So here it is: after a two year wait, Interplas is back. The largest gathering of the plastics industry on UK shores returns for a three-day event that promises to inject more than just copious amounts of innovative materials: an injection of investment, the birth of new ideas, acquisitions, new job opportunities, optimism, learning and so much more await the plastics community at the NEC Birmingham.
Taking place across halls 3A and 4 this week, with over 500 exhibitors on the floor, this year’s show reflects a vastly different industry to that of COVID-era Interplas 2021. On a local level, the plastics packaging tax, soaring energy costs, and reshoring/offshoring again have all presented challenges – but also opportunities – for stakeholders across the supply chain. On a global level, the war in Ukraine, oil and gas prices, and talk of a global plastics treaty have also sent ripples through the sector.With these factors in mind, the team at Interplas have spent the last two years working with the UK plastics industry to deliver an event that will start new discussions and inject contemporary innovation and learning. That learning will begin on the new Interplas Insights conference stage, which combines short, snappy sessions with longer, interactive panel sessions. This fresh new format promises a dynamic lineup, with over 40 sessions and 70-plus speakers scheduled to present.Themes for the sessions include: ‘Designing in Plastics: Materials of the Future’, ‘The Future of UK Plastics’, ‘A Road to Net Zero and A Circular Economy ’,‘Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing’, ‘Diversity in Plastics’ and ‘Research and Development in Plastics’.
Highlights from this year’s agenda include:
Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing:
· The Importance of Industry 4.0 in the UK Plastics Industry to Jaguar Land Rover
· Achieving Sustainable Plastic Products with Data-Driven All-Electric Injection Moulding – Bloom in Box
The Road to Net Zero & A Circular Economy:
· What the Industry is Doing to Tackle Plastic Pollution – Plastic Bank
· Top Tips for Plastics Processors to Achieve Net Zero –Tangram Technology
The Future of UK Plastics:
· The Big Debate: Reshoring and Contract Manufacturing – Panel in association with British Plastics & Rubber Magazine
· Innovations Changing the Polymer Sector – Panel in association with UK Circular Plastics Network & Innovate UK KTN
For the visitor less concerned with industry trends, and more concerned with the latest cutting-edge technology for moulders and converters, the Introducing Stage will be a showcase for the best of the show floor, with everything from NIR absorbers for plastic, to double filtration technology being presented.Throughout the three days, attendees will get the opportunity to meet with speakers in an intimate and collaborative setting. To enhance the on-site networking, the official event app will have the ability to offer personal recommendations using an AI powered matchmaking algorithm. In addition to this will be a dedicated networking area next to the conference theatre, so discussions started during the conference can be continued at length.
Diversity in Plastics
Also new for this year is the launch of a new initiative from Interplas and British Plastics & Rubber magazine: Diversity in Plastics. In an industry that struggles with a paucity of skills, recruitment looms large as a concern for moulders and other processors. The promotion of a culture of diversity – of age, ability, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation – is one of the drivers that will help to start closing the skills gap. The action plan kicks off prior to Interplas opening its doors, with a survey of the industry, in an attempt to understand how the sector approaches DE&I. The intention of the survey is to establish how well the principles of DE&I have been accepted and understood across the plastics manufacturing landscape. From there, the team behind British Plastics & Rubber magazine, and InterplasInsights.com, hope to be able to establish a set of key objectives for plastic processors and other key stakeholders to adopt, either as a starting point, or in conjunction with their own, pre-existing in-house DE&I programmes. These objectives will become known as the ‘Pledge for Diversity in Plastics’, and will give employers a tangible way to demonstrate their commitment to their place of work.It’s no secret that the plastics industry in the UK has a way to go in terms of representation. However, this survey, and the wider Diversity in Plastics initiative, is not about exposing something that is already well-known. Rather, it’s a forum designed to draw out tangible, productive ideas and strategies for helping to close the skills gap, by encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds into the sector.The survey is entirely anonymous, and is not designed to disparage businesses who may be yet to adopt a fully-fledged DE&I policy. It is intended only as a means to gain an understanding of the current picture in employment.
