pared to large articles, this area is mostly focused on low item costs. This is where the GX series, the fastest global two- platen machine in the mid-range clamping force segment with forces from 4,000 to 9,000 kN, shines. This enables us to offer short cycle times, thanks to the best machine dynam-ics and the shortest dry cycle times. Rugged screws also ensure consistently high plasti-cizing performance.

AHEAD: What role does recycling play?Zeiler: The use of recycled materials surely plays an important role in the logistics and packaging industry. For example, trash con-tainers are often produced in sandwich construction, meaning with a core of re-cycled material and inner and outer shells made of new materials. For this application, KraussMaffei offers solutions perfectly tai-lored to customer needs with the MX series in a multicomponent design with two or more injection units. For pallets or small transport packages, manufacturers often use recycled material, often as much as 100 percent. The difficulty is that recycled materials include a

large number of materials that off-gas ag-gressively. Here, KraussMaffei offers cus-tom solutions in the area of plasticizing units that offer a high level of protection for the mold and barrel and thus provide extended service life.

AHEAD: What markets do you currently believe to have the greatest growth? What are the growth drivers here?Zeiler: In general, we can say that the dis-tinguishing feature of the market for logis-tics and large packages is continuous growth. High peaks and deep lows, such as those en-countered in the automotive industry, are less typical. On a global level, Europe surely pro-vides greater growth opportunities as part of the new hygiene requirements when trans-porting foodstuffs. In this area, plastic pal-lets offer significant advantages over wood and thus will replace them to an increas-ing extent. The standardized Euro crates for transporting meat and sausage products will propel demand. We expect continued strong growth in the US, particularly in the area of logistics. We also expect high demand in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China. KraussMaffei is in an extremely good posi-tion worldwide with its tightly knit sales and service network.

KLAUS ZEILER, HEAD OF THE LOGISTICS/PACKAGING BUSINESS UNITThe distinguishing feature of the market for logistics and large packages is continuous growth.

YOUR CONTACT:

Klaus ZeilerHead of Logistics/ Packaging Business [email protected]

Brand & Markets


t all started back in October 2005. The Reaction Process Machinery depart-ment of KraussMaffei decided to build up its own mold area with molding tools and trimming technology. That is

how mold toolmaking developed in Georgs-marienhütte, a town in the state of Lower Saxony, and trimming technology developed in Viersen in neighboring North Rhine- Westphalia. Since then, KraussMaffei has been providing its customers with turnkey solutions for automotive interiors and can ac-tively partic ipate in the project management during the vehicle development at a signifi-cantly earlier stage. “This was the right step and is confirmed by our strong growth. We are globally present with our mold and trimming technology in all automotive markets – not only in Europe, but also in China and the US. Today, every two out of three foamed instru-ment panels, for example, are trimmed using technologies of KraussMaffei from Viersen,” states Nicolas Beyl, Managing Director at KraussMaffei. Both locations have continu-ously expanded in the course of the continu-ously growing market penetration. Thus, today there are approximately 70 employees working in Viersen and approximately 60 in Georgsmarienhütte.

KRAUSSMAFFEI CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF EXISTENCE AT THE VIERSEN AND GEORGSMARIENHÜTTE LOCATIONS

HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLY-URETHANE MOLDS AND TRIMMING TECHNOLOGIESCutting, punching and robotic milling of complex plastic components and premium quality molds for pouring, foaming and back-foaming – these are the trademarks of the KraussMaffei locations in Viersen and Georgsmarienhütte, Germany. In the ten years since their founding, they have experienced constant growth and made a name for themselves worldwide.

TEXT: PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

CUTTING, PUNCHING, MILLINGThe Viersen location of KraussMaffei Reaction Process Machinery features technologies for machining complex plastic components.

I

Brand & Markets

19KraussMaffei

CUSTOMIZED POLYURETHANE MOLDSIn Georgsmarienhütte, KraussMaffei develops and manufactures solutions for pouring, foaming and back-foaming polyurethanes.

YOUR CONTACT:

Georgsmarienhütte: Volker KrausmüllerPlant Manager, KraussMaffei Harderberg/Georgsmarienhü[email protected]

Viersen: Udo HaferPlant Manager, KraussMaffei [email protected]

“ Today, every two out of three foamed instrument panels are trimmed using technologies of KraussMaffei from Viersen.”NICOLAS BEYL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KRAUSSMAFFEI

Custom solutionsViersen, the location responsible for trimming, supplies not only the conventional punch press (TrimStar), but also flexible technol-ogies as robot-guided milling and cold-knife solutions (Routing Star). KraussMaffei is one of the few providers on the market that can supply both variants or combinations of them from a single source. In recent years, these technologies have been advanced through intensive development. The TrimStar 3 and Routing Star 4 versions came about this way.

KraussMaffei builds special molds for foam-ing and back-foaming automotive parts at its location in Georgsmarienhütte. These can be used to implement corresponding processes such as flexible foam, rigid foam, semi-rigid foam and flexible integral foam. Individually designed molds made of various materials are used, depending on the foam application.

Investments in the futureThe success of recent years is paying off, and of course, efforts are being made to ensure that it stays that way. “We are happy that for ten years now, we have been able to provide our customers with a very competitive com-plete package for automotive interiors. To further support the mold making growth, in Georgsmarienhütte we have just invested in an additional 5-axis machining center. To-gether with our professional team, which we will also be adding to in 2016, we will further expand our position in the automotive interi-or sector,” states Beyl.

Brand & Markets


DYNAMICALLY INDUCTIVE MOLD HEAT-BALANCING MAKES IT POSSIBLE

ADVANCED SURFACE EFFECTS IN THE ONE-SHOT PROCESSExciting surface effects with features, such as micro-structures or holograms, are created on injection molding machines from KraussMaffei with inductive DMH (Dynamic Mold Heating) technology from RocTool – without the need for any additional film decoration.


GREATER DESIGN FREEDOM IN DESIGNING COMPONENTSDMH technology ensures perfect surfaces, with features such as hologram structure or glossy appearance.

Processes & Products


21KraussMaffei

W hether matte, glossy, struc-tured or with a hologram appearance – the design and creative options provided by DMH technology are

extremely varied. This provides virtually un-limited freedom for designing and shaping surfaces. The technology is ideally suited for premium-quality visible components such as technical components in the entertain-ment and household industry or in the vehicle interior, for example. The critical advantage is that the components with the advanced surfaces are created in a one-shot pro-cess, without any additional film decoration whatsoever. As a result, additional in-mold decoration steps such as preforming, punch-ing and feeding have been omitted. “This not only reduces cycle times, but also cuts running production costs for the film, which are usually higher than the additional energy cost of the DMH technology,” says Andreas Handschke, Product and Technol ogy Manager at KraussMaffei.

The cavities of the mold inserts feature special laser-applied nanostructures. These provide the desired effects on the surfaces of the later components with corresponding dimensional accuracy of the plastic melt, which is produced using the DMH process. Furthermore, the DMH technology from RocTool, which is part of the company’s strategic market campaign HD Plastics™ (High Definition Plastics™),

enables very high temperatures that extend far beyond 400 °C. Thus, there are virtually no limits in place for processing poly carbonate. “The inductive heating system enables very quick heating phases and, therefore, does not require any close- contour tempera ture control channels. Water is used as a cool-ing medium via standard heat- balancing units. The water does not generally have to be recirculated from warm to cold and can be supplied via normal coolant holes in the cavity. As a result, energy requirements are low and cycle times do not increase,” explains Mathieu Boulanger, CEO at RocTool.

