Invisible variables under control
During injection moulding with recyclates, the machine controller is confronted with two crucial unknowns: the material used and what is happening in the mould. The machine does not know the exact composition of the plastic being fed into the mould, nor does it have direct insight into the temperature and pressure profiles between the mould mounting platens. These "black boxes" make stable process control considerably more difficult – especially with recyclates, whose characteristics can vary greatly and which are often delivered with no reliable material specifications.
To address this challenge, ARBURG has developed special digital assistance functions. The "aXw Control ReferencePilot" and "aXw Control RecyclatePilot" pilot functions detect irregularities in the melt and actively adjust the injection process. This allows fluctuating viscosities to be systematically balanced out and a constant mould filling to be achieved – a key factor in ensuring the reliable quality of components made from recyclates.