Interview: Added value of digital solutions in injection moulding

The injection moulding companies that approach us have very different levels of maturity in terms of digitalisation and we deal with each case individually. On the one hand, we advise companies that already use an MES (Manufacturing Execution System) to take the next steps in the areas of process monitoring and parameter analysis.

On the other hand, we are also approached by companies that want to take the first step towards digital solutions for their plastics production and connect their machines. Most of the companies are at the beginning and are in the process of building up the necessary know-how and capacities to be able to implement a digitalisation project. This means everything from a simple status display to complete networking with 400 recorded parameters per machine and shot.

The most important goals are to reduce waste and minimise downtime. The lack of qualified personnel is also driving companies to implement digitalisation measures, because these bundle expert knowledge and support employees in production.
Energy saving and sustainability are also topics that motivate companies to deal with digitalisation.

In practical terms, for example, the Braun company was able to reduce weight fluctuations in the production of razor swing bridges from 0.02 g to 0.003 g with the help of iQ weight control. This corresponds to an 85 percent improvement in weight consistency. By using iQ clamp control, dewatering specialist Dallmer was able to achieve a 33 percent reduction in clamping force from 1200 to 800 kn.

The example of Blum is also particularly impressive. Here, iQ flow control can achieve annual electricity savings in the six-figure euro range. BIC achieved enormous time savings in production monitoring by using the MES TIG authentig. Within 15 minutes, the shift supervisor receives an overview of the process stability and productivity of 50 injection moulding machines.

These are just a few examples of many that concretely show how digitalisation and networking contribute to more efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.