Plastics News - Show Daily - October 22, 2022 - 21

Plastics News, October 22, 2022 * 21
tunity for Engel to demonstrate to
international customers and partners
the progress achieved in the
past few years.
" For us, the K show is like the
Olympics. Our development work
has been targeted on this for several
years, and we're looking forward
to fi nally being able to present
the innovations to a broad
audience, " Engleder said.
Today, one of the main drivers
for growth is sustainability,
he added. Sustainability is no
longer an emerging trend; today,
it is a business imperative. For
many companies in the sector, it
is not just on the agenda but it is
near the top or at the very top of
the agenda.
" Achieving sustainability goals
in very many cases requires new
technology development, which
means that investments will continue
to be made in this fi eld, despite
the uncertainties generated
by the present conditions. "
This year's K themes of energy
effi ciency, the circular economy
and digitalization are a refl ection
of just how important sustainability
has become. Digitalization and
the circular economy are making
a major contribution to reducing
energy consumption in the plastics
processing industry and protecting
the climate.
" We were working on ideas
and solutions for a more sustainable
plastics industry already at
the last K show. And this year,
even though we have a long way
to go, we are already seeing the
fi rst feasible solutions becoming
available to the industry. And further
demand is
high, " Engleder
said.
One such
innovation is
iQ motion control,
a
smart
Dimmler
assistance
system
previously
available on
the company's
viper linear robots,
that Engel
is introducing
for its range of injection molding
machines. It automatically optimizes
the acceleration phases to
support faster movements, allowing
for faster part removal and in
turn a shorter cycle time. According
to Chief Technology Offi cer
Gerhard Dimmler, the injection
molding machine requires no
additional energy for this performance
boost. Higher connected
loads are not needed. The software
simply leverages the existing
potential of the machine and
the drive technology to the max
without increasing the load on
the machine and the drives.
" We wish to ensure optimal motion
at all times, " said Dimmler.
" Independent of the operator's
skill level. " This feature has been
achieved through the use of algorithms,
" but only after 15 years of
development work, " he added.
The system is on show at K
with a packaging application: an
Engel e-speed injection molding
machine is producing 125-ml
round containers from recycled
PET with a four-cavity mold using
thin-wall injection molding and inmold
labeling.
" The use of recycled material
in food packaging is an important
topic which everyone is working
on, " said Engleder. " That is why
we thought it was important to
work on this application. Right
now, closed-loop PET recycling is
bottle-to-bottle, but we wanted to
show bottle-to-cup is also possible,
and in the future, even cup-tobottle.
The important thing is that
the PET is returned to achieve a
closed loop. "
iQ Motion Control automatically
optimizes the acceleration
phase and reduces mold movement
time by 12 percent. The feature
will be included in the standard
feature set of all new electric
toggle-lever
injection
molding
machines in the Engel e-cap and
e-speed series and can be retrofi tted
to older machines.
Engel is also showcasing the
newest additions to its family of
dual-platen large machines: the
new duo tech series comprising
35 sizes with a clamp force range
of between 3,500 and 55,000 kN.
The new duo tech can accommodate
larger molds on the same
footprint and achieves greater
productivity thanks to a shorter
dry cycle time - reduced by 0.1
to 0.4 seconds - and improved
power. " The ergonomics have improved
with better access to the
purge area, " added Dimmler.
The extra space is made possible
by the newly developed
clamping unit alone. The footprint
of the duo tech machines
is as compact as ever, compared
with existing duo models. A duo
1000 tech injection molding machine
at the Engel stand with a
clamp force of 10,000 kN is producing
sophisticated automotive
components using the foam melt
injection molding process.
At K, Engel is also launching the
new version of its online portal,
e-connect, described by Dimmler
as a " holistic digital ecosystem. "
" E-connect is the focal point
across all phases of injection
molding production, " he said.
In the new version, Engel has
opened up e-connect for injection
molding machines of all brands.
This means that processors no
longer have to juggle several different
monitoring systems. It also
comes in different packages: light,
basic and advanced. Hence, it is
not just a service portal but a service
and production portal, said
Dimmler. New e-connect features
include automatically calculating
overall equipment effectiveness
(OEE) while actively identifying
potential improvements. The software
handles process data analysis
both for injection molding machines
of different makes and for
other equipment along the value
chain, such as peripheral equipment,
coating systems or packaging
machines.
" These functionalities are also
available for legacy machines, "
said Dimmler.
Talent for the future
As if high energy costs, infl ation
and war were not enough, the
dearth of talented workers in the
industry is another, increasingly
urgent problem.
In Austria, where Engel is headquartered,
apprenticeship programs
are available where young
adults age 15 years and older
learn a trade following a standardized
curriculum, including
hands-on and classroom training.
This lasts at least three years
and concludes with an exam, after
which the trainees are issued
with a certifi cate that is recognized
nationwide.
Engel North America now runs
a similar, paid apprenticeship program
for students that provides
comprehensive training on Engel
injection molding machinery and
automation systems. Apprentices
are granted a pay raise for every
six months successfully completed.
The apprentice program is certifi
ed and registered within Pennsylvania
and lasts four years with
a combination of on-the-job experience
and classroom-based instruction.
Graduates of the program will
receive an offer of full-time nonexempt
employment at Engel, as well
as the nationally recognized journeymen's
certifi cation.
Feedback from hirees from the
program has been overwhelmingly
positive. The program is now in
its second round, with 13 apprentices.
So far, Engel has received
more than 1,275 applications,
which only highlights the interest
of talent in this type of education
as well as the great potential
of apprenticeship programs for
companies. Engel anticipates hiring
fi ve more apprentices in early
2023 from across the U.S. and one
from Canada.
Plastics News - Show Daily - October 22, 2022

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