SmartPower 350 completes the Power Series

The new SmartPower 350 will be presented at Fakuma.

MicroPower 15/10

Wittmann 4.0

Wittmann Battenfeld presents technologically advanced applications and processes at the Fakuma 2015 on servo-hydraulic and electric machines of the PowerSeries, as well as the new SmartPower 350 as a trade fair highlight.

With the introduction of the new SmartPower 350/2250, the product range of the PowerSeries is completed. The PowerSeries includes EcoPower, MicroPower, MacroPower, SmartPower. The SmartPower up to 120 tons was first introduced at Fakuma 2014 and is now complemented with the sizes 180, 240, and 350. The SmartPower features a standard servo-hydraulic drive and utilizes available braking energy via KERS for the screw cylinder heating to achieve optimal energy efficiency. The SmartPower 350 is equipped with tool clamping dimensions of 800 x 720 mm and a beam spacing.

On a SmartPower 350/2250, which will be showcased at Wittmann Battenfeld's booth, a "Organoblech" component is produced using a single cavity tool from Georg Kaufmann, CH. This is a demonstrator component used to showcase the capabilities of the technology. The tool features a hot runner with needle shut-off, a core puller for forming the Organoblech in the tool, and a stamping punch for punching a through-hole in the Organoblech. The automation realized by Wittmann Robot Systems in Nuremberg is specifically tailored to the application and includes a station for preparing the cut Organoblech sheets, a heating station with heating elements from Krelus, CH, a multifunction gripper with needle gripper for picking up the heated Organoblech, and a vacuum sucker for removing the finished parts.

On the smallest SmartPower, a SmartPower 25/130, equipped with a flow controller of the type Flowcon plus from Wittmann, integrated into the Unilog B6P machine control and with its own microprocessor control, a PA filter sphere is produced on a 4-cavity tool from Zimmermanntechnik (HK) Ltd. Hong Kong, with production in Shenzhen, China, and service branches in Germany, Austria, and Mexico. The Flowcon allows for both closed-loop regulation of the flow rate and the temperature of the tool heating, which significantly contributes to quality improvement and production stability. Additionally, the extensive settings of the Flowcon are stored through integration with the respective tool data set.

EcoPower and MicroPower in Cleanroom Design

Another highlight at Fakuma is the EcoPower 110/350, qualified for cleanroom use at Wittmann Battenfeld, equipped with special medical technology features. This version emphasizes both the cleanliness of the tool interior and minimizing the machine's emissions to the environment — i.e., a cleanroom — as much as possible. To this end, the machine is fitted with the EcoPower "Clean Package," which includes, among other things, a water-cooled system for the entire machine with a closed cooling circuit, nickel-plated clamping plates, the use of "food grade" lubricants, and a special coating resistant to cleaning and disinfecting agents. The machine is also equipped with a laminar flow box, a separation for good and defective parts, and a sealed cleanroom conveyor belt from Max Petek Reinraumtechnik, D.

The functionality of the EcoPower in cleanroom version is demonstrated by producing a contact lens tray made of PP. The parts fall freely onto the sealed cleanroom conveyor belt from Max Petek Reinraumtechnik and are transported into a Petek "Laminar Flow Workstation."

As a second exhibit focusing on medical technology at Fakuma, a MicroPower 15/10 in medical technology version is displayed. The machine produces a microcatheter made of PEEK, used for sampling in peripheral tissue, with a single cavity tool from Ernst Wittner GmbH, A. In practice, the microcatheter — manufactured by the Austrian company Biegler GmbH — is used by Joanneum Research Health for measurements in drug development. The parts weigh approximately 20 mg and measure 3 x 3 x 2 mm. The exhibited machine is a complete cleanroom production cell with an integrated rotary table, removal handling, integrated quality control via image processing, and a cleanroom module that enables class 6 clean air according to ISO 14644-1. The parts are produced, inspected, and stored in the cleanroom.

Multi-Component Injection Molding with EcoPower and Insider Automation

The compact design of the EcoPower injection units favors the use of fully electric machines for 2K injection molding, according to Wittmann. In combination with Insider automation, a very compact and user-friendly production cell is created. For tool changeovers, the assembled robot can be moved on the machine with just a few hand movements. On an EcoPower 180/350H/350V, a flange made of HDPE and PA is produced using a single cavity tool from Polar-Form Werkzeugbau GmbH, D. The Insider cell integrates the Wittmann robot W821 for part removal and placement, as well as Wittmann's temperature control and conveyor belt into the machine.

WebService 24/7 and Wittmann 4.0

The Wittmann Battenfeld program is rounded off at Fakuma 2015 with the presentation of the worldwide WebService 24/7 — the company's online service available 24/7, 7 days a week. Visitors to Fakuma have the opportunity to follow the functionality of WebService 24/7 live at a dedicated service center. In this service center, visitors can also learn about other service offerings from Wittmann Battenfeld, such as customer service, application technology, training, and the new process data acquisition software SmartMonitoring. SmartMonitoring is a process data acquisition software that enables access to a universal database. Wittmann Battenfeld uses SmartMonitoring with the monitoring module from authentig, featuring an online overview of the machine park, visualized on the Unilog B6P machine control. By integrating into the system of the market leader in MES software, Wittmann Battenfeld aims to provide customers with a factory overview via the machine control.

On the path to Industry 4.0, Wittmann 4.0 is intended to be an important component for integration and will be demonstrated at Fakuma. Through the B6P machine control, both machines and connected robots and peripherals can be connected and operated via a unified Windows interface, enabling interaction between individual devices. The entire processing process — from material feeding and mixing, temperature control, automation, to injection molding — can thus be optimally coordinated and traced. It is also essential that all settings, automation sequences, and recipes are centrally stored in the tool catalog and distributed to the correct devices in case of a tool change. Equally important is the centralized collection of error messages and statuses of all devices connected with Wittmann 4.0.

Via the WiBa QuickLook app, the status of injection molding machines and robots can be queried via smartphone. The QuickLook app connects with the latest software versions of Wittmann R8.3 robots and Wittmann Battenfeld Unilog B6P controls. With WiBa QuickLook, the most important operating data and statuses of the key devices in a production cell can be viewed.