Blog

Wittmann Battenfeld is pulling out all the stops at Fakuma this year. We previously reported on the eight-station energy efficiency path that the company will lay out in its booth and the EcoPower B8X injection molding system, which will make its debut at the event. Here are some more highlights that you can expect to see on the Wittmann Battenfeld stand (booth 1204 in hall B1) at Fakuma, which returns to Friedrichshafen, Germany, from Oct. 17 to 21.

Molding at its level best

To demonstrate its digitization and automation expertise, Wittmann Battenfeld will fabricate a spirit, or bubble, level on a SmartPrimus machine with the new B8X control system.

The ABS-based level is produced using a 1+1 cavity mold provided by Austria’s Sola running on a SmartPrimus 90/350 equipped with the CMS Lite conditioning monitoring system and an automation cell designed and manufactured by Wittmann Battenfeld Deutschland.

First, the top and bottom parts of the level housing are injection molded. The top part is then deposited at a laser station for printing. Simultaneously, the bottom part of the level, placed on a tray, is fitted with vials from Sola. Next, the top and bottom components are pressed together, and the finished part is then transported to a testing station, where the positioning of the vials is checked by a vision system. After quality inspection, the spirit level is removed and deposited on a conveyor belt by a WX138 robot from Witmann.

Liquid silicone processing

A membrane for a high-end micro speaker will be molded at the Wittmann Battenfeld stand on a MicroPower 15/10H/10H Combimould. Engineered to injection mold micro parts, the MicroPower is also extremely energy efficient by design, as are the auxiliaries, according to the company.

The membrane is molded from a thermoplastic and liquid silicone using a single-cavity mold supplied by Starlim Spritzguss GmbH. The MicroPower is equipped with a two-step screw-and-plunger thermoplastic aggregate and two-step screw-and-plunger LSR aggregate. The LSR metering pump, supplied by EMT Dosiertechnik in Germany, is a one-liter cartridge system developed for extremely small metering volumes. Smooth, continuous emptying of the cartridges ensures precision and consistency. 

At Fakuma, Wittmann Battenfeld will also present its latest developments in Airmould internal gas pressure technology. Engineers will be on site at an Airmould/Cellmould workstation to show visitors how these technologies can enable significant reductions in material usage, part weight, and cost in the production of plastic parts.

Keeping an eye on energy consumption

The energy consumption of every machine at the booth will be monitored using IMAGOxt software, a proprietary development from Witmann Digital Srl. The software provides scalable display and visualization of the energy consumed by the machines and connected equipment. The program also calculates CO₂ consumption and energy savings that may have been realized.

The program is available as a web application either in the form of an optional extension to Wittmann’s TEMI+ MES system or as a stand-alone program. This will be of particular interest once funding options for new energy-saving investments are in place in the European Union, said Wittmann Battenfeld. The IMAGOxt program is certified according to DIN ISO 50 001. Consequently, the investment costs for this product already can be subsidized in Germany.