With more than 4,100 existing and prospective customers in attendance, ARBURG’s Technology Days cannot avoid being labelled a trade fair. Between the 3 and 5 April, injection moulding specialists from 44 nations descended on the ARBURG company headquarters in Lossburg to peruse the most comprehensive selection of injection moulding technology in the world.
 
The three-day spring event has become a fixed date in both the national and international plastics industry calendar. The fact that each year so many visitors make what is in some cases a very long journey to Lossburg, proves again and again that the Technology Days concept is a success.

About 62 percent of the 4,100 visitors were from Germany. In terms of international attendance, the groups with the largest number of representatives were France and Poland with about 160 visitors. 135 guests came from the USA, about 130 from Italy, 120 from the Czech Republic and more than 100 from Switzerland. And even specialists from China, Thailand, India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Africa, Australia and Brazil made the long trip to Lossburg.
 
A highlight of the event that is always in demand are the production tours, which give the guests a chance to look behind the scenes. Almost all the visitors from abroad took advantage of this opportunity. Around 1,500 visitors took part in over 200 German language tours.

As always, the fair was well worth visiting this year because of the comprehensive range of machines and new features presented from the ARBURG technology range. The technology show also included expert presentations on the subjects of “Energy Efficiency Allround “, the ARBURG host computer system ALS, “Preventive maintenance” and metrotomography in German and English, which were attended by about 1,500 visitors. The metrotomography presentation by Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH attended by almost 500 visitors was a roaring success. The metrotome machine was presented live in addition to an interactive presentation on an X-ray based testing procedure that enables mould correction and approval in only 20 per cent of the usual time.
 
Visitors also showed great interest in the subject of “Preventive maintenance“. Around 460 visitors watched the presentation on the experiences of BERICAP GmbH & Co. KG/Budenheim. Inspection contracts, calibration, oil management and machine availability were some of the topics explained in detail followed by the benefits achieved by implementing preventive measures.

Since service has traditionally always played an important role at ARBURG, trade visitors were able to find out about the comprehensive presales and aftersales services presented in their own special exhibition area. Procedures for calibrating an injection moulding machine and oil analysis were presented under the heading “Preventive maintenance”.

Premiere of “Energy Efficiency Allround” at the Technology Days. ARBURG has defined the efficient use of energy as one of its corporate objectives for 2008 and grouped all measures under the heading “Energy Efficiency Allround”. A holistic approach to efficient energy use is taken. The objective is not simply to use as little energy as possible in the manufacture of ARBURG products, ARBURG also seeks to use its products and expertise in order to minimise energy consumption among its customers.

The specialist presentation “Energy Efficiency Allround“ analysed the complete injection moulding process from an energy-saving perspective. The effective energy flows in the injection moulding process were described, divided into effective components and analysed, and potential solutions for improving energy efficiency during operation were then derived. Many visitors were amazed at how much energy could potentially be saved by selecting the correct machine parts and combining different components.
Furthermore, the e² energy efficiency label was unveiled to international specialists at the Technology Days for the first time. The label is affixed to ARBURG products such as the electric ALLROUNDER A, hydraulic ALLROUNDER S advance or ALLROUNDER with electromechanical dosage drive to indicate that they are energy-efficient.
 
The clear aim of all the measures is all-round cooperation with the customers with regard to energy-efficient production systems. “Energy Efficiency Allround” is therefore a comprehensive package of measures which involves ARBURG and customers alike and which also brings clear benefits to both parties.

The large exhibition area included exhibits from just about every area within the company and offered visitors comprehensive information about the different ALLROUNDER models. More than 50 exhibits showed the full injection moulding spectrum incorporating ARBURG machine technology, from standard to high-end applications. The spectrum included Exjection®, functional injection moulding, multi-component injection moulding, thermoset, elastomer und LSR processing, LCP processing, wood polymer and leather fibre processing, encapsulation of inserts, in-mould labelling, high-speed packaging products, medical technology, manufacture of optical components in a clean room, precision injection moulding, technical injection moulding, powder injection moulding (PIM), gas injection moulding technology (GIT) and the production of PET preforms.
 
In the “Automation” exhibition area, the visitors were impressed by the wide range of automation options in the different production cells and the expertise of ARBURG in the project area. Complex applications on the large ALLROUNDER S with integrated production steps such as assembly were just some examples of the exhibits presented. One project highlight was the manufacture of a fully functional LED light strip on a three-component ALLROUNDER 370 S. Not only were LEDs and resistors inserted, but the conductor tracks were injected as well. Electric ALLROUNDER A models integrated in production cells were presented with the IML application or the production of rulers with downstream laser labelling.

The ALLROUNDER 375 V with 500 kN clamping force presented at the Technology Days for the first time rounds off the series of vertical machines with free-space system in the upper clamping force range. Injection unit sizes 100, 170 and 290 can be used on this machine. The largest machine, the ALLROUNDER V, demonstrated the Exjection® process used by IB STEINER and Hybrid Composite Products GmbH. Exjection® can be used to produce long, thin-walled and structured components from viscous thermoplastics. End caps and functional geometries can be formed with the profile.
The Exjection® process facilitates the manufacture of parts with large dimensions on injection moulding machines with low clamping forces. Processing pressures remain minimal and manufacturing costs can be cut considerably.