Short cycle times, less material consump-tion – this sums up the economic advantages of DMH technology nicely. Although the pur-chase price of an injection molding machine with DMH technology is higher than that of a film decorating system, the investment pays off very quickly. For example, if we assume a film price of 10 euros/m², the new acquisition will be amortized within a year or two.

YOUR CONTACT:

Andreas HandschkeProduct and Technology [email protected]



KRAUSSMAFFEI CUSTOMER TAKATA REDUCES COMPONENT WEIGHT FROM 560 TO 275 GRAMS

FIBERFORM HELPS ATTAIN THE DESIRED WEIGHTLightweight construction technology has never delivered this much – weight reduction by over one-half, with associated shorter cycle times and lower manufacturing costs per component. Automotive supplier Takata attained this in an airbag housing using the FiberForm technology from KraussMaffei.

TEXT: DR. SABINE KOB PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI, ISTOCKPHOTOS

iberForm stands for thermoform-ing and back-injection of thermo-plastic semifinished products, known as composite sheets. These semifinished products are first

heated, reshaped in the injection mold and then also back-injected with fiber- reinforced materials in this process. The process com-bines the high amount of design freedom from the injection molding process with the enor-mous strength provided by fibers made of glass, carbon or aramid that are present in

EVEN LIGHTER WITH FIBER-REIN-FORCED THERMOPLASTICSThe airbag housing produced by Takata using the FiberForm process.

F wall thickness of just 0.5 to 1 millimeter is sufficient using FiberForm. In a period of just one year, a joint project team of Takata and KraussMaffei completely redesigned the housing in three development steps, enabling a weight reduction by one-half. A compact ref-erence part made of polyamide 6 with 40 per-cent short glass fiber and a part weight of 560 g was the starting point. In the first step, the team used an organic sheet with a poly-amide matrix and fiberglass reinforcement to reduce the weight to 330 g.

the organic sheet as a roving or mesh. The result is an extremely rugged yet lightweight component that can be produced in short cy-cle times.

The airbag housing contains both the folded airbag itself and the gas generator, and, in case of an accident, must withstand the ex-plosion and the pressure when the airbag inflates. Therefore, parts manufactured in a compact injection molding process need wall thicknesses of up to 3 millimeters. A


23KraussMaffei

COMPACT PRODUCTION CELL Integration of organic sheet feeder, scale and conveyor belt within the standard protective housing of the CX 300 injection molding machine.

YOUR CONTACT:

Stefan FenskeProduct and Technology [email protected]

An additional 55 grams were cut by switching to polypropylene as a material for the organic sheet matrix and injection molding, and by switching from short glass fiber to long glass fiber reinforcement (LGF). This made it pos-sible to reduce the glass fiber content from 40 percent to 30 percent. The scale now reads a fantastically low initial weight of 275 grams. The last goal was an additional cost reduc-tion during injection molding, because long- fiber granulates are expensive. This is true of granulates of almost any fiber content. In October 2015, therefore, KraussMaffei intro-duced an integrated solution at the Fakuma trade show that enables the plasticizing unit to feed equal portions of highly concentrated PP granulate with 60 percent LGF and a poly-propylene dilution polymer, and meter it accu-rately. This alone enables plastics processors to save 10–15 percent in material costs, while also providing flexibility for adapting the fiber content and developing proprietary recipes.

Space-saving multiple kinematicsIf we consider the manufacturing sequence and the handling of the FiberForm airbag housing, the two robots LRX-350 linear come to mind immediately. They work in parallel and assume the tasks of heating up semifinished fiber com-ponents (composite sheets) and demolding the finished components. This cuts cycle times. In addition, a weighing process for checking the shot weight consistency and the placement on a conveyor belt were implemented.

The scale and the conveyor belt are integrated into the CX 300 injection molding machine’s standard protective housing in a space-saving manner, as is the organic sheet feeder. Com-pared to the previous version of the system with LRX-150 handling, the installation area required for the system decreased by 25 per-cent thanks to the mechanical coupling of both linear robots to a common Z-axis and a longitu-dinal discharge for the finished parts. The MC6 control system now operates both the scale for checking the shot weight consistency and addi-tionally the infrared oven. It is no wonder that Udo Gaumann, Manager Core Engineering Ma-terials at Takata, evaluated the entire project that redesigned the component and used long- fiber granulates positively. “In conjunction with the great potential for lightweight construc-tion that the FiberForm technology offers, the invest ment pays off very quickly and can there-fore be considered a cost-effective lightweight construction solution.”

In a period of just one year, a joint project team of Takata and KraussMaffei completely redesigned the housing in three development steps, enabling a weight reduction of one-half.


YOUR CONTACT:

Herbert AdolfHead of Technology and Service, Reaction Process [email protected]


owntimes are cost drivers, though they are also characteristic fea-tures of processing polyurethane and other reaction systems. In many cases, the systems are

used to produce components in relatively short runs. Additionally, production is only partially automated in many cases. As a result, the manufacturing process has to be stopped, the component has to be removed from the mold manually and the mold must be cleaned. The mold change also results in frequent production interruptions. “During these downtimes, the energy requirement of the system should be reduced as much as possible,” says Herbert Adolf, Head of Tech-nology and Service Reaction Technology at KraussMaffei. During regular operation of the system, the energy requirements can be decreased even more by making the process of mixing the reaction components as effi-cient as possible.

The priority now is to bridge these downtimes in the most energy-efficient manner possible. This is exactly where the BluePower program from KraussMaffei proves its benefits. The systems switch the metering pump drives to low-pressure output immediately after the filling process. Furthermore, the complete switch-off of the pump drive occurs after a preconfigured time span if the system is idle.

BRIDGING DOWNTIMES IN POLYURETHANE PROCESSING SAFELY AND RELIABLY

UP TO 30 PERCENT ENERGY SAVINGSKraussMaffei offers its customers the BluePower product line, a comprehensive concept that gives a lasting boost to processing polyurethane (PUR) and other reaction systems.


D “Premium Efficiency” value corresponding to the IEC 60034-30-1 standard. It was possible to reduce the connected load of the drive mo-tors by up to 30 percent through the consis-tent optimization of the metering pumps and the hydraulic concepts. A pump capacity of 16 liters/min. reduced the connected load from 11 kW to 7.5 kW, for example.

The extensive measures that KraussMaffei applies to increase energy efficiency offer great potential. “It is possible to attain energy savings of up to 30 percent in specific areas by optimally adapting the machine’s individual power requirements to current processes,” he explains. Overall, this reduces not only the CO2 load during production, but manufactur-ing costs as well.

The machines are equipped with a control function for fast pressure build-up so that the complete operating performance can be reached again in almost no time. The agita-tors and the heat-balance of the container can also be further operated in order to condition the components during pauses in production. Here, KraussMaffei systems provide an ad-justable interval mode, which ensures that the temperature and homogeneity of the compo-nents remain constant while insuring mini-mum energy consumption.

