• Experience production-efficient machine technology, applications and processes "live"
• Innovations and trends in lightweight construction, LSR processing, packaging technology and more
• 27 exhibits: something to satisfy every customer wish

October, 15, 2016 -. A total of 27 Arburg machines will be on show at the leading international "K" trade fair, to be held in Düsseldorf from 19 to 26 October 2016, presenting innovative applications, processes and turnkey solutions for the efficient production of plastic parts – from single-unit to high-volume batches. On its own exhibition stand "13A13", Arburg (www.arburg.com) will present twelve exhibits that demonstrate the current state of the art, including several world firsts. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience for themselves the latest trends in production efficiency, lightweight construction and Industry 4.0, as well as special industry-specific solutions, e.g. for the packaging and medical technology sectors.

"Anyone who is familiar with Arburg will know that you can always rely on us to produce a surprise and that we like to keep an ace up our sleeve. Things are no different in this important K year," says Michael Hehl, (photo) Managing Partner and Spokesperson for the Arburg Management Team with a wink, adding: "The electric Allrounder Golden Electric entry level machine series made its debut in March. This was the first product innovation for this year, but by no means the last. Anyone who wants to find out what is driving the industry and how plastic processing will become even more efficient in the future is invited to visit our exhibition stand, A13 in Hall 13. We will be presenting several innovations and trends to international trade visitors – in injection moulding as well as additive manufacturing and Industry 4.0."

Smart: Industry 4.0 for products and production: Innovative machine manufacturers like Arburg are rebranding themselves as suppliers of flexible production systems for IT-networked production in the "smart factory". The Lossburg-based company has been working on the practical implementation of this topic for 30 years and already presented a fully automated production system with no manual set-up processes, consisting of several linked injection moulding machines at the K trade fair back in 1986. The individualisation of office scissors has been used on several occasions to demonstrate how Industry 4.0 technologies and the incorporation of online customer wishes in the value chain can be used to achieve new business models. The fully IT networked and automated production line combined an Allrounder injection moulding machine with a Freeformer for industrial additive manufacturing by means of a seven-axis robot. At the K 2016, an innovative application will be on show, which comprises a vertical Allrounder 375 V, a Freeformer and an automation solution. Furthermore, the visitors to stand A13 will be able to find out about future opportunities and Arburg solutions at a central information point. They will learn about how Arburg implements the topics of Industry 4.0 and the "smart factory" in its products and what practical examples are of relevance for plastic part production.

New: Electric entry-level Golden Electric machine series: The injection moulding machines from the Golden Electric series launched in March 2016 have been met with a great reception throughout the world. They feature proven, high-quality Arburg technology "Made in Germany" at an attractive price/performance ratio. This is made possible through standardised components, such as a fixed combination of distance between tie-bars, clamping force and injection unit size. The entry-level Golden Electric series is available in four sizes, 370, 470, 520 and 570, with clamping forces from 600 to 2,000 kN. At the K 2016, an Allrounder 470 E Golden Electric with a clamping force of 1,000 kN and a size 290 injection unit will be used to produce a technical part.

On trend: lightweight construction, silicone and high-speed machines: Profoam is one of the innovative processes that Arburg promotes for the efficient production of lightweight yet strong components from plastic. The physical foaming technique, which enables low-distortion parts with a homogeneous foam structure to be produced using conventional injection moulding machines, will be shown at the K 2016 on the basis of an automotive application. Dynamic mould temperature control will used to produce a high-gloss surface. Innovative cube mould technology specially designed for the packaging industry will be presented in a world premiere. A further complex application is the two-component injection moulding of a wristwatch from two different liquid silicones (LSR), including assembly of the watch casing. Another highlight will be a high-speed application for medical technology, in which a clean room version of an electric Allrounder 470 A will be used.

Automation: from pickers to turnkey systems: Automation will be used to integrate a growing number of increasingly complex operations to increase added value around the injection moulding process. In addition to injection moulding machines, Arburg, as a supplier of production systems, offers a wide range of automation-related products from a single source. The majority of exhibits in Düsseldorf will be equipped with robotic systems. These will cover everything, from simple pickers to six-axis robots featuring the Selogica user interface and complex turnkey systems. A new product will also be on show in the area of linear Multilift robotic systems.

Industry: additive manufacturing with the Freeformer - For the industrial additive manufacturing of plastic parts, Arburg will present the Freeformer, which supplements its machine range to cover individualised one-off parts, prototypes and small-volume batches. With Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF), functional plastic parts can be built up layer-by-layer on the basis of 3D CAD data. One of the key benefits of the Freeformer over conventional processes is the fact that the system can process qualified low-cost plastic granulates, as also used in injection moulding. These include PA, ABS, PC and TPU, as well as blends of these materials with special properties. We will continue to develop the Freeformer and Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) on an ongoing and practical basis. The focus is on points such as the qualification of more materials and process stability. The Freeformer now features, for example, an optimised build chamber with improved air and temperature control. A material dryer is also optionally available, which is integrated in the machine control system. We have also significantly extended the maintenance intervals for the discharge system. New applications, materials and parts will be presented on a total of three Freeformers at the K 2016.

Something for everyone: The exhibits include products to suit practically every industry and every customer requirement: from electric, hybrid and hydraulic Allrounders, robotic systems and complete turnkey systems to the Freeformer for additive manufacturing, service solutions and practical examples of Industry 4.0. The innovative exhibits and world premieres will demonstrate how Arburg technology will enable plastic parts to be produced more efficiently in future. For the first time, the K exhibition stand, number "13A13", will include a separate recruiting area where university graduates and skilled professionals can learn about career opportunities at Arburg.
As a preview, a special Arburg "K 2016" microsite will go online on 1 September 2016, offering an initial insight into the exhibits, focus areas and partners (www.arburg.com/events/k2016). This will be supplemented by a wealth of detailed information from the first day of the trade fair onwards.

German machine manufacturer Arburg is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of injection moulding machines with clamping forces between 125 and 5,000 kN. This is complemented by robotic systems, customer- and sector-specific turnkey solutions and further peripherals. An innovative additive manufacturing system was added to the plastics processing range in 2013.
The company places the topic of production efficiency at the centre of all its activities, taking into account the entire value-added chain.Arburg is represented by its own organisations at 33 locations in 25 countries and by trading partners in more than 50 countries. The machines are produced exclusively at the parent company in Lossburg, Germany. Of a total of roughly 2,550 employees, around 2,100 work in Germany. About 450 further employees work in Arburg’s organisations around the world. In 2012, Arburg became one of the first companies to gain triple certification: to ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 50001 (Energy).

Source: Arburg