 
The process is particularly suited to the vertical ALLROUNDER V models because of the low clamping force required. The transfer movement during the injection process is horizontal because the mould is installed horizontally. The vertical free-space system puts no limit on the mould length, stroke, or component length. A control rail made from ABS was injection moulded on the new ALLROUNDER 375 V 500-290. As well as an electric dosage drive and an electric core pull, the exhibit was also fitted with a position regulated screw and equipped with the necessary Exjection® software. This configuration showed how Exjection® processes and vertical ALLROUNDER technology can be combined with the SELOGICA control system for optimum results, achieving the perfect production of high quality moulded parts.

A special exhibition area was dedicated to the S series, with all ten machine sizes and output ranges. ARBURG exhibited a total of 20 machines to demonstrate the broad range of production processes available with these machines. The fully hydraulic machine series can generate clamping forces of between 125 and 5,000 kN and consists of ten basic sizes: 170 S, 270 S, 370 S, 470 S, 520 S, 570 S, 630 S, 720 S, 820 S and 920 S. As each type of machine can be combined with different-sized injection units, the machine equipment can be individually adapted to various applications. The range of moulded parts extends from micro-components to products with a maximum shot weight of 2,583 g PS.

 
The tandem mould process presented on the new ALLROUNDER 570 S with a clamping force of 2,000 kN was of particular interest. A container with a lid made from PP was manufactured by this application. The 1+1-cavity mould has two parting lines which are opened alternately for demoulding purposes. In addition to the “Tandem Mould” software, two core pulls and six heating circuits were installed for heating the mould. The cycle time for the two 183 and 83 gram items was 50 seconds. Two lids and one container were injection moulded during each cycle.

The ten machines from the electric ALLROUNDER A machine series cut a dominant figure at the exhibition. An ALLROUNDER 570 A with size 1300 hydraulic injection moulding unit was presented as the latest development. A hydraulically actuated accumulator-driven injector axis is now available for all electric machines. This allows a much higher injection performance, injection speed and dynamism. This allows correspondingly high levels of material throughput and fast cycles, which can be advantageous in the field of multi-cavity applications, for example, as well as for the packaging sector or thin-walled applications. This means that the ALLROUNDER 570 A can also be used for applications whose performance requirements exceed the capabilities of the largest electric, size 800 injection unit.

ARBURG presented the horizontal ALLROUNDER Golden Edition range including the new vertical ALLROUNDER 1200 T 1000 Golden Edition rotary table press in the Golden Edition showroom. ALLROUNDER Golden Edition machines with fixed clamping force/injection unit combinations provide high-quality injection moulding technology at an optimum price/performance ratio. The standard equipment includes highly wear-resistant plasticising cylinders, fast-switching valve technology, a hydraulic servo control on the injection and clamping sides, dual-pump technology for simultaneous movements and the SELOGICA direct touchscreen control system.

 
The new ALLROUNDER 1200 T 800 Golden Edition and ALLROUNDER 1200 T 1000 Golden Edition feature a table diameter of 1,200 millimetres and are particularly suitable for the production of inserts and encapsulated parts. The development of the Golden Edition rotary table machines is aimed at dramatically reducing cycle times. This is achieved by the rotary table's servo-electric drive, which considerably shortens the table rotation time. Furthermore, the provision of a light curtain as standard enables faster pick-up times as one operation is eliminated.

ARBURG also exhibited a complete robotic system in addition to the machine technology. Two new features were presented, namely the entry-level model MULTILIFT V Select and the SELOGICA “Teach-in” function. The new MULTILIFT V Select is a particularly economical basic version in the robotic range manufactured by the company to cover most standard removal operations. It is based on the proven, vertically-operating MULTILIFT V in cantilever design and is available at a low price thanks to pre-defined features. The main features of the MULTILIFT V Select include, for example, specifically defined axis lengths and strokes for all three servo NC axes. These robotic systems are configured as package solutions for standard production applications. Few additional options are therefore needed to adapt the machinery exactly to the relevant application.

The new teach-in function of the SELOGICA direct control system makes the programming of all robotic systems very easy, as operations are “learned” on a step-by-step basis. In the so-called "Teach mode", all the positions of the robotic system are moved manually in succession. The various positions are simply confirmed via the "Teach" button. All the necessary parameter entries are then performed automatically in the control system. Simultaneously, SELOGICA direct independently generates the robotic sequence and integrates it into the machine cycle.

Three days, more than 4,100 trade visitors, a unique overview of the entire range of ARBURG machines and technology, specialist presentations and the opportunity for injection moulding specialists and users to exchange notes: These are the outstanding characteristics that epitomise Technology Days and combine to produce a successful mix of injection moulding theory and practice. ARBURG customers are making use of this wonderful opportunity with increasing frequency.