Optimized mixing headsKraussMaffei also takes advantage of the energy-saving potential present in the mix-ing heads area. The mixing head hydraulics can be moved or switched off, depending on the process requirement in the bypass oper-ation if the required pressure is reached. “The flow-optimized mixing heads and mixing head nozzles from KraussMaffei achieve the high-est mixing quality, even with minimum power consumption. The respective mixing head that is optimally adapted to the application is selected from the versatile product range of mixing heads,” says Adolf.

Motors with IE2 efficiency classes have been used since 2015 (IE3 starting in 2016) in mixing and metering systems from KraussMaffei. There motors achieve the


25KraussMaffei

he gripper unit in accordance with the old concept is classic mechani cal engineering. Four grippers installed on the met-al plate in the desired positions,

with safe and reliable function and a weight of 1,400 grams. In accordance with the new concept, the grippers are at exactly the same positions. However, the plastic carrier is a sweeping, elegant design, a customized de-sign part that is free of excess material, with an appearance that is both airy and light-weight. This appearance is completely true. At 720 grams, the entire gripper unit weighs only slightly more than half its fully metallic counterpart.

The component was created by 3D printing in a selective laser sintering process. In this pro-cess, the parts are built up in layers. To do so, powdered material – plastic (polyamide), met-al (such as aluminum or titanium) or ceram-ics – are applied in a thin layer to a base plate.

Now, a laser (selectively) sinters exactly the area of the powder that corresponds exact-ly to the desired part form in this layer. This means that it solidifies this area by partially melting the powder particles. After each sin-tering procedure, the construction platform is lowered by an amount equivalent to the thick-ness of one layer to apply a new powder layer, which is then also sintered.

One advantage of this procedure is com-plete freedom when designing the work-piece. Cavities and undercuts that are very

LAYER FOR LAYER, AN OPTIMIZED COMPONENT

GRIPPING CARRIERS FROM THE PRINTER Single-part production at close-to-series costs – the dream of every mechanical engineering company that offers its customers custom-ized solutions. KraussMaffei is making this dream reality thanks to an innovative production technology: 3D printing. The process of selective laser sintering makes it possible to manufacture highly complex components in one-off production.

TEXT: JOACHIM WEBER PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

T difficult to access when machining materials can be made as desired. Controlling the pro-cess requires only a CAD file that describes the component with three-dimensional geo-metric data.

In addition to the weight and material savings, other advantages make 3D printing attractive for KraussMaffei:

• The functionally oriented design engineer-ing without technical machining limitations enables new types of optimization, even with highly complex geometries.

• The new design options make it possible to integrate function elements such as drill holes, threads or channels for the media supply – including compressed-air hoses in the case of the gripper – directly into the component. The resulting decreased num-ber of subcomponents reduces the installa-tion times of the gripper.

• Even small quantities can be produced cost-effectively. Depending on the compo-nent size, the 3D printer can simultaneously produce many identical, but also different, parts. The “nesting” of different parts on the pro duction area of the printer results in an additional improvement in the performance.

• The amount of time required for manu-facturing complex parts is reduced drastically. This ensures they are available quickly, even in the event of reordering.

All of these benefits can be attained without sacrificing product quality. KraussMaffei has been working with 3D-printed components since early 2015. They have success fully passed their long-term testing – including with cyclical tensile and pressure loading of the gripper. Additionally, the components are clean room-compliant and highly tem-perature-resistant. The 3D-printed parts also impress with high levels of form accu-racy and reproducibility. For the time being, however, 3D printing will not be the standard manu facturing process at KraussMaffei. We see it as a very promising alternative to conventional gripper design, which we can use for specific applications and components.

3D-PRINTED GRIPPERThe focus here is on the optimized, space-saving design engineering of the gripper geometry.

YOUR CONTACT:

Michael FlurlProduct [email protected]



arbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) features exceptional rigid-ity at a very low dead weight. Even where they are exposed to high forces in case of a crash, they

comply with the highest safety standards and are an ideal complement to metallic mate-rials such as steel and aluminum. They also demonstrate these ideal properties in the new BMW 7 Series. It is the first vehicle in the BMW Group’s classic model portfolio in which industrially produced carbon-fiber re-inforced plastic is used in auto body construc-tion not as a visible external skin material, but in the body structure itself – in conjunction with high-strength steel and aluminum. Parts made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic in-clude the roof supports and the reinforcement of the roof frame, the B and C pillar, the spoil-er and the center tunnel, as well as the upper luggage compartment divider.

The BMW Group entered uncharted territory not only in the body structure, but in other areas as well. The company used a new technology, the wet molding process from KraussMaffei, in mass production for the first time when manufacturing the individual carbon- fiber reinforced plastic components.

WET MOLDING PROCESS MADE READY FOR SERIES PRODUCTION IN THE NEW BMW 7 SERIES

CFRP IN INCREASINGLY SHORTER CYCLE TIMES The new 7 series is the BMW Group’s flagship in auto motive lightweight construction. Innovative technologies made it possible to make it 130 kilograms lighter than the previous model. One reason is high-performance carbon elements manufactured in the KraussMaffei wet molding process.

TEXT: DR. SABINE KOB, PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: BMW, KRAUSSMAFFEI

In comparison to classic RTM processes (res-in transfer molding) like HP-RTM (high-pres-sure RTM) and C-RTM (compression RTM), wet molding is characterized by a simpler process chain in which the preform pro-cess is omitted completely. For this reason, wet molding is a cost-effective alternative for manufacturing new lightweight components in vehicle manufacturing.

Simplified process chainThe process is based on a common fea-ture of conventional production methods for manu facturing fiber-reinforced thermoset in the RTM process. The carbon semifinished product is first given the desired three- dimensional geometry in a preforming sta-tion, the preform created in this process is then inserted into the mold, into which the

C

low-viscosity plastic – usually epoxy resin or polyurethane – is injected in the third process step. The fibers are infiltrated with the matrix resin using high pressure (HD-RTM) or com-pression (C-RTM).

During the wet molding process, the sequence is reversed, simplifying the process chain. First, a mixing head applies the resin (usual-ly epoxy resin) onto the flat- lying semifinished fiber product in continuous strips. The fiber product is then passed on to the mold, where it is molded. This process has two decisive advantages. It saves valuable cycle time, because the resin can be applied to one com-ponent while the other is simultaneously curing in the mold. It is also possible to use

Wet molding offers a cost-effective alterna-tive to manufacturing new lightweight components in vehicle manufacturing.

Rear roof support

Roof bow finisher

Partners & Projects

Partners & Projects

27KraussMaffei

a width of 80 and 150 millimeters) in a way that is gentle on the material and without caus-ing fiber to be displaced on the semifinished product. A volume flow meter records the applied quantity precisely. This is important to ensure the required strength of the CFRP components.

But technological expertise is not the only key factor for developing groundbreaking system solutions. A well-functioning, global network of sales and service partners is needed as well. For this purpose, KraussMaffei main-tains highly strategic partnerships, like with Dieffenbacher for instance, a developer of high-performance compression molds for wet molding and other RTM processes. Erich Fries, Head of the Composites/Surfaces Busi-ness Unit in the Reaction Process Machinery segment, is also excited about excellent fu-ture prospects, stating that, “the demand for lightweight construction solutions ready for series production based on carbon-fiber rein-forced plastics is running at full speed, even at the international level. Environmental regu-lations regarding CO2 reduction are becom-ing more and more strict, which increases demands even further. The process of devel-oping new materials and processes is still far from being complete. And KraussMaffei is playing a leading role in all of this.”

recycled fibers. Mats made of recycled fibers are similar to a nonwoven material, because the individual fibers are not oriented uniformly as they are in a fabric, but rather distributed in an undirected manner. This random arrange-ment increases the flow resistance that the ultrasonically welded roving provides to the penetrating resin and closed cavity.

