At the Hannover Messe from 24 to 28 April 2017, ARBURG will be presenting a pioneering Industry 4.0 application: "Smart" luggage tags will be manufactured in the smart factory using the principle of spatially distributed production.
Flexible high-volume production of single-unit batches
The exhibit illustrates flexibly automated, cost-efficient production in single-unit batches. The production of the personalised luggage tags involves combining an ALLROUNDER injection moulding machine with a freeformer for industrial additive manufacturing and product individualisation on a customer-specific basis.
"Smart" product
On the ARBURG exhibition stand and on a second "factory site" belonging to partner company Pöppelmann, visitors can select a graphic motif for the design of their personal luggage tag and have their electronic business card (vCard) produced. Via an integrated NFC chip, the product saves and communicates information, identifies itself at the individual stations and controls its own path through the production process.
Customer requirements incorporated in added value
Together, the ALLROUNDER, freeformer and automation system form a flexible cyberphysical production system that can be used to achieve "mass customisation" with relative ease. Additive manufacturing techniques are used to enhance high-volume parts into create high-end, individual products.
