LS Mtron Co., Ltd. (LS Mtron) garnered attention by unveiling innovative examples of AI-powered injection molding at the Korea Mold & Die Vision Forum 2024 (Korea Mold Vision Forum) held at the Suwon Convention Center on Tuesday, October 1.
LS Mtron's latest technology, specifically focused on tackling climate change and meeting carbon neutrality targets, drew considerable attention from the mold and injection molding industries. The company was recognized for emphasizing the importance of stricter global carbon emission regulations and the expanded use of recyclable materials.
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AI Technology in Injection Molding: Higher Production Efficiency, Lower Environmental Impact!
LS Mtron showcased innovative examples of AI-powered injection molding at the Korea Mold & Die Vision Forum 2024, held on Tuesday, October 1, at the Suwon Convention Center. The forum is hosted by the Korea Society of Mold Technology, a Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy-approved corporation, and has been running for 27 years.
The seminar, conducted by Hyunjae Yoo, Senior Researcher from LS Mtron's Injection Digital Solutions Team, under the theme 'AI Technology Applications in Injection Molding to Achieve Carbon Neutrality,' garnered significant attention from the mold and injection molding industries for LS Mtron's new technology, which focuses on addressing climate change and achieving carbon neutrality.
Intending to increase the use of recycled materials in the plastics industry, LS Mtron has successfully implemented artificial intelligence (AI) technology in injection molding processes to decrease raw material consumption and defect rates. This technology has received recognition for effectively addressing the urgent need for stricter global carbon emission regulations and expanding recycled material usage. This technology enhances production efficiency while minimizing environmental impact, drawing interest from related industries.
The application of AI across various sectors is expanding significantly. In injection molding, reducing defect rates and consistently maintaining production quality through weight prediction and optimization of molding conditions is crucial.
At this seminar, LS Mtron introduced an AI weight prediction model that has learned from data on diverse shapes and weights to forecast process conditions and weight variations in injection molding accurately. Consequently, this reduced weight deviations in the injection-molded products, resulting in significant savings in raw material usage.
LS Mtron reported that in a process producing approximately 4 kg of injection-molded products per shot, applying an AI-based weight control system based on polypropylene (PP) resulted in a daily reduction of about 20 kilograms in raw material usage when using virgin materials and approximately 180 kilograms when using recycled materials. Annually, these savings amount to several million to tens of millions of won for both materials.
As a result, the company can contribute to both cost savings and reduced carbon emissions. When quantified in terms of carbon emission reductions, it was reported that using recycled materials leads to a daily reduction of approximately 260 kg (CO2) of carbon emissions.
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LS Mtron Achieves Both Environmental and Economic Value with AI Technology, Working with Customers!
The plastic industry is currently facing strengthened carbon emission regulations worldwide. Using recycled materials is emphasized as a sustainable solution to this issue. Emerging as a critical technology for maximizing the benefits of using recycled materials, LS Mtron's AI injection system stands out for its ability to adapt to disturbances during the injection process and optimize molding conditions in real time, significantly reducing defect rates.
Hyunjae Yoo, Senior Researcher at LS Mtron, explained, 'Our system uses algorithms to derive optimal molding conditions based on product information and CAD data provided by the customer. The AI engine automatically extracts key geometric information from the molded product modeling and adjusts process variables in real time to derive optimal molding conditions. These conditions compensate for potential variations during production and contribute to maintaining consistent quality.
The AI injection system developed by LS Mtron delivers multiple advantages, such as reduced production preparation time, consistent settings regardless of the operator's skill, and stable production quality maintenance. It also accompanies environmental benefits like decreased raw material usage and reduced carbon emissions, vital in achieving a sustainable plastic industry.
Amid global efforts to address climate change, such innovative technologies are expected to become essential tools for companies to achieve their carbon neutrality goals. LS Mtron’s AI injection system enables cost savings and facilitates efficient production while reducing carbon emissions, setting a new standard for the plastics industry,” emphasized Yoo. He further stated, ‘In the future, we expect this technology to see broader application across more industrial sectors, which will play a crucial role in addressing climate change and realizing carbon neutrality.’