This makes wet molding an excellent option for the industrial processing of recycled fibers in the RTM process and, as such, is an ideal fit for the claim of sustainable production. Thus, for example, three standard carbon parts on the 7 Series are made from recycled fibers and 100 percent of the energy required for production is from renewable sources.

Strong networkKraussMaffei delivered a total of five dou-ble systems with two mixing heads each, and a complete tank unit for the manufac-turing of the 7 Series at the BMW location in Dingolfing. These systems can be used to operate multi-cavities, for example. Highly reactive epoxy resin systems with extremely short curing times additionally require fast-er application precision and place high de-mands on pumping and metering technology. KraussMaffei is one of very few providers on the market that produces its own high- pressure pumps. This allows the company to adjust the pumps to individual custom-er requirements optimally. The resin is ap-plied using self-cleaning flat sheet dies (with

WET MOLDINGA cost-effective alternative to manufacturing new lightweight components in vehicle manu-facturing.

Center tunnel reinforcement

YOUR CONTACT:

Erich FriesHead of the Composites/Surfaces Business Unit [email protected]

Partners & Projects

irtually no unplanned standstills, long maintenance intervals and a high service life for the systems. That goes without saying for KraussMaffei customers. They can

always rely on the robust design engineer-ing that the injection molding mechani-cal engineering company offers. But design engineering features alone are not enough. The carefree package for system safety also includes a complete package for supplying the system with high-performance hydraulic fluids and with services that make the entire system even more reliable.

It is crucial to minimize any kind of friction in the system during daily operation under

THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN KRAUSSMAFFEI AND SHELL LUBRICANTS

PEAK TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENT OPERATIONLubricants and hydraulic fluids are extremely hard at work even if they do not show it out in the open. When two global market and technological leaders get together to continuously further develop prod-ucts from this group, it is not always because requirements are continuing to grow. Together, Shell and KraussMaffei are always looking for new technical solutions.

TEXT: JOACHIM WEBER PHOTOS: SHELL, KRAUSSMAFFEI

extreme conditions, with high temperatures and pressures as well as with mechanical movements at high speeds. This is the only way to ensure that forces are transmitted to where they are needed unabatedly and the only way to prevent wear and tear. For centu-ries, oils and grease have been used to varying degrees of success. Today, highly specialized lubricants and hydraulic fluids are what keep machines running as smoothly as possible.

Shell is the international market leader and technological pioneer in this business. The company’s incredibly broad product range serves customers in over 100 countries. More-over, Shell has a network of highly skilled em-ployees with many years of expertise in the

V industry and extensive knowledge of its ap-plications. “Shell’s presence on the mar-ket and the expertise it has gained over the course of 70 years makes it the ideal partner for KraussMaffei for regarding all lubrication and hydraulics questions,” says Harald Tiran from the KraussMaffei Group’s Indirect Pro-curement sector.

This is all the more true, because the partner-ship is not a one-way street. “Part of Shell’s tradition is collaborating with renowned ma-chine and component manufacturers, who provide input in the form of their own experi-ence as well as expertise of the latest develop-ments and trends in their field,” explains Shell Lubricants Expert, Jörg Spanke, Cluster

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A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPFrom left to right: Alfred Rott, Account Manager Shell, Harald Tiran, Strategic Purchase Indirect, KraussMaffei, Nadine Herzog, Account Manager B2B Industry, Shell.

Technical Manager North West Europe. This enables Shell to implement current, practical experiences such as information regard-ing future requirements into its own product develop ment. The fact that KraussMaffei can access Shell’s development laboratory for lubricants and hydraulic fluids in Hamburg is an additional advantage that makes this coop-eration so appealing.

Global presence, product availability and technical supportKraussMaffei customers benefit primar-ily from this close cooperation. In conjunc-tion with the services and consultations that KraussMaffei offers, Shell’s lubricants are a key factor for ensuring that all machine and system parts remain in optimum working conditions, that performance and efficiency increase and that operation and maintenance costs are lowered as a result. This high level of quality is also the case worldwide.

Hydraulic fluids by the Shell Tellus are only one example. They are available to all KraussMaffei customers worldwide as part of the global partnership between the two mar-ket leaders. The Tellus fluids offer a wide va-riety of special properties. All of them share the ability to keep the hydraulic system clean and to minimize the risk of valve blockage. Ad-ditionally, they are extremely resistant to ther-mal and chemical decomposition. Shell Tellus S2 MA 46 also features a particularly high level of filterability, even among extremely fine fil-ters, a long fluid service life and consequently

long fluid change intervals as well as excellent wear-resistance.

“This hydraulic fluid has been tried and tested and proven itself for years in machines and systems from KraussMaffei. For this reason, it is now the only commissioning fluid for new injection molding machinery systems,” ex-plains Gernot Huster, Head of Development for Hydraulic Systems and Measuring Tech-nology at KraussMaffei. “We consider lubri-cant to be an important component of our overall product.” Consequently, KraussMaffei recommends hydraulic fluids from Shell to its customers.

Analysis, optimization and savingsFurthermore, KraussMaffei is offering its global customers yet another special service. LubeAnalyst is a “health check” to inspect the condition of the lubricants and thus the con-dition of machines and systems. It is partic-ularly important as an early warning system, due to the fact that analyzing lubricants and their conta minations enables conclusions to be drawn about potential faults. The proce-dure is simple. KraussMaffei removes a fluid sample from the customer’s machine, which is then analyzed in an independent, certified and specialized lab. The customer receives a “diagnosis” specifically for its machine as well as recommendations on how to proceed. The basis for both come from experiences saved in the central database, which go back several years. The high number of samples enables comparable patterns to be detected.

“Overall, Shell and KraussMaffei share the same goals,” emphasizes Huster. “We are both interested in achieving a high level of efficiency for the machines and systems, reducing maintenance expenses, increasing the service life and ensuring clean operation to the highest degree possible. These form a good basis for a successful partnership.”

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGYShell is continuously investing in the devel-opment of even better lubricant solutions.

TECHNOLOGY

The Shell Lubricants Research & Development centers focus on four technological core areas:• Efficiency • Reducing maintenance expenses• Increasing the service life of components• Cleanliness of machines and systems

YOUR CONTACT:

Gernot HusterHead of Development for Hydraulic Systems and Measuring Technology [email protected]

Partners & Projects


erge means to blend, unify, join. That is the motto of the German Federal Government’s Cluster of Excel lence MERGE “ Technology Fusion for Multifunctional Light-

weight Structures” of Chemnitz University of Technology. Its focus lies on merging previ-ously disconnected manufacturing processes using various materials such as textiles, plas-tics or metals. The goal is researching and developing energy- and raw material-saving

lightweight structures for mass production. The new MERGE technology center has been relying on a large machine from KraussMaffei since October 2015. “The MXW 2500 is a true all-round talent in the area of lightweight construction with its numerous options in material, mold or process selection, and it is certainly unique in the German research landscape in this design and size,” explains Georg Holzinger, Vice-President of Technol-ogies at KraussMaffei. Above all, this machine

MODULAR INJECTION MOLDING SYSTEM SOLUTIONS AT THE NEW MERGE LIGHTWEIGHT TECHNOLOGY CENTER

ALL-ROUND LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION TALENTS ON A SCIENCE MISSIONThe Free State of Saxony is investing in the lightweight construction technology of the future as part of the German Federal Government’s Cluster of Excellence MERGE of Chemnitz University of Technology. An MXW 2500 swivel-plate injection molding machine from KraussMaffei is at the heart of the new MERGE Lightweight Technology Center. Thanks to a wide variety of technical op-tions, it offers maximum flexibility for research and close-to-production prototype manufacturing in the original size.