Onto the show floor proper now, and let’s begin with a look at materials. The pioneers at TotalEnergies Corbion (formed in 2016 as 50/50 joint venture of Total and PLA supplier Corbion) are showing considerable interest in the UK market and its appetite for more sustainable plastics. They’ll be bringing, to hall 4, stand E24, their line of ‘Luminy’ PLA bioplastics from annually-renewable and responsibly grown sugarcane. The product has drawn significant attention since its launch, with brand owners including IKEA, Danone and Carrefour selecting it for their products.
The portfolio includes products in four categories that can be used in various processes. These are: high heat PLA for demanding applications, standard PLA for general purpose applications, low heat PLA typically used as seal layer, and PDLA used either as a nucleating agent or to create full stereocomplex compounds.
Frank Duijzer, business development manager at the company told told me: “Last year, the UK introduced a tax on non-recycled plastics. Luckily, TotalEnergies Corbion has championed the use of recycled PLA bioplastics for years. My colleagues have also helped many companies develop closed-loop systems. Beyond compliance,
Luminy virgin and recycled bioplastics boast a 75% lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics without compromising on quality, functionality, and versatility.”
"I know I speak for my whole team when I say that we are dedicated to working with the UK government and businesses to foster sustainable solutions that resonate with their objectives."
But regulatory changes can be conflicting, as Duijzer points out: “This year, the new ban on many forms of single-use plastics, including biobased and compostable plastics, highlights the complexities of regulatory frameworks. While I applaud the intention to reduce single-use plastics, I am concerned that it includes bioplastics as I believe they are valid alternatives for the applications banned. In Italy, biobased and compostable single-use items are allowed and have proved to limit the amount of unsorted waste produced because these items can be recycled together with food waste instead of being sent for incineration or, worse, to landfill.
“I recognise the importance of collaboration between the private sector, governments, and industries. I know I speak for my whole team when I say that we are dedicated to working with the UK government and businesses to foster sustainable solutions that resonate with their objectives. Our expertise in developing cutting-edge bioplastics positions us as a reliable partner in meeting the evolving demands of both industry and the environment.”
Cleaner and greener
Another materials firm focussing on sustainable processing, is Switzerland-based Ultra System, founded 20 years ago by two entrepreneurs “with a common vision of a world without plastic waste”.
Headquartered in Martigny, the firm produces a line of purging compounds, known as Ultra Plast. The compounds have been designed to work well on the latest generation of polymers and masterbatch, to provide fast colour or material change, fast re-starting after a shut down and regular maintenance.
The firm has gone from strength-to-strength, with mixing plants strategically located all over the world (USA, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, Russia, Thailand), and you’ll find them in hall 4, stand G94 at the show.
Roberto Benzi, executive at the firm told me: “We remain surprised every time we meet companies that do not know the existence of these materials.
“We understand their point of view and we are here to show and demonstrate that you can run your colour or material change in a faster and more economical way, without plastic waste.”
The firm says it has been shown that using raw material as ‘cleaner’ generates higher costs, a less quality result, higher down-times, and higher energy costs.
But with customer expectations and specifications getting higher and higher, non-conformities like impurities, black-spots, shadows, or stripes are generally unacceptable, particularly when solutions like purging compounds are on the market.
The firm is hoping to use Interplas to de-bunk myths around plastic, against a backdrop of negative media attention. Ultra System also hopes to clarify some misconceptions around purging compounds themselves.
Benzi added: “The use of raw materials as “a cleaner” implies a bigger quantity of material and longer machine downtime (even hours sometimes), for achieving a non-optimal result; it’s like washing your hands without soap; a lot of water, a lot of effort, a lot of time, bad result.
“Another myth to debunk is that the purging compound is an additional cost. Ultra Shas shown (and proved) that this is not true. On the contrary, purging professionally reduces production costs. And we will be more than happy to do this calculation together with you in our stand during Interplas 2023”.
To better illustrate the benefits, the firm will run daily practical demonstrations, purging an extrusion blow moulding machine with Ultra Plast.
Ultra Plast products are supported by many certifications, including food-contact, REACH, ISO, FDA, White Room, no heavy metal, among others, and can also be fully recycled.
