Fakuma 2026: Multi-component injection molding

The ALLROUNDER MORE 2000 is fitted with a 32-cavity mold from POLAR-FORM, plus hot runner technology and standardized components from Hasco. The additively manufactured hot runner system allows for intertwined runners and more space, resulting in smaller molds and a higher number of cavities. 32 two-tone dominoes made from ABS are produced in a cycle time of around 60 seconds. Unlike in conventional two-component applications, the mold does not open and rotate to add the second component. Instead, the process logic for the mold movement is generated using a two-stage core pull concept. First, the front of the dominoes is formed by injecting a light gray ABS via the vertical injection unit. While the mold remains closed, two hydraulic cylinders then pull back the cores and the respective number of pins. This creates space in the cavities for the second, mint-green ABS component, which is injected via the horizontal injection unit and fills the back of the tiles as well as their dots on the front. The result: 28 tiles in all the required dot-pair combinations from 0:0 to 6:6 for a complete set of dominoes, as well as four additional tiles with only the partners' logos.

Within the production cell, a vertically operating MULTILIFT V 30 removes the finished molded parts from the mold and deposits them onto a conveyor belt. The vertically operating robotic system, with a load of 30 kilograms, is equipped with a complex gripper from Kiki and is fully integrated into the GESTICA controller. An autonomous automation cell from ARBURG is used for pre-assembly, where the boxes are folded and then fed to the injection molding machine. On a workbench outside the safety fence, there is an autonomous mobile cobot. A camera system in the gripper detects the exact position of the box and its lid, which can be placed anywhere on the table, and transmits the coordinates for the correct gripping position. The cobot then progressively picks up eight dominoes at a time from the conveyor belt, stacks them in four layers inside the packaging and seals the box. Staff at the machine hand out the completed domino set as a giveaway to visitors and prepare the next piece of packaging.