TEXT: PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: CHEMNITZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, KRAUSSMAFFEI

THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW KRAUSSMAFFEI INJECTION MOLDING SYSTEM IN THE MERGE TECHNOLOGY CENTER(from left): Georg P. Holzinger (Vice President of Technologies KraussMaffei), Dr. Eric J. Amis (Dean, College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron), Prof. Lothar Kroll (Coordinator of the German Federal Government’s Cluster of Excellence MERGE and Dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering), Eberhard Alles (Chancellor of the Chemnitz University of Technology), Dr. Micaela Schönherr (CFO of the KraussMaffei Group), Samuel D. DeShazior (Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, City of Akron) and Stephen Kidder.

is to be used for conducting research for the automotive industry. The aim is to produce parts of a vehicle with a lightweight design, in an energy-saving way and in serial production. These prototype components can be produced in their original sizes. This is particularly im-portant for industry clients who can test the properties of the parts at a 1:1 scale.

The MXW 2500 is a very compact, high- performance production system that is char-acterized by short machining times, fast cycles and a high output. The series has a modular design and offers a wide range of configuration options. “We were deliberate in choosing a large machine with a clamping force range of 25,000 kN, to be able to repre-sent large components with measurements of up to 1.5 m x 1.5 m at its original scale,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar Kroll, Director of the Institute of Lightweight Structures (IST) at Chemnitz University of Technology and Coor-dinator of the MERGE Cluster of Excellence.

Custom-made multi-component injection moldingThe “W” in the MXW 2500 machine designa-tion stands for “Wendeplattentechnik” ( swivel plate technology). A significant increase in cost-effectiveness in multi-component in-jection molding can be achieved using the SpinForm design from KraussMaffei. This allows you to double your output of multi-com-ponent parts compared to turntable molds at the same clamping force. Even new com-ponents with particularly large dimensions

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can be functionalized this way. With the TwinForm variant, KraussMaffei created an additional solution with a special multi-day-light mold that also ensures noticeably high-er production. An additional bolt-on unit in an L design enables the flexible, additional me-tering and processing of thermoplastics as well as thermo set matrix materials.

An additional mixing and metering system also enables the processing of poly urethanes with fillers and other reactive matrix mate-rials. The system is equipped with a color- metering unit directly on the mixing head and an additional nucleation unit. This of-fers maximum flexibility during prototype manufacturing.

Even lighter with MuCell and FiberFormThe new MERGE research system is also designed for what is called the MuCell pro-cess. The MuCell process is a physical foam-ing process with nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The advantages of the foamed components are their light weight, decreased warp-age, higher dimensional stability and short

Despite the size and complexity, this auto-mation solution has been implemented in a way that optimizes the available space and enables a high degree of operating conve-nience. This enables the robots to discharge the parts on the operator rear side and the in-jection molding machine remains completely accessible on the operator side. This sophis-ticated solution also required the additional injection molding machine bolt-on unit (in the L design) on the operator rear side. The work-stations for feeding insertion parts and de-positing the finished parts are located on a platform above the bolt-on unit. This spatial separation enables both systems to be oper-ated optimally.

All processes – whether SpinForm, TwinForm, MuCell, FiberForm or automation – as well as the MXW 2500 can be operated cen-trally via the MC6 control system. “This also eases the operation of complex processes tremendously,” emphasizes Professor Kroll.

PARTS FOR THE CARS OF TOMORROW are created on an MXW 2500 injection molding machine from KraussMaffei at the new MERGE Lightweight Technology Center of the Chemnitz University of Technology.

The MXW 2500 is a true all-round talent in the area of lightweight construction and its design and size is certainly unique in the German research landscape.

manufacturing times. Close-to-production manufacturing of prototypes in the field of thermoplastic lightweight construction with fiber-reinforced plastic is possible thanks to the FiberForm option, which was installed as an add-on by KraussMaffei. In this process, impregnated fabric or roving made out of continuous fiber, what are called fiber com-ponents, are heated, shaped in the injection mold and subsequently back-injected with a thermoplastic matrix. Like injection molding, the FiberForm technology from KraussMaffei is easy to automate and can be used in fully automated production.

A sophisticated automation solutionThe streamlined automation solution concep-tualized by KraussMaffei for this system offers a high degree of flexibility and support for this process. Four LRX robots have been replaced by two LRX500-TwinZ robots. This type of ro-bot (TwinZ) couples two x/y kinematic units each to the z-axis mechanically. Both robots can be programmed and operated using the multiple kinematics control concept. Integra-tion of up to 24 axes is possible.

YOUR CONTACT:

Georg HolzingerVice President of [email protected]

Partners & Projects


POLYTEC PLASTICS RELIES ON THE SYSTEM EXPERTISE OF KRAUSSMAFFEI

COMPLEXITY MADE EASY A sophisticated production system needs is to be created. Injection molding with various metal inserts and downstream in-line quality checks for flashing to ensure the seal is good. A project such as this can involve contacts with many companies. Or just one, if you take advantage of the system expertise of KraussMaffei. The automotive supplier POLYTEC PLASTICS GmbH & Co KG in Lohne, Germany, a POLYTEC GROUP company, has done just that and is thrilled with the 25 percent efficiency increase.


he POLYTEC GROUP, which has about 4,200 employees at 25 loca-tions in twelve countries, manu-factures components for the automotive industry and, in the

process, has gained a great deal of expertise in the area of the engine bay. The technological demand in the powertrain area is substantially higher than in the interior, because the complex interaction of temperature resistance, weight, acoustic capacity and modular design in the narrow engine bay repeatedly presents great challenges to the development and production of functional plastic parts. POLYTEC operates as a successful development partner and sys-tem provider for large automakers; the largest customer is the VW Group. Significantly increased productivityAt the Lohne location in Lower Saxony, another production cell was needed for manufacturing oil pans, but a significantly higher level of pro-ductivity was desired compared to their existing system. As a result, the requirements specifi-cations required a high degree of automation combined with low space requirements and ro-bust processes. Accordingly, the KraussMaffei project team collaborated with the customer POLYTEC to develop a process in which six-axis robots feed and load various sleeves, threaded pins and bushings, and then prepare them on a rotary table with correct mold spacing. There, an LRX-1000 linear robot takes them and plac-es them into the mold, which is installed in a GX 450-4300 from KraussMaffei. The LRX re-moves the finished oil pan, the sprue is sep-arated and the component is transferred to another six-axis robot. An in-line camera check is carried out there. All sleeves and bushings are checked to make sure they are present and to detect flashing. The latter could impair the

seal of the oil pan. A conveyor belt with a cool-ing section then transports the OK parts to the area for further processing.