Material handling, temperature control and recycling
Stand BB10, hall 3A, will mark the return of Interplas stalwarts Summit Systems. A brand-new stand design highlights the growth and development of the company over the last two years. The new stand design amalgamates the three company divisions – plastics automation, process cooling, and recycling.
On the plastics automation section of the stand, visitors can preview the full range of products from global suppliers such as Maguire, MB Conveyors, Movacolor, Plastic Systems, and Vismec.
A must see is the ULTRA Vacuum Dryer from Maguire. This advanced drying technology isn't just removing moisture; it's conserving energy, with ULTRA Dryers saving on average 60 to 70% energy when compared to desiccant dryer alternatives. Other reported benefits include an increase in production time, reduced maintenance, and saving materials from possible degradation and damage. The Summit team is encouraging visitors to try a new Maguire Energy Saving Calculator, to calculate the savings made possible by the vacuum drying technology.
Another drying alternative making its debut at Interplas is the DryCube from Vismec. The technology combines the efficiency of the rotor wheel dryer with an integrated pneumatic conveying system, making the process more streamlined, adaptable, and user-friendly.
New for Interplas, is the Movacolor offline dosing unit; an expansion to the gravimetric dosing unit, this off-line dosing option is mainly aimed at the medical cleanroom market. Mounted away from the process, it allows for precision and eliminates the high-risk tasks of working on top of injection moulding machines or extruders, resulting in reduced vibration influence on the dosing process.
Moving over into the process cooling section of the stand, visitors can view the range of process cooling and temperature control equipment from Frigel. The highlight here is the Microgel Syncro, the latest model, which reportedly offers an increase in production efficiency of up to 60%. Summit says it has proven ROI stats which it can share with visitors to the stand.
The newest expanding division of Summit Systems Group, Summit Recycling, specialises in not only the supplying of recycling equipment such as granulators and shredders from suppliers Zerma, TRIA and MO-DI-TEC, but also the trading of recycled and selling of plastics materials. The division’s recent expansion supports the recycling and waste management sectors in the UK and Irish market. Most recently, the group signed a cooperation deal with Amut, the Italian manufacturer of high-quality extrusion lines and recycling plants – keep an eye on BP&R for more news on that in coming months.
For processors looking to improve their inhouse recycling capabilities, Summit Systems is also the exclusive supplier of Zerma machinery in the UK, stocking a wide range of both very large and small granulators, single shaft shredders, which are designed for efficient recycling of various materials in all shapes and sizes.
With its focus on the recycling and waste management sectors, Summit has become experienced in challenges like maintaining in-house granulation quantity, leveraging recycled content in finished products, and ensuring high-quality final materials. With its line of Zerma granulators and shredders, the group says it can enhance productivity, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Free toolmaking quotations on-site
One of the many firms displaying the best of British engineering will be Faulkner Moulds, in hall 4, stand J22. At the stand will be senior members of Faulkner Moulds’ team, including lead toolmakers, designers and project managers, hoping to meet with brand owners and product designers to discuss new and existing projects.
Managing director Duncan Faulkner, said: “We are very excited for this year’s show, as we have so much to share with the visitors. At Faulkner Moulds, we never stand still. With each passing show, we further develop our service offering. Our pioneering approach to technological investment and skills development means we among the best in our field. We would love to meet potential customers to discuss how we can harness our expertise to meet their toolmaking needs”.
In 2024, the Yorkshire toolmaker will celebrate 30 years of toolmaking excellence. Three times winner of the prestigious UK Plastics Industry Award for ‘Toolmaker of the Year’, in 2022, the group was also awarded ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ by Business for Calderdale. The award recognises manufacturers that go “above and beyond”. The judges gave the award to Faulkner Moulds for its “outstanding innovation, initiative, efficiency and customer service, and fully engaged workforce”.
At the stand, the Faulkner Moulds team is offering a free budget price rapid quotation service. Visitors need simply bring project details or a sample to stand J22, and the team will provide a free, rapid quote during the show. The budget price will be calculated using advanced quotation software, developed in-house.
