ENGEL Global

Interview: Added value of digital solutions in injection moulding

Use the full potential of your injection moulding machine with ENGEL's proven digital assistance systems.

Hannes Zach, Head of ENGEL Digital Solutions Sales, shows what is important for your digitalisation project and how your connected and self-optimising injection moulding production can become reality.

Picture shows Head of Digital Solutions at ENGEL Hannes Zach in interview

Mr Zach, when companies approach you, do they already have experience in the area of digitalisation or are they newcomers?

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.

What problems do companies want to solve by using digital assistance systems?

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.

Can you also give specific figures that can be used to demonstrate the success of ENGEL's digital solutions?

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.

We are now absolutely satisfied with the reject rate of 0.047 per cent. On this basis, we can reduce the effort for quality control and thus increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

Picture shows production planner from Braun, Procter & Gamble
Frank Breunig, Production planner Braun, Procter & Gamble

What is important when a production company wants to implement a digitalisation project?

It is important to divide projects into phases and thus minimise complexity. In this way, success is visible more quickly, the employees' confidence in the project increases and they go into the next phase motivated.
Another criteria for success is an assigned project manager on the client side who oversees the implementation and is responsible for adherence to the project plan. It is also a must to involve the employees accordingly and educate them about digitalisation. It is not a means of supervision, but a support for the employees.

Many companies already offer digitalisation solutions. Why should a production company rely on ENGEL's solutions?

Hardly any other injection moulding machine manufacturer has more experience with Industry 4.0 than ENGEL. ENGEL was the first supplier worldwide to develop and present an end-to-end solution for the digitalisation and networking of injection moulding processes.

ENGEL presented its first intelligent assistance system - iQ weight control - in 2012, even before the concepts of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation had become widespread. Today, 8,600 injection moulding machines worldwide are equipped with intelligent assistance systems from ENGEL. More than 3,000 customers use the e-connect customer portal to network more than 8,000 machines. More than 12,000 machines are connected to the MES authentig of the ENGEL subsidiary TIG. The success of our customers proves us right and keeps us going.

Are you still unsure whether and how digitalisation can also help you? Many real-life, practical examples show how SMEs and international companies from different industries are already successfully using digital solutions from ENGEL.

Picture shows Head of Digital Solutions at ENGEL
Hannes Zach, Head of Digital Solutions ENGEL Austria

We look forward to advising you individually on the possible
applications of ENGEL digital solutions!

More about our products from the article

Automatically compensate process fluctuations

iQ weight control ensures constant part quality during injection moulding

Intelligent clamping force optimisation

Increase quality and reproducibility with iQ clamp control and avoid overmoulding and flash.

reading time approx. 7 minutes
Contact us
I'd like to hear from you.
Markus Lettau
Molding Industry Business Advisor
ENGEL Machinery Inc.

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Please note the information on data protection at ENGEL at www.engelglobal.com/dataprotection.

Get in touch

I'd like to hear from you.
Markus Lettau
Molding Industry Business Advisor
ENGEL Machinery Inc.
Personal Information
How can we help you?
Submit
Please note the information on data protection at ENGEL at www.engelglobal.com/dataprotection.
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