A critical timelineThe concept was appealing and so was the flex-ibility of the KraussMaffei employees because, as is so often the case, the timeline was criti-cal. Concerning this, Michael Benzien, Head of Purchasing at POLYTEC PLASTICS, said, “The long procurement times on the market are a big challenge for us. We need providers with pro-active sales, to whom we can say, ‘We are planning a new system concept; start thinking about potential ways of using it,’ because by the time we are able to set the specific order, it is usually too late for the start of production de-fined by the customer. KraussMaffei support-ed us greatly in this.”

Now the system runs in three-shift opera-tion and autonomously for up to three hours. Our availability is at 96 percent; the increased productivity we hoped for has been met. Jörg Kippermann, Head of Operations at POLYTEC PLASTICS explains, “Our productivity has in-creased by 25 percent.” The optimum coordi-nation of all individual components is a major factor here. They work together like clockwork. Even the control panel of the PLC control sys-tem was adapted to the MC6 control system design to give the user a comprehensive feel-ing of control.

Complex processesIn the case of such complex manufacturing sequences, injection molding itself represents just one, however critical, step, which is why the requirements for employees change. Gerd Tönjes from Launch Management at POLYTEC PLASTICS explains, “We are increasingly

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GOOD COLLABORATION The teams from POLYTEC and KraussMaffei worked hand in hand from the start.

3 h autonomously

Three-shift operation up to

96%availability

25%increased efficiency

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requiring our colleagues to understand the complex processes of injection molding, and when it comes to readjustments, we now rely more on mechatronics and electronics engi-neers than on just process engineers. This is because the productivity of the systems can be utilized optimally only if you are able to under-stand and control the entire sequence.”

Systems that are extremely productive, awak-en the desire for more. As the logical conse-quence, the successful model will be multiplied. At the POLYTEC location in Tianjin, China, the same production line is currently being built without sacrificing automation, as one might expect considering lower employee wages. The desire for process reliability and guar-anteed functionality at POLYTEC exceeds the striving for savings, especially since it pays

off when in-house technicians worldwide find a trusted standard. The oil pan is delivered to a global model platform, and the demand for international delivery capability placed by the OEM on its first-tier POLYTEC is also conveyed to the machine partner. Michael Benzien ex-plains, “The fact that KraussMaffei is globally represented with manu facturing and support was extremely important for us. In the future, processes are to be developed jointly with the employee team in Tianjin as well as in Lohne, and then be installed on-site locally. For that, POLYTEC needs partners who are positioned just as strongly in the target markets.”

Providing added valueHiltrud Wilke-Bröring from Central Purchasing Investments knows that the collaboration be-tween POLYTEC and KraussMaffei has stood

the test of time since the company’s founding in the 1980s, and states, “We especially value the good service and the procurement of spare parts at very short notice. KraussMaffei pro-vides a clear added value with services like that.”

YOUR CONTACT:

Michael FlurlProduct [email protected]

Partners & Projects


AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER FRITZMEIER RELIES ON HP-RTM TECHNOLOGY FROM KRAUSSMAFFEI

FIT FOR LARGE SERIESProducing CFRP components in large-scale series is a standard made possible thanks to the market launch of electric cars such as the BMW i3, as well as many other factors. The HP-RTM process (high-pressure resin transfer molding) from KraussMaffei supports processors on their path towards increased automation and short cycle times.


WHEN THE CHEMISTRY IS RIGHT(from left.): Wolfgang Rößler (KraussMaffei Sales), Florian Kirschner (CFRP Pro-duction Area Management at Fritzmeier) and Stephan Fraunhofer (Development Management at Fritzmeier) with the cowl from a BMW i3.

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F ritzmeier Composite GmbH & Co. KG relies on increased automation and short cycle times. The auto motive supplier develops and produces a wide variety of top-class compo-

nents based on fiber- reinforced composites at its Bruckmühl location in Bavaria. The list of well-known references includes large au-tomakers such as BMW (particularly the BMW i3 and the Mini) Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce. In 2014, the company invested in an-other HP-RTM machine from KraussMaffei and produced, among other creations, carbon-fiber- reinforced components for the bodywork of the BMW i3. “Very short cycle times were a

requirement for the design of the new HP-RTM machine. KraussMaffei produced a system solution perfectly designed for our require-ments,” explains Stephan Fraunhofer, Head of Development at Fritzmeier.

The result is a customized HP RimStar Com-pact in the design of a four-strand machine with four mixing heads. Two presses can be operated at a time using this machine. By using switchover units, two presses with dual cavities can be operated by using a sin-gle four-component machine. This prevents the need to invest in an additional metering system.

Highly reactive epoxy systemsAn additional challenge was the matrix mate-rial used, which is a highly reactive and par-ticularly corrosive epoxy system. The special distinguishing characteristics start with the selection of the axial piston pumps, which move the material to the mixing and metering sys-tems. Here, Fritzmeier benefited from the in-house pump manufacturing of KraussMaffei. “By manufacturing our own pumps, we are able to adapt them directly to the customer’s requirements so that the machine can oper-ate with a higher level of efficiency,” explains Erich Fries, Head of the Composites and Sur-faces Business Unit at KraussMaffei. As the only provider on the market, KraussMaffei has been producing the pumps in-house since 2010, allowing for a quick, individualized re-sponse to the needs of a customer.

The RimStar series mixing and metering sys-tems from KraussMaffei are also optimally de-signed for processing of fast-reacting epoxy systems. The specific defining features are the flexibility and high product quality with low scrap rates. “High-pressure injection using the RimStar series enables fast-reacting resin sys-tems to be processed. This makes it possible to quickly fill the mold for fiber-reinforced com-ponents to the benefit of shorter cycle times,” explains Fries.

The RimStar Compact 8/4-8/4 HP-RTM at Fritzmeier is equipped with four MK 102K-RTM mixing heads. This allows for the perfect premixing of resin and hardener and works according to the self-cleaning principle. Release-agent metering at the mixing head, including the corresponding release agent

station, complete the efficient mixing head system. Systems with demanding processing temperature requirements can be metered to perfection with RimStar high pressure RTM metering machines. High-pressure engineer-ing ensures that the components are thor-oughly mixed in the mixing head.

Many years of experience and expertise are paying offFritzmeier benefited from both the technical advantages of the RimStar systems as well as KraussMaffei’s many years of the experience and expertise when designing the suitable HP-RTM system. “We appreciate the many years of experience and highly skilled con-sultation services that KraussMaffei provided throughout the entire project phase. As a result of their efforts, we have received a cus-tomized system solution that gives us a clear competitive edge,” says Florian Kirschner, Head of Production at Fritzmeier, in praise of the close collaboration.

READY FOR SERIES PRODUCTIONFritzmeier uses the HP-RTM machine from KraussMaffei to produce a variety of products, in-cluding carbon-fiber reinforced components for the bodywork of the BMW i3.