Also at the stand, the team will showcase examples of recent projects, including award-winners and world-firsts. Faulkner Moulds specialises in multi-cavity high production tooling with fast cycle times and can manufacture complex tooling such as twin-shot, overmould and unscrewing mechanisms. The Yorkshire-based toolmaker also provides services for tool repairs, modifications or servicing.
“The team will provide a free, rapid quote during the show. The budget price will be calculated using advanced quotation software, developed in-house.”
Serving all sectors, including medical, packaging, electronics and automotive, Faulkner Moulds delivers microns-accurate tooling, and says it does so at competitive prices.
Caroline Faulkner, director, told this magazine: “The team has seen a definite shift towards reshoring of tooling in recent months. By investing in technology, we have greatly decreased fitting times and created efficiencies that benefit our customers in the reduced tooling costs we can offer them”.
Last year, Faulkner Moulds again installed pioneering toolroom technology, with an innovative robotic production cell which is a ‘UK-first’, and very likely a ‘world-first’, adding new capabilities to its in-house mould tool manufacture. The production cell supports multi-cavity, high-production tooling.
Making connections
With a heritage of collaborating with companies in the plastics industry for more than 60 years, Stäubli Fluid Connectors is recognised as having unrivalled expertise across all areas of the sector. Stäubli provides a comprehensive range of solutions that save time at every stage in the injection moulding process, increasing productivity, efficiencies, and profitability. Businesses within sectors such as automotive, white goods, home appliances, packaging, IT, electronics, building construction and many more rely on the quality, performance, and reliability inherent in Stäubli’s product offering.
The Stäubli Fluid Connectors stand at this year’s exhibition will feature a range of different products and technologies including energy connection, process automation, robotic tool changers, end-of-arm-tooling, quick mould change solutions and mould temperature control.
Of particular interest to visitors to the Stäubli Fluid Connectors stand will be the latest in magnetic mould clamping technology – QMC123, the result of the recent strategic partnership between Stäubli and Mag Autoblok – Tecnomagnete. The combined expertise of the two companies has taken the capabilities of magnetic clamping technology to a new level, with enhancements and improvements across a number of key areas. Also on show will be examples from the company’s comprehensive range of Automatic Robotic Tool Changers and End-Of-Arm-Tooling (EOAT).
Stäubli’s can be found in hall 4, stand number H32, where the company’s experts will be on hand throughout the show to offer advice on how Stäubli products and solutions can improve and enhance plastics manufacturing processes.
Ancillaries and more
TH Plastics, a supplier of ancillary products and solutions, with a portfolio of customers which includes some of the most high-profile and technically demanding plastic manufacturers in Britain, will return to hall 4, stand D90. As the exclusive distributor of Moretto, Rapid Granulator, Altero and Crizaf in the UK, TH Plastics supplies, installs and services ancillary equipment across the British plastics industry.
TH Plastics’ line of equipment will include material feeding, dosing, blending, drying, cooling, conveying, granulating, and re-pelletising. Each system will be showcased on the stand stand so that visitors can experience, start to finish, how each component may be used to enhance the functionality of their facilities and educate on how systems can be further developed to ensure maximum efficiency and future proofing. Demonstrations and interactive displays will also be provided on the stand to highlight the remainder of TH Plastics line of equipment.
One of the products that will be featured is the new DGM Mini Blender from Moretto. Launched at K Fair 2022, this blender is aimed at machines under 30kgh, encompassing high levels of accurate dosing for up to four materials and reducing waste from production inconsistency and material wastage.
Rapid Granulator will have a host of equipment on the stand which will feature a 150 series flying blade and OneCUT slow-speed press-side granulator, a 300 Series flying blade granulator and the new GT1100 Thermoforming granulator. The 300 series has a distinctive “open-hearted” design which provides operators with a quick and simple access to the granulator cutting chamber for cleaning and maintenance. The 150 series will be a popular product with plastics manufacturers, with TH claiming it is “the world’s most popular” press-side granulator.
The water ring from Altero's re-pelletising line will also be on display. The refined pelletisation line has established a technique for economically and effectively turning plastic waste into high-quality reusable pellets, as well as a concept for sustainable recycling.
After the newly announced partnership earlier in the year, the stand will also feature Crizaf conveyors showing their automated handling capabilities with a range of conveyors, box shifters and counting devices to help customers maximise production efficiencies.
