Smart Molding International 4-2021

machinery 27 www.smart-molding.com barcode labels to totes and trays after they have been produced. Applying the barcode labels during the molding pro - cess using IML offers advantages, spe - cifically when the products are used in cold storage applications or when they are frequently washed. The IML process permanently bonds the barcode label to the product during themolding process, thereby eliminating the chance for the label to separate from the product or become wrinkled. For this exact reason, we're going to start offering IML as an option on our products going into these applications. But IML will increase the cycle time which in turn affects the cost. This means we will have to see how receptive the market is, and we have ordered the GX machines with speci - fications that will allow us to do both conventional and IML labeling." The collaboration between Monoflo and KraussMaffei began in 2015 – and it began with a bang, that is, a five- million-dollar deal. Rajesh Shah, a KraussMaffei sales person, had been keeping in touch continually for three years and happened to catch Monoflo at the right moment when machinery was needed for a new application. Hen - ning Rader remembers, "Of course it is quite crazy to start such a large-scale project with a new partner, but we felt that KraussMaffei would be a perfect fit – and indeed it was. Their service is simply excellent. Together, we always find a solution for our challenges." Mold change in just 9 minutes How an area of concern resulted in a special highlight in the production hall. Automotive customers of Monoflo sometimes need only 500 pieces of a particular tote and 1000 of another, meaning that these molds must be changed relatively frequently. The net time requirement for a mold change is 45 minutes. But since there was not always a skilled mold setter available right away, the machine was some - times down for multiple hours. The company searched for a remedy and found it in the automatic quick mold change system from KraussMaffei. Now the time that passes between the last part from the old mold to the first good part from the new mold is down to a mind-blowing nine minutes. Other special applications from KraussMaffei are also at work in Winchester. In an MX 3200 TwinForm, two components of a collapsible bulk box are created in one shot. The com - ponents are bonded to each other afterward, and since the charged ma - terial is often abrasive and sometimes highly viscous, the screws are designed and coated accordingly. Up to 100 percent recycled content The raw material is of interest to Monoflo for an additional reason. Transport containers travel a lot and may be stored outdoors and become damaged. These damaged products are an ideal starting point for new totes, pallets, and bulk containers. Therefore the company even operates its own re - cycling plants at its Virginia and Kan - sas locations. Incoming rawmaterial is shredded, washed and recycled so that it can be used to produce new goods. Many of Monoflo products contain re - cycled material; in some products the content is even 100 percent. As the percentage of regrind var - ies, this is the ideal place for the APC plus machine function. Based on the viscosity of the melt and stored pa - rameters, this function regulates the filling quantity individually from shot to shot. Avoiding overflow is a must when producing high-precision tech - nical parts due to their narrow toler - ances. However, for the robust articles from Monoflo, the bottom line above all is managing cost. In view of the current prices, every gram of material that is not wasted in injection is a gain. The production scrap rate in the industry is two percent on average. Henning Rader says, "We are always below one percent, and our process technicians love APC plus." Other digital aids such as smartAssist and socialProduction are also going to be tested in the near future. Currently Monoflo is building a new hall as a home for the injection mold - ing machines that have been ordered from the MX and GX series – and this is not the end of the line. Henning Rader says, "We foresee significant growth in our segment over the next five years. This means more large ma - chinery." KraussMaffei www.kraussmaffei.com Broad product portfolio of large logistics packaging: Monoflo specializes in pallets, collapsible bulk containers, totes, and trays and thus supplies global players such as Amazon, General Motors, Mercedes and Aldi