Smart Molding International 2-2020

medical application 23 www.smart-molding.com runner technology), Barth Mechanik (grippers), Wacker und Borealis (ma - terials), Karl Küfner (filters), Herrmann Ultraschall (welding technology) and Packmat (packaging technology). Arburg developed the high-quality and sustainable masks made of flexible LSR and PP itself and produced the first prototypes with its Freeformer additive. The flexible multifunctional masks con - sist of a soft LSRmask, which is put over the nose and mouth, and a fixed holder made of PP with eyelets for fastening elastic bands. To prevent infection in ev - eryday life, the mask opening is closed with a cover so that the breathing air is discharged downwards. To reliably protect the carrier themselves from the coronavirus, a disposable filter can be placed on the opening. Mask production set up in record time The injection moulds for the LSR and PP components were built in a record time of only five weeks. The very spe - cial corona pandemic situation certainly played a role here. Sincemid-May, a All - rounder 570 A with a clamping force of 2,000 kN has been producing the LSR masks with a 4-cavity mould from Po - larform in the Arburg Training Center, while a Allrounder 520 E Golden Electric with a clamping force of 2,000 kN and a 2-cavity mould from Foboha is simul - taneously producing the associated PP shields in the Customer Center. The larger injection moulding machine operates with an LSR dosing unit from Elmet and a six-axis robot from Kuka, which removes the flexible masks from the mould in a demanding moulding removal process and places them on a conveyor belt. In the second machine, a linear Multilift Select robotic system takes over the easier handling of the PP shields. Finally, the PP la - bel is manually placed on the sili - conemask with form closure, the mask is completed with the cor - responding elastic straps and packed. As a next step, it is planned to produce the disposable filter, which can be placed on the opening, also at Arburg. Arburg is in contact with the partners Karl Küf - ner (nonwovens) and Wilhelm Weber (mould) for this purpose. With know-how and turnkey solutions against coronavirus The application shows how complex turnkey systems can be implemented within the shortest possible time, if necessary, in order to efficiently manu - facture high-quality products. Arburg does not want to earn money with the masks and safety goggles project; they are therefore not sold individually to end customers. The aim is rather to use the know-how and machine fleet to support hospitals and care facilities with protective clothing and equipment in the fight against the coronavirus as well as to show the injection moulding market the huge amount of know-how available at Arburg that allows them to design and supply highly complex systems for economically efficient and technologically advanced production in the shortest possible time, even in high-wage countries. ARBURG www.arburg.com Two Allrounders manufacture the LSR and PP components. The individual parts are manually assembled to form the high-quality, high-tech mask, which Arburg developed itself and realised with partners. The soft LSR component is produced by an electric Allrounder 570 A. Arburg is involved in the corona crisis (from left to right): Manuel Frick, LSR Sales Manager, the Managing Directors Gerhard Böhm (Sales) and Guido Frohnhaus (Technology & Engineering) and Dr. Thomas Walther, Head of the Application Technology Department, present the first high- tech LSR and PP mouth and nose mask, developed by Arburg itself and realised with partners. In April, a trade fair demonstrator became an application for safety goggles – distributed to nursing and medical staff during the corona pandemic. The glasses are manufactured on a turnkey system built around an electric Allrounder 570 A.