Due to partnerships with Moretto, Rapid Granulator, Altero Machinery and Crizaf, TH is able to offer a “closed-loop” recycling system. Green initiatives are a major part of the overarching sustainability goals for many companies, and TH Plastics encourages visitors to bring with them problems for discussion to test TH Plastics engineering know-how in their manufacturing facilities.
A new launch from SISE
During Interplas, temp control specialist SISE will launch its new generation of E.THERM-W90 temperature mould controllers equipped with a new 7’’ colour touch screen developed by the company. This efficient new generation provides optimised hydraulic circuits for cooling. It also provides additional protection for the interface sockets. Regulation control is adaptive depending on the type of appliance. Advanced and programmable management of alarms and failures ensures optimal operation. The customisable colour touch interface can be adapted according to the options installed. Three levels of communication are available: 0-10V, Arburg protocol and E82.1 (OPCUA). This flexible modular generation incorporates a unified colour user interface for the entire range of temperature controllers, with installable option packs. All components are accessible and replaceable for easy maintenance. Furthermore, logging and graphic display of process data, enhanced instrumentation as well as event ensure process traceability and data transmission using the open OPC-UA communication standard.
In terms of hot runner temperature control, SISE will also present its new MV3 generation which will be capable of regulating up to 336 zones. It has been deployed in early 2020 on six platforms (XXS, XS, S, M, M, L and XL) with four available power cards (2.5 A, 15A, 15A, 20A and 30A) to adapt the offer to various industries such as packaging, automobile, cosmetics, medical and electrical engineering.
It is sold with 7’’, 10'' and 12'' integrated touch panels and a Linux-based software program developed by SISE. Pivoting and detachable side panels facilitate access to power and thermocouple cards. This new generation includes functions such as four soft start modes, zone grouping, PTI function for thermocouple anomalies, ‘Moldscan’ for hot runner system real-time diagnosis, as well as real-time material leak detection. The system is multilingual (up to 12 languages available) with unlimited backup of mould programs.
Lastly, recording and monitoring temperatures in production, and communicating via multiple protocols is in-line with the Industry 4.0 requirements.
A variety of new materials
"Interplas has been an important event for CJP since our first show in 2008 when we launched the UK distribution of Dyna-Purge. Interplas offers the opportunity to meet many of our customers and engage with new businesses."
CJP Sales, a technical stockist of plastic raw materials offering an off-the-shelf service for general polymer grades as well as bespoke stock orders for call off, will once again return to the show.
Technical director Richard Benyon told me: “Our business focus has always been customer service, and it’s important for us to continue adding value for money for our customers. We, like many other businesses around the world, have managed our way through disruption caused by limited material supplies through COVID 19, and unprecedented price increases, and now while prices start to ease, the cost of energy is affecting many businesses.”
CJP has been long established as a PVC compound specialist, with many years of experience in the design and development of PVC-based products, offering technical support and training for business that either want to process PVC or already use PVC and a have need to improve processing conditions.
The firm now has a third generation of family management, and will be celebrating 40 years in business in 2025. Benyon added: “Interplas has been an important event for CJP since our first show in 2008 when we launched the UK distribution of Dyna-Purge. Interplas offers the opportunity to meet many of our customers and engage with new businesses. We continue to expand our range of products, as well as improvements to existing product lines.”
The UK supplier of the Dyna-Purge purging compound, the group is always keen to stress that manufacturers don’t need to lose costly materials, energy and production time. Dyna-Purge L has now been introduced to add improved flow when used for injection moulding hot runners with stack tools and fine gates. The high-flow, highly-stable purge has also proved effective for blown film, blow moulding and sheet extrusion process applications with its high nonabrasive, non-chemical scrubbing action suitable for all materials within a 138c–329c range, FDA compliant, non-toxic and simple to use straight from the box.
The group also supplies Lucofin EBA manufactured by Lucobit AV, which uses the autoclave process to produce a low gel versatile flexible polymer with enhanced polarity properties for compatibilisation. Lucofin can be used as a moulding polymer to produce flexible soft touch parts, or an additive to increase impact.
