Efficiency for logistics

During Plast 2015 KraussMaffei (stand B 62, padiglione 24) underpins its leading market position for premium quality injection molding machines for logistics products. For example, a GX 650-8100 demonstrates the efficient production of transport crates, thereby emphasizing the efficiency of the GX Series for high-speed applications. The trade fair exhibit is equipped with the new high-speed SP 8100 injection molding unit. With a diameter of 105 mm and an injection speed of up to 400 mm/s, it is especially suitable for high-speed, thin-wall applications such as transport packaging.

"In Italy and North Africa we are seeing increasing production demand for logistics products, for example transport containers and crates for vegetables, fruit and food such as fish, meat or bread", said Andrea Bottelli, head of KraussMaffei Group Italia "At Plast we use a GX 650-8100 to show that our GX Series is ideally suited to ensuring the shortest possible cycle times for transport and logistics packaging - without having to compromise on efficiency and product quality".

The GX 650-8100 at Plast produces a stackable polypropylene transport crate with integrated handles and a shot weight of 500 g in a cycle time of approximately 8 seconds. The product is made as a free-falling part. The machine contains, as a standard feature, a chute which is also suitable for wide conveyors. The finished components can therefore be demolded either with or without an automation solution. The height of the machine was increased by 150 mm so that large free-falling parts can also be transported.

"The combination of the fastest and most efficient two-platen machine on the market, a proven plasticizing unit and state-of-the-art drive technology makes injection molding orders for processors more profitable. The innovations of the GearX locking device and the stable GuideX guide shoe also ensure quick locking and high part quality with minimum energy consumption", said Bottelli summing up the advantages of the GX Series.

The trade fair machine is equipped with the new APC (adaptive process control) machine function from KraussMaffei. This function can be used to immediately compensate for fluctuations in the manufacturing process during injection molding. Processors will benefit from consistently high component quality.

The APC function developed and patented by KraussMaffei adjusts the changeover point and the holding pressure profile in each cycle to the current melt viscosity and current flow resistance in the mold. This makes it possible to compensate for deviations in the same shot. This leads to significantly lower fluctuations in the part weight. In this way, fluctuations in the manufacturing process triggered by external factors such as changing temperatures, climate conditions or batches can reliably be compensated for.