When you visit the Engel booth you will notice that some of their injection molding part surfaces are shinnier than others. The shinny surfaces are a result of their VARIOTHERM infrared heating technology. Their technology, heats the mold surface up to 130C before injecting the resin into the cavity, then dropping the temperature for the remainder of the cycle. As a result, flow lines and surface roughness are reduced significantly, delivering parts with glossy surfaces.

Molded part made with Variotherm technology, shines at Engel booth (Photo Erik Foltz)

AMUT’s Plug In and Produce PET recycling plant is one of the innovating systems presented at the K this year. Perhaps the newest aspect of this recycling system is their patented friction washer. The friction washer uses the high friction between the flakes to generate a continuous extraction of the contaminants in the PET. As a result their recycling line delivers a very clean material that conduces to a high quality product. Their friction washer is part of a modular solution that prewashes, sorts, detects metals, grinds, friction washes, rinses, dryes, detects residue metals and stores. In short, it delivers high quality clean polyester flakes.

In collaboration with Oechsler AG, Arburg is shinning at the K 2007. They are producing an LED light strip in a process that fully integrates all functions. The light unit is produced on an automated 370 S Allrounder from several high-performance plastics, and is ready for immediate use. The main purpose of this demo model is to illustrate the performance capabilities of functional injection molding by integrating several process steps in the injection mould.

The lenses, which were molded ready for the insertion of three LEDs during the production process, consist of transparent polyamide, the housing of the light strip of ABS. Finally, the printed conductors are produced from a conductive PA. In this application, all three plastics work in an ideal way and are easily processed on the three-component Allrounder. This is a glimpse into the future of plastics manufacturing.

If you walk past the Bavarian booth your eyes may be caught by a digitalsm art sculpture and a mask that is looking at you. It is not only art but it represents a new technology of manufacturing electronic circuit board substrates as a result of years of research at the Polymer Engineering Institute of the University of Bayreuth. The Digitalism-Mask connects the style of the digital techno-epoch with Polymer Engineering Institute’s recent research achievement in the field of innovative substrates for electronic circuit boards. The high temperature PEI thermoplastic used for the substrate is especially environmentally friendly, because it is halogen-free and fully recyclable. In addition, the substrate contains a sandwich structure with a thin durable compact skin and a cellular core. Advantages of this design are low weight, complex 3-D shapability and excellent high frequency properties when compared to expensive PTFE substrates. The low dielectric constant makes the substrate extraordinarily suitable for antennas, HF-tuners, mobile phones, medical devices or magnetic resonance tomography. The continuous processing of this new cellular substrate offers economical advantages in terms of mass production of long uninterrupted geometries. Currently, the substrate is undergoing extended investigations in regard to reliability and quality assurance. This project was made possible through the grant from BMBF and DLR.

Digitalism mask by Petrus Wandrey, a Hamburg, Germany, Artist

ENGEL has expanded the injection molding industry’s reach by developing the EXJECTION process, a process which allows long thin walled profiles and bars to be made on a small injection moulding machine. What used to be only possible with extrusion, EXJECTION moves the mold cavity past the nozzle at the same time as the injection movement.

Exjection results in shorter flow paths, which reduces the need for the high injection pressure and consequently clamping forces. The technique produces no weldlines and is fit for films.This technology is being unveiled here at K2007.

If you happen to be around Hall 2 you should definitely take a look at Electro Optical Systems’ (EOS) laser sintering or e-manufacturing equipment. The main attraction in this booth is the EOSINT M 270. This e-manufacturing machine can be used to make seerom bone implants, electrical components, and actual works of plastic art, such as sculptures and design accessories. As opposed to rapid prototyping laser- sintering can used to produce final parts and not just prototypes.

It is no coincidence that the word optical is part of the name of the company. Their innovating equipment uses solid-state high performance laser technology that offers fine focusing optics, resulting in excellent detail and resolution. Their variable focus diameter allows increased productivity and broad process control.

If you walk by the IKV (Institute of Plastics Processing) booth you will see the production of a precision lens with a hidden message on its surface. This lens is a result of a joint research and development effort performed by several German players: the IKV at the RWTH, Aachen, OEC AG, Munich, and UPT Optik Wodak GmbH, Nuremberg. The message becomes visible when light moves through the lens and projects on a surface. This technology is referred to as the production of free form optics. Light arriving at a lens is to be selectively refracted through the local inclination of the free-form surface and either bundled or expanded through the curvature of the surface. Employing so-called 3D tailoring, OEC AG, Munich, has developed a possibility for calculating the beam trajectory and hence the geometry of a free-form surface required to achieve the desired image. Based on this calculation, UPT Optik Wodak GmbH, Nuremberg, manufactures a corresponding, non-rotationally-symmetric free-form surface insert on an ultra-precision lathe, with a vacuum spindle mounted on hydrostatic bearings. A high-resolution rotary encoder records the angular position of the workpiece to this end. At the same time, an external control computer calculates online the necessary input data.

Die Beständigkeit von Kunststoffen entscheidet über eine entsprechende Kunststoffanwenung in derr Praxis. Zuverlässige und belastbare Aussagen hinsichtlich der Werkstoffauswahl müssen Einflusse der Kunststofferzeugung, Compoundierung und Stabilisierung, Verarbeitung, Bauteilgestaltung, aber auch der Nutzung und späteren Entsorgung berücksichtigen. Das Buch beschreibt umfassend das heutige Wissen über die Beständigkeit von Kunststoffen mit Tabellen und Praxisanwendungen, mit nachezu 1,200 Literaturstellen die ausgewertet wurden.

Details zum Buch

We found a great new book on Injection Mold Design Engineering on the Hanser shelves at the K-show. This new book provides a vision and structure to finally synergize all engineering disciplines that converge in the mold design process. This book will serve as a great resource to practicing engineers as well as students who are trying to understand the fundamental aspects of mold design. Definitely a book to be found on the shelves of injection molders, as well as mold and plastic part designers.

Book details

Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC, of Chipewa Falls U.S.A., brings us a new revolutionary layer-multiplier technology for micro-layer extrusion, yielding barrier and other film and sheet of standard thickness but with an order of magnitude more layers than conventional products. The result is a product with improved barrier properties that makes economical use of high-cost materials.

EDI clients can use state-of-the-art laboratories in Chipewa Falls to develop and test test their products without high raw material costs or down time of their own equipment, in any of EDI’s three fully equipped processing laboratories.