YOUR CONTACT:

Erich FriesHead of the Composites/Surfaces Business [email protected]

“ KraussMaffei produced a system solution perfectly designed to our requirements.”STEPHAN FRAUNHOFER, HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT AT FRITZMEIER

Partners & Projects


s a result of the continuous in-crease in raw material prices, due mainly to weakening ex-change rates, and an increase in overheads such as energy and

labor costs, South African manufactures are struggling to meet customer expectations on price. With antiquated machines that are un-able to run modern twin-cavity molds, little can be done to reduce the cost of the crates. Further more, energy costs, especially elec-tricity prices, have increased dramatically over time due to the unrealistic low prices South Africa benefited from over the years

ACHIEVING PEAK PERFORMANCE AS A TEAM – HIGHLY EFFICIENT PRODUCTION

STREAMLINED TRANSPORT CRATES FOR SOUTH AFRICAMCG Industries is one of South Africa’s leading suppliers of rigid plastic crates mainly for the brewing, beverage and dairy industries. By acquiring three MX 1000-17200 injection-molding machines from KraussMaffei, MCG significantly improves cycle times and energy consumption, which ultimately improves its competitive advantage.

TEXT: JOACHIM WEBER, PETRA REHMET PHOTOS: KRAUSSMAFFEI

SHORT DISTANCESThe mold’s optimized media supply with water and fluid.

“ Schoeller Allibert, KraussMaffei and its South African repre-sentative, P&CT, de-veloped a solution perfectly tailored to our requirements.”IAN VICTOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT MCG

and capacity constraints, which has led to major upgrades and new investment re-quirements. Based on these facts, MCG has put a strategy together to not only invest in

the machines but also in more sophisticated molds, which should allow MCG to manufac-ture crates far more efficiently.

Due to the considerable investment of buying these machines and molds, it was important to ensure maximum value be extracted from this acquisition. Therefore, MCG decided to dedicate a machine to a new, highly sophisti-cated twin dairy mold as a pilot project, which would evaluate the success of the strategic objective. The services of Schoeller Allibert and KraussMaffei were required for this spe-cific pilot project. The specifications for this new injection-molding machine needed to meet the objective of “more output for less cost” without ignoring quality, longevity, be-ing “fit for purpose” or having a more mod-ern look.

The first milestoneFor this reason, the mold was the first area under scrutiny. The guideline read, “We want the best, most productive mold available for these types of applications.” This is where mold maker Schoeller Allibert, a company known around the world for developing inno-vative reusable packaging products, entered the picture. Schoeller Allibert proposed a twin-cavity mold similar to those used in the brewing business to achieve this objective. This type of mold was a first for MCG dairy products and would ultimately improve MCG’s market share.

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37KraussMaffei Partners & Projects

A SOPHISTICATED COMBINATIONIn terms of a twin-cavity mold, the

large MX 1000-17200 machine offers optimal utilization of platen dimen-

sions and clamping forces.

As a result of the type of mold that Schoeller Allibert was proposing, a special molding ma-chine was required with a higher than usual specification. Schoeller Allibert recommend-ed KraussMaffei as the machine supplier for this project, due to their long-standing working relationship and its confidence in KraussMaffei’s capability to meet the speci-fications required to achieve the objectives.The large MX 1000-17200 type offered by KraussMaffei fit the bill perfectly. In terms of a two-cavity molds, this injection molding machine offers optimal utilization of platen di-mensions and clamping forces at an excellent price/performance ratio. The on-site service and a training concept required for MCG em-ployees, ranging from the operator to the Pro-duction and Engineering managers, was an important key element for KraussMaffei to consider when choosing the machine.

The target-oriented solutionThe additional non-standard technical com-ponents supported MCG’s requirements and allowed for very short cycle times and low energy consumption. These compo-nents, such as the HPS barrier screw being installed in the MX machine, provide excep-tionally high throughput with excellent melt quality and shorter cycle times with 20 per-cent lower energy consumption. The insu-lating sleeve around the injection unit offers even more potential for energy savings. It reduces the heat-up time by 20 to 30 percent. The total heat energy required drops by 20 to 40 percent.

ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS TOGETHERThe teams of MCG, KraussMaffei, Schoeller Allibert and P&CT.

YOUR CONTACT:

Fabian LewickiRegional Sales Manager at [email protected]

“Schoeller Allibert, KraussMaffei and its South African representative, P&CT, de-veloped a solution perfectly tailored to our requirements. We were amazed at how effec-tively they worked together,” says Ian Victor, Managing Director at MCG. The combina-tion of a precisely configured machine and a high-tech mold allowed us to implement a wide variety of objectives simultaneously, such as short cycle times without warpage or sink marks.

“Warpage and sink marks can only be elim-inated by a very uniform melt flow with very short injection time. The machine from KraussMaffei played a significant part in making this possible,” says Stefan Scheuerer, Director of Sales Africa for Schoeller Allibert, in lauding his project partner. The suc-cess could be measured readily because MCG had specified a cycle time of 30 sec-onds, quite a challenge for a product this size (424 x 334 x 310 millimeters). At machine ac-ceptance, KraussMaffei was able to run a sta-ble process at a cycle time of 28 seconds.

“This investment has already paid off. This molding machine as well as the other two have become a success story for MCG,” said Victor. Victor has nothing but praise for the machines, “the new system has given us a true leap forward in technology.” In the future, MCG will expand the production of milk crates, as well as other sectors, to new countries and is looking forward to once again utilizing proven expertise in mold making and injection molding technology provided by Schoeller Allibert and KraussMaffei.

YOUR CONTACT:

Martin WürteleHead of Technology [email protected]

F

KRAUSSMAFFEI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT ON OPTICS MANUFACTURING

BETTER LIGHT WITH OPTISYS Anyone who wears glasses is aware of this phenomenon: the higher optical power required or the larger the frames, the thicker the lenses. The automotive industry faces similar problems. Steadily increasing sales figures and headlights with more and more advanced shapes pose new manufacturing problems. For this reason, KraussMaffei is the coordinator of the OptiSys research project.

TEXT: DR. SABINE KOB PHOTOS: FOTOLIA

being conceptualized. FWB Kunststofftechnik is providing the component design that is suited for plastics and is designing the multi- cavity mold. Kugler is responsible for implement-ing visually effective high-aspect structures with its experience in the area of ultra-preci-sion and micro-processing. Simcon, the re-nowned manu facturer of simulation software, is investigating the layer structure and process parameters in simulations. The Fraunhofer In-stitute for Mechanics of Materials IWM is re-searching how thin-layer thermocouples can be applied and be used for process monitoring. The Institute also supports Kugler in the direct diamond processing of steel. KraussMaffei is configuring an integrative manufacturing cell for manu facturing the multilayer lenses in a two-component injection molding process. Moreover, it is devel oping the fundamentals of the process for optics production and is sup-porting the project partners in coordinating all individual steps.

The goal is to work together and produce a demonstrator that can be manufactured in a cost-effective manner, thanks to its multilayer design while simultaneously being su-perior to lenses that are available currently as a result of its optical characteristics. These characteristics could be, for example, an improved cut-off line or the light remain-ing more consistent in its color mixture when heating up the lens compared to earlier.

unded by the German Federal Min-istry of Education and Research, the OptiSys project, which began in June 2015, researches how to manufacture thick-walled optics in

a cost-effective manner by using multilayer, multi- material injection molding and by imple-menting optically functional microstructures with high aspect ratios (height to width) on the lens’ surface. The reason for this project is the impending spread of LED headlight in the au-tomotive sector. It will be necessary for future developments to set themselves apart from the international competition by providing complex, visual components with new func-tions. At the same time, it must be possible to produce these components in a highly cost- effective manner, especially for the large mar-ket of middle-class cars.

