Smart Molding International 3-2022

26 machinery smart_molding international 3/2022 IML labels supplied by Verstraete, Bel- gium, will be carried out by a vision system with 10 cameras integrated in the production line, which comes from INTRAVIS, Germany. Saving resources and reducing weight with alternative materials plus ultra-modern equipment and process technology With a MacroPower1100/12800 f i tted wi t h an ene rgy- s av i ng , speed-controlled servo motor and a constant displacement pump, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will produce an indoor panel which stands out by its light weight, using a single-cavity mold supplied by FRIMO, Germany. Here, WITTMANN BATTENFELD relies on using natural and recycled mate- rials. The door panel consists of an extremely light mat made of natu- ral fibers, onto which a map pocket made of polypropylene regrind from Borealis is over-molded. To achieve further savings in material input and weight, the patented Cellmould struc- tured foam technology developed by WITTMANN BATTENFELD is used. The reduction in material input thus re- alized benefits the environment in more than one way. Firstly, valuable resources are saved, and secondly, the parts are lighter, which reduces the car’s fuel consumption and/or ex- tends the battery range in electric ve- hicles. In this application, the pre-cut natural fiber mats are picked up from a buffer stack and inserted into an IR heating station by a WX152 robot from WITTMANN. Next, the heated mats are placed into the mold on the fixed mold half by a combination gripper (removal and insert gripper), formed, cut to size and over-molded. Prior to insertion of the next natu- ral fiber mat, the finished part and the trimmings are removed from the fixed mold half and subsequently transported to the storage position. The MacroPower is equipped with the newly developed WITMANN CMS Lite condition monitoring system. This system continuously checks the state of health of the servo-hydraulic axes, from which the condition of the pump and axis valves can be derived. New SmartPlus with high-tech automation and digitization At this year’s K fair, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present an outstand- ing demonstration of its digitization and automation expertise by manu- facturing a spirit level on a machine from the new SmartPlus series with the new B8X control system. Spe- cial features of the servo-hydraulic SmartPlus are high levels of cost and energy efficiency and repeatability. By using proven technologies combined with carefully selected options, it has become possible to offer an excellent price/performance ratio for these ma- chines. On a SmartPlus 90/350 equipped with the CMS Lite conditioning moni- toring system and an automation cell designed and manufactured by WITTMANN BATTENFELD Germany, a spirit level made of ABS is produced with a 1+1-cavity mold supplied by SOLA, Austria. As a first production step, the top and bottom parts of the spirit level housing are injection mold- ed. The top part is then deposited and printed at a laser station. Simultane- ously, the bottom part placed on a tray is fitted with vials from SOLA. Next, the top part is pressed onto the bottom part by a pre-set force. The finished parts are then transported to a testing station, where the positioning of the vi- als is checked by a vision system. After quality inspection, the finished spirit levels are removed and deposited on a conveyor belt by a WX138 robot from WITTMANN. SmartPower 120/350 LIM with Nexus X200 metering unit