Lucofin concentrate BA (Butyl Acrylate) content allows producers of film to extrude blends where EBA is added at a lower rate that EVA or other plastomers by increasing the mechanical properties, down gauging the film and increasing line production line speed and pressure, especially in stretch hood applications. CJP’s team will work with processors to formulated blends that will show increased production and cost savings.
At the cutting edge of machinery
In hall 4, stand D60, Fanuc UK will be showcasing its end-to-end sustainability credentials from raw material handling to final packaging.
The group will feature a live on-stand automated manufacturing cell, comprising a Fanuc all-electric Roboshot injection moulding machine, a Fanuc LR-10iA 6-axis robot arm and ancillary equipment provided by Fanuc’s on-stand partner Hi-Tech Automation, the fully automated system will also display live data showing the amount of energy being used, as well as the cost to run the cell, to highlight the efficiency gains offered by the Roboshot. “As the Fanuc Roboshot is all electric, it uses 50-70% less energy than hydraulic machines, and 10-15% less energy than other all-electric machines,” said Martin Grimshaw, Roboshot Sales Manager for Fanuc UK. “In fact, it has been proven to be one of the lowest energy consumptions worldwide and one of the lowest total costs of ownership on the market.”
With 60% of manufacturers reporting that out of control energy bills are now threatening their business, being sustainable is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but a business imperative. The demonstration cell at Interplas will be linked to a clamp meter which will measure in real time the amount of power the unit is drawing from the grid and display it live for visitors to see, as well as the value of that power in pounds and pence.
The Roboshot also measures this data as standard and visitors will be invited to compare the two screens, to gauge the accuracy of the Roboshot’s built-in energy meter. “We are looking forward to proving to Interplas visitors just how much energy can be saved with the Roboshot, and the resulting financial benefits that it can offer,” said Grimshaw.
Daniel Graves Photography
Martin Grimshaw, Roboshot Sales Manager at Fanuc UK
The standard automation cell being showcased at Interplas features the Fanuc Roboshot S150iB at its heart. As well as low energy consumption, this CNC injection moulding machine offers repeatably high levels of consistency and accuracy, superior mould protection and rapid acceleration.
Shibaura launching IMMs into the UK market
Shibaura Machine, formerly known as Toshiba Machine, will launch its new injection moulding offering at the show. Interplas is the first UK trade fair for Shibaura Machine since UK distributor, TM Robotics, agreed an exclusive distribution partnership with the manufacturer last year. TM Robotics now handles all industrial robot and injection moulding distribution for Shibaura Machine in the UK and Ireland.
TM Robotics has long been a prominent distributor in industrial robotics and automation and has been supplying Shibaura Machine robots to the market for over two decades. At Interplas 2023, TM Robotics will launch its new product offering from the Japanese manufacturer — the full all-electric injection moulding machine range, plus service and maintenance.
TM Robotics says Interplas presents an excellent opportunity to introduce this offering to the market and meet with potential customers in the plastic parts manufacturing sector. From stand H41, the TM Robotics team will be available to discuss the full range of technologies from Shibaura Machine, including injection moulding machines, industrial robots and integrated solutions that use both technologies.
“The new offering includes the all-electric SXIII injection moulding machine series from Shibaura Machine,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “The range of machines feature enhanced versatility and performance and streamlined design, providing significantly faster injection speeds than traditional moulding equipment. The series is available in 17 different injection capacities and dimensions and can be used for virtually any moulding application.”
In addition to the supply of the all-electric series, TM Robotics can also obtain parts and perform maintenance for hydraulic Shibaura Machine equipment — and legacy Toshiba Machine-branded moulding equipment that is still in operation in the field.
“Our strength is in our ability to integrate injection moulding machines and robots from Shibaura Machine — we are the absolute experts in this technology for the UK and Ireland,” continued Smith. “We encourage those interested in automated solutions for injection moulding to arrange a meeting with our experts at Interplas. The team has impressive knowledge of Shibaura Machine technologies, and we have recently expanded the team with two new injection moulding experts to further support this sales area.”
