Extrusion International USA 5-2019

PREVIEW 74 Extrusion International 5/2019 KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH www.kraussmaffei.com K 2019: Hall 15, Booth C24 fei is the only company in the market that covers most of the plastic value chain. “We view ourselves as enablers of circular economy for our customers so that they can be successful as part of this economy,” explains Matthias Sieverding, President of the Extrusion Technology Segment at KraussMaffei. The Extrusion business area produces raw materials and semifinished prod- ucts; Injection Molding Machinery – in combination with the respective auto- mation – enables efficient production of high-tech components before extru- sion takes its turn again to recycle these products. Both in extrusion and injection mold- ing, the third participating business unit at the K trade show is making its entry: Digital Service & Solutions with products such as APC Plus (Adaptive Process Control) and DataXplorer. APC Plus monitors the injection mold- ing process and adapts it continuously to balance interference factors such as fluctuations between batches and in climate or changing recompound per- centages. In injection molding, this is done via the material database stored in the machine and the online analysis of the melt viscosity and also by adjust- ing the holding pressure changeover point and the holding pressure level even within the same cycle. In extru- sion, the melt temperature, pressure and screw speed are recorded. The DataXplorer makes a detailed view of the depth of the process pos- sible because it is capable of storing up to 500 signals every 5 milliseconds as Pioneering Circular Economy KraussMaffei continues to blaze the trail as a technological pioneer in the preparation and reuse of recycled plas- tics. For more than three decades, the company has been preoccupied with recycling in research and development and acknowledges this strategic focus also at this year’s K trade fair. Packaging products fulfill their duty quickly. So, why not use them as raw material for new high-tech articles – in the automotive industry, for example? At K 2019, KraussMaffei is demonstrat- ing how a bucket turns into a premi- um-quality panel of an A-pillar with over-molded fabric surface. A ZE 28 BluePower twin-screw extruder makes this possible by upcycling the material. Under the keyword of the circular economy, KraussMaffei is linking its EXT (Extrusion), IMM (Injection Mold- ingMachinery) and DSS (Digital & Ser- vice Solutions) business units at the trade fair. TheGX1100 injectionmold- ing machine with a clamping force of 11,000 kN, newly presented at the K trade show, produces buckets made of polypropylene, which are then shredded externally and fed back into the material circuit as regrind. Under the EdelweissCompounding brand, a ZE 28 BluePower twin-screw extruder produces technically enhanced re- compound from it. For this purpose, pigments and a 20-percent propor- tion of talc are added to the polypro- pylene flakes. After underwater pel- letizing and drying, the recompound is again available at high quality and with property patterns adapted to the following injection molding ap- plication. A material feeder conveys the polypropylene to the all-electric PX 320 injection molding machine, and then the polypropylene is formed in the cavity into a panel for an A-pil- lar. The component surface forms an over-molded layer of fabric. EdelweissCompounding is intended to make on-site compounding more attractive to recycling companies and plastics manufacturers. KraussMaf- A bucket becomes an A-pillar by means of circular economy – At K 2019, KraussMaffei is presenting a closedmaterial and production circuit involving extrusion and injectionmoldingmachinery (Photo: KraussMaffei) graphs—for instance, signals from the machine or the mold. All data resulting from this is routed to the new data system, which is be- ing introduced at K 2019. It is a central data collection point for all compo- nents within a production cell, which includes peripherals and automation. The customer can collect all informa- tion required for production monitor- ing and production flow control. Data export (for instance, to MES or ERP sys- tems) is easy and can be implemented in a modular structure. Digital services help ensure the quality of production and products, prevent rejects, and thus also contribute to resource-conserving production. Leading role in the implementation of circular economy KraussMaffei’s increased involvement in the field of circular economy is motivated by ecology and developments in society. “KraussMaffei is aware of its responsi- bility and, as one of the world market leaders, wants to occupy a leading role in the areas of recycling, upcycling and recompounding of plastics,” declares Sieverding. Therefore, KraussMaffei is enhancing its joint effort with partners and customers to develop new busi- ness units regarding the reuse of plas- tics.