Optically superior lenses are now to be creat-ed using multiple layers with different refrac-tive indexes. For this purpose, each of the six OptiSys project partners are addressing and researching questions for which they have gained the necessary expertise during their day-to-day business. Hella, global supplier of lighting technologies for the automotive in-dustry, is carrying out a requirement analysis and is responsible for the visual design of the planned demonstrator as well as the required light and application tests. In the next step, injection molds and production systems are

OPTISYS

Run time: June 1, 2015–May 31, 2018Sponsor: VDI Technologiezentrum GmbHProject partners: KraussMaffei, Hella KGaA, Hueck & Co, FWB Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Kugler GmbH, Simcon kunst stofftechnische Software GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM

18382016

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

6 Custom-made networking with Plastics 4.0

10 Interview: “Networking goes far beyond just processing polyurethane”

BRAND & MARKETS

12 GX goes East 14 Interview: Growth with quality 16 Interview: Packed full with

performance 18 High-performance polyurethane

molds and trimming technologies

PROCESSES & PRODUCTS

20 Advanced surface effects in the one-shot process

22 FiberForm helps attain the desired weight

24 Up to 30 percent energy savings 25 Gripping carriers from the printer

PARTNERS & PROJECTS

26 CFRP in increasingly short cycle times 28 Peak technology for efficient operation 30 All-around lightweight construction

talents on a science mission 32 Complexity made easy 34 Fit for large series 36 Streamlined transport crates for

South Africa 38 Better light with OptiSys

KRAUSSMAFFEI GROUP

4 Change of ownership at the KraussMaffei Group

5 New Vice President Sales at the Injection Molding Machinery segment at KraussMaffei

39 Strong together and unique all over the world

39 Imprint

EDITORIAL

APRIL–OCTOBER 2016 TRADE SHOW CALENDAR

Chinaplas, Shanghai, China 25.04.2016–28.04.2016 KraussMaffei GroupPlastpol, Kielce, Poland 17.05.2016–20.05.2016 KraussMaffei GroupOpen House KMC, Florence, USA 18.05.2016–19.05.2016 KraussMaffei GroupPU China, Shanghai, China 02.08.2016–04.08.2016 KraussMaffeiChina Composites Expo, Shanghai, China 31.08.2016–02.09.2016 KraussMaffeiColombiaplast, Bogotá, Columbia 26.09.2016–30.09.2016 KraussMaffeiK2016, Düsseldorf, Germany 19.10.2016–26.10.2016 KraussMaffei Group

IMPRINT

Publisher: KraussMaffei Technologies GmbHKrauss-Maffei-Strasse 280997 MunichGermanyPhone +49 898899-0Fax +49 898899-2206www.kraussmaffei.com

Responsible: Imre Szerdahelyi (responsible for content according to German media law)Editor-in-chief: Ashenafi Shawl

Editorial team: Stefan Fenske, Michael Flurl, Erich Fries, Manfred Holzner, Dr. Sabine Kob, Anna-Maria Meyer, Jochen Mitzler, Petra Rehmet, Dr. Reinhard Schiffers, Joachim Weber

Photo credits: BMW, Fotolia, iStockphoto, KraussMaffei, Shell, TU Chemnitz

Concept and design: Kirchhoff Consult AG, Hamburg, www.kirchhoff.de

Printing: omb2 Print GmbH, Munich

The customer magazine is published twice a year in German and English. The magazine may only be reprinted with the written permission of the publisher.

39

STRONG TOGETHER AND UNIQUE ALL OVER THE WORLDThe KraussMaffei Group is among the globally leading manufacturers of machines and systems for the production and processing of plastic and rubber.

Our international customers come from an extremely wide variety of industries.Au

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Consumer goodsElectrical and electronics

Chemicals industry

Medical and pharmaceutical

Major appliances

Dear customers, dear readers, Everybody is talking about Industry 4.0. KraussMaffei is working on the vision of completely networking all processes in production. We call this “Plastics 4.0.” Under this category, we are developing solutions that open up new areas of potential in your production. We bundle our solutions into three areas: Intelligent Machines, Integrated Production and Interactive Services. This issue of AHEAD describes how we offer a custom-configured solution from these intelligent functions.

As a global company with comprehensive expertise, exceptional innovative ability and passionate dedication to engineering plastics machines, we offer customized systems consisting of the machine and peripherals. KraussMaffei customers in China now enjoy concrete advantages when purchasing a GX injection molding machine. Production of this machine has now been started at our plant in Haiyan, China. It goes without saying that the same worldwide KraussMaffei standard of quality is applied. Local companies benefit not only from the quality and efficien-cy of our machines, but from time savings during delivery. For more information about the Chinese market and the GX series for the growing automotive, packaging and medical technology industries, read on in this issue.

This issue also features numerous interesting project highlights that repeatedly display our expertise in “Trendsetting” – including the areas of resource conser-vation, lightweight construction, energy efficiency and surface aesthetics. However, we are not resting on our laurels. In conjunction with our project partners, we are continuing to advance the development of innovative solutions. In doing so, our objective is to offer you new technologies and improved products and services that help make your processes and products better. We will present a few of these areas of progress at the Chinaplas trade show in Shanghai in April.

I’m particularly looking forward to K2016. Even today, I can promise that you’ll have the opportunity to see firsthand high-quality and innovative products and processes of the KraussMaffei brand in Düsseldorf. Be sure to stop by and visit our booth. You have my personal invitation.

Have a good read!

Dr. Hans Ulrich GolzManaging DirectorPresident of the Injection Molding Machinery segment

4,500 PEOPLE

1,200 PATENTS

10PRODUCTION

FACTORIES

KraussMaffei Berstorff

KraussMaffei Netstal

The KraussMaffei Group, with its three product brands KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal, can thus cover the com-plete range in machine construction for the plastics and rubber processing in-dustry and serve customers on an individual basis.3

BRAN

DS

KraussMaffei Group

The fascination and passion for mechanical engineering can be traced back contin-uously through the history of the KraussMaffei Group to 1838.

KraussMaffei Imprint

Engineering Passion

Fiber composite solutionsfor advanced lightweight components

www.kraussmaffei.com

RTM TechnologyStructural and semi-structural components such as underbody structures, side frames or seat structures

IMC TechnologyFiber-reinforced, structural components such as front ends, mounting supports, instrument panel carriers

Surface RTM TechnologyFiber-reinforced, paintable surfaces such as roof elements, door inner panels, trunks or engine hoods

Wet molding RTM TechnologySemi-structural components made of recycled carbon fibers, e. g. hybrid components

FiberForm Technology Continuous fiber-reinforced components such as crash elements, B- pillar reinforcements or seat structures

KM_Anz_Leichtbau2015_DE-EN_AHEAD_210x280+3_5c.indd 1 25.08.15 10:37

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THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF KRAUSSMAFFEI Issue 01.2016

INDUSTRIAL (R)EVOLUTIONCUSTOM-MADE NETWORK-ING WITH PLASTICS 4.0

WET MOLDING PROCESS MADE READY FOR SERIES PRODUCTIONCFRP IN INCREASINGLY SHORTER CYCLE TIMES

ahead - km.kraussmaffei.com · the customer magazine of kraussmaffei issue 01.2016 ahead the...

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