Peter Coltman and Jakub Urbanek joined the TM Robotics team as injection moulding machine service manager and technical support, last year. Having worked exclusively with Shibaura Machine’s injection moulding equipment since 2018, the engineers can provide expert consultation and advice on any injection moulding query.
Interplas follows a significant new robot launch for TM Robotics. The organisation launched its THE SCARA series for the European market at the Automatica trade fair held in Germany in June 2023. The launch saw TM Robotics introduce two new larger robots to the existing series.
“The THE800 and THE1000 robots are newly available in Europe,” continued Smith. “The THE series is widely recognised as the price-to-performance leader in SCARA robots and is ideal for pick-and-place applications. Alongside these models are a number of six-axis robot options, many of which are compatible with the Shibaura Machine injection moulding machines for loading and unloading. At Interplas 2023, we will have a video demonstrating this robot integration.”
"Our strength is in our ability to integrate injection moulding machines and robots from Shibaura Machine — we are the absolute experts in this technology for the UK and Ireland."
Making a connection
Arburg (stand H4, hall 4) will be exhibiting an efficient production cell that produces Luer connectors made of PP and TPE for the pharmaceutical industry. The centrepiece is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine, handled by a Yaskawa six-axis robot. Closures are capped and threads unscrewed directly in the mould. The high-end solution aims to eliminate the need for a second mould and additional assembly line. This significantly reduces the manufacturing costs.
ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
The highlight at the trade fair stand is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine
"We provide our plastics processing customers with efficient technologies to ensure their competitiveness. Especially during these more challenging economic times, not least due to increased energy costs, they can totally rely on us," said Colin Tirel, Managing Director of Arburg Ltd. "We are seeing a growing interest among our customers in process capability, energy efficiency and digitalisation. Interplas is an excellent platform for showcasing these key topics and our new technology developments."
ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
Colin Tirel, Managing Director of Arburg Ltd. in UK.
The highlight at the trade fair stand is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine with 1,600 kN clamping force and two size 100 electric injection units.
The exhibit produces four ready-to-use Luer connectors at a time within a cycle time of around ten seconds. Injection moulding requires a delicate touch and precision: the part weight of the PP component is 0.2 grams and the soft TPE component weighs as little as 0.05 grams. The 4+4-cavity mould features Braunform's RotaricE2 technology. Four servo-electric axes from Arburg's sister company AMKmotion control the internal mould sequences for core-back, lifting the lid, capping the closures and unscrewing the Luer threads. The compact design translates to a large number of cavities in a small space, with up to 64+64-cavity versions possible in series moulds. The "aXw Control CycleAssist" assistance function generates a graphic comparison of the current times and previously defined reference values for each cycle step. Unproductive time segments can be displayed with a click. This enables the user to reduce the cycle time and makes high productivity programmable in advance.
A six-axis robot from Yaskawa is integrated into the Gestica control system. Similar to the linear Multilift robotic system, it can be programmed quickly and easily directly via the machine controller. For the show, the six-axis robot removes the finished parts from the mould with a four-cavity gripper and feeds them individually to an inline camera inspection. It then deposits them separately by cavity.
The modular Allrounders in the More series are designed for multi-component injection moulding and it is claimed can be flexibly adapted to specific customer and market requirements. They offer more space for larger moulds and a usable ejector stroke, more modularity during assembly, and many optimised features for greater ease of use and simple maintenance. As standard, the machines feature a highly dynamic electric toggle-type clamping unit with energy-efficient liquid-cooled servo motors and two electric injection units. This allows all common two-component applications to be realised.
"We are seeing a growing interest among our customers in process capability, energy efficiency and digitalisation. Interplas is an excellent platform for showcasing these key topics and our new technology developments."
Arburg (stand H4, hall 4) will be exhibiting an efficient production cell that produces Luer connectors made of PP and TPE for the pharmaceutical industry. The centrepiece is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine, handled by a Yaskawa six-axis robot. Closures are capped and threads unscrewed directly in the mould. The high-end solution aims to eliminate the need for a second mould and additional assembly line. This significantly reduces the manufacturing costs.
"We provide our plastics processing customers with efficient technologies to ensure their competitiveness. Especially during these more challenging economic times, not least due to increased energy costs, they can totally rely on us," said Colin Tirel, Managing Director of Arburg Ltd. "We are seeing a growing interest among our customers in process capability, energy efficiency and digitalisation. Interplas is an excellent platform for showcasing these key topics and our new technology developments."
The highlight at the trade fair stand is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine with 1,600 kN clamping force and two size 100 electric injection units.
The exhibit produces four ready-to-use Luer connectors at a time within a cycle time of around ten seconds. Injection moulding requires a delicate touch and precision: the part weight of the PP component is 0.2 grams and the soft TPE component weighs as little as 0.05 grams. The 4+4-cavity mould features Braunform's RotaricE2 technology. Four servo-electric axes from Arburg's sister company AMKmotion control the internal mould sequences for core-back, lifting the lid, capping the closures and unscrewing the Luer threads. The compact design translates to a large number of cavities in a small space, with up to 64+64-cavity versions possible in series moulds. The "aXw Control CycleAssist" assistance function generates a graphic comparison of the current times and previously defined reference values for each cycle step. Unproductive time segments can be displayed with a click. This enables the user to reduce the cycle time and makes high productivity programmable in advance.
A six-axis robot from Yaskawa is integrated into the Gestica control system. Similar to the linear Multilift robotic system, it can be programmed quickly and easily directly via the machine controller. For the show, the six-axis robot removes the finished parts from the mould with a four-cavity gripper and feeds them individually to an inline camera inspection. It then deposits them separately by cavity.
The modular Allrounders in the More series are designed for multi-component injection moulding and it is claimed can be flexibly adapted to specific customer and market requirements. They offer more space for larger moulds and a usable ejector stroke, more modularity during assembly, and many optimised features for greater ease of use and simple maintenance. As standard, the machines feature a highly dynamic electric toggle-type clamping unit with energy-efficient liquid-cooled servo motors and two electric injection units. This allows all common two-component applications to be realised.
Extrusion excellence
Extrusion machinery group Xtrutech (hall 4, stand H19) will bring the XTS19 from its XTS line of machines. Said to be the group’s most popular laboratory extruder, it is versatile enough for processing thermoplastics, medical plastics, biopolymers, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. A typical line includes a choice of feeders, waterbath and strand pelletiser. The XTS range also includes a variety of different ancillaries to allow customers the freedom to create an extruder line according to their preference and processing requirements.
The group also plans to discuss details of the XTS35, another versatile extruder that can serve both laboratory and production functions. The XTS35 is ideally used as a lab machine when higher free volume is necessary. It is also suited to low-scale production and offers a high throughput particularly for specialty products such as biopolymers.
Managing director Ryan Moore said the firm has also been on the expansion path recently: “We are excited to announce the opening of our expanded laboratory facility. This new space will allow us to offer more trials on different extruders and with a greater range of ancillaries. We can now offer in-house trials using our XTS19 line, XTS35 line and High-Speed Mixer. The facility features two floors for our extruder lines plus a conference room for digital viewing.”
Moore added: “XTS extruders are not only efficient to run, with productive outputs, but they also focus on reducing maintenance times and simplifying cleaning. For example, our extruders have a clamshell barrel which can easily be opened and closed so the screws and shafts can be removed, cleaned, or replaced easily. The barrel features insert liners which again are simpler to maintain and more cost effective to replace when needed. All XTS screw elements are individually segmented to improve the speed and efficiency of replacements.”
The firm says its most popular line for thermoplastics is the XTS19 extruder, water bath and strand pelletiser. For medical plastics, Xtrutech can offer extruder lines that include the XTS11 (its smallest extruder for sampling/R&D), the XTS19 which is also appropriate for sampling/small batch testing and the XTS24 for low scale production and trial formulations. And in biopolymers, the group can offer extruder lines from the XTS19 onwards, as well as air cooled conveyors versus water baths to offer effective cooling for hygroscopic products.
Moore continued: “Interplas provides an invaluable opportunity to network with potential customers, with the chance to demonstrate and discuss the true benefits of our machines. Interplas is a hub for new and exciting projects within the industry and gives us the opportunity to see what advances are happening amongst polymer producers, so that we can continue to innovate our designs to suit the developing needs of our customers.”