Fakuma: Worldwide technology offerings from 35 industrialised nations

With a fully occupied exhibition centre in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, the 24th edition of Fakuma, scheduled on October 13-17, is headed for record-breaking figures, according to organisers. Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing is firming up its recognised reputation as Europe’s number one industry event for injection moulding, extrusion and thermoforming technologies.

With its user-oriented focus on plastics processing, Fakuma has acquired a special status, because similarly positioned trade fairs have a more plastics-polytechnical orientation and thus a different emphasis.

Manufacturers and distributors from 35 industrialised nations will present a sparkling array of new technologies and processes at this year’s Fakuma, as well as applications from which the industry sector will already be able to profit.  Within this context, additive and generative 3D processes have of course taken on an exceptional role, even though precisely this segment and its associated processes, such as STL and laser sintering, have been part of Fakuma’s exhibition portfolio for more than 20 years, whereas they were used in the past above all for prototyping and the production of samples. Based on rapidly expanding material diversity and material characteristics which are customised for specific functions, the spread of 3D processes might well be greatly accelerated and more than just round out offerings for manufacturing processes involving plastic processing.

The extent to which the Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing has established its presence within the industry sector is illustrated by further increases in the number of foreign manufacturers and distributors from more than 35 industrialised nations. As has traditionally been the case, Germany is represented by the largest number of exhibitors (925 companies) followed by Italy (102), Switzerland (97), Austria (63), France (43), China (41), Portugal (27), the Netherlands (25), the Czech Republic (20) and Turkey (17), so the Europe still plays the leading role.

At any rate, manufacturers and distributors from all over the world view Fakuma as the most suitable business platform for presenting their companies to expert visitors in the highly demanding German and European markets. Fakuma 2015 will take place at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre on Lake Constance where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet. The exhibition is expecting roughly 46,000 expert visitors from well over 100 countries.

PRODUCTS ON EXHIBIT

ENGEL to present inject 4.0  
"More than a machine" – this is the motto chosen by ENGEL AUSTRIA for this year's presentation of system solution competency at Fakuma. Automation, process engineering, process optimisation and services are all an integral part of the system philosophy at ENGEL. Based on five innovative applications for the automotive, technical moulding, teletronics, packaging and medical industries, the machine maker, headquartered in Schwertberg, Austria, will be demonstrating at its trade fair stand how machines and production cells can be leveraged to maximum extent thanks to intelligent components and networking.

inject 4.0 is ENGEL's approach for facing production challenges in today’s competitive market. To this end, ENGEL already has numerous products in its portfolio today that support customers in these optimisations. For the first time, the entire trade fair stand has been designed as a smart factory, self-optimising production based on three core elements: smart machines that boost process capability and quality with self-adapting, decentralised systems, smart production to ensure high levels of productivity thanks to horizontal and vertical data integration, and smart services that improve availability thanks to proximity and the use of remote maintenance tools.

KraussMaffei focuses on "Productivity PLUS"
Better injection molding productivity can often only be achieved with lots of small steps which add up to create a great effect. Under the exhibition motto "Productivity PLUS", KraussMaffei is exhibiting small and medium-sized injection moulding machines at the Fakuma, illustrating how intelligent plasticising, control and automation solutions can improve productivity. The focus of the exhibition is applications using the new hydraulic CX series and the all-electric AX SilcoSet for processing liquid silicone rubber.

Further significant savings potential can be found in the new machine function APC (adaptive process control), which allows the injection moulding machine to restart quickly and to process even difficult batches of material with high proportions of recycled materials into premium quality components. Further savings potential can be found in the excellent homogenisation of the HPS screw, which enables, for example, the colour master batch proportion to be reduced by up to 30 percent.

The FiberForm process developed by KraussMaffei combines injection moulding with thermoforming of composite sheets to further improve the strength of fibre-reinforced plastics. As a result, the combination of lightweight materials and design in the construction enables new fiber-reinforced thermoplastic components to be manufactured with particularly high strengths. At the Fakuma, a CX 300 is producing airbag housings in cycle times of 42 seconds.

Milacron to showcase End-to-End Service Solutions  
Milacron Inc. will have a major on-site presence at Fakuma 2015. The company will focus on the innovative potential of its integrated plastics solutions. Milacron’s participation and activities will feature various new processing technologies and address evolving customer needs. The industry’s only integrated plastics processing provider, Milacron has combined the individual strengths of industry leading brands Ferromatik, Mold-Masters, Uniloy, DME, Tirad and CIMCOOL. Technologies such as injection, co-injection, extrusion, hot runner systems, control systems, blow moulding and mould technologies have been combined under a unified brand that reflects Milacron’s new direction as the industry’s most comprehensive integrated plastics solutions provider.

At Fakuma, Milacron will illustrate how its new integrated approach, as well as its rich portfolio of products, provides customers with engineered solutions across three businesses. This includes Advanced Plastics Processing Technologies, Melt Delivery and Control Systems, and Fluid Technologies. Visitors can take a closer look at the future of plastics processing technology. In addition to Milacron’s plastics machinery products, Mold-Masters, DME, TIRAD, and CIMCOOL products and systems will be housed in the same booth.

PolyOne metal replacement solutions  
New developments in natural fibre reinforced materials, conductive thermoplastics, and specialty engineered materials for metal replacement will be highlights for PolyOne at Fakuma. In addition, experts from the company will conduct 15-minute Tech Talk presentations daily at the PolyOne booth to help plastics processors quickly learn more about these advanced technologies. “Visitors to our stand at the the Fakuma show are invited to bring us their toughest challenges, and find out how our industry-leading solutions can provide answers that positively affect their manufacturing operations and help them grow their business,” commented Holger Kronimus, VP Europe and general manager, Specialty Engineered Materials, Europe for PolyOne.  

PolyOne will also update show visitors on the status of developments, such as its reSound™ NF natural fibre-reinforced solutions. Introduced in March 2015, these sustainable formulations—with at least 30% engineered natural fibre by weight—offer an alternative to glass fiber reinforced polypropylene compounds, with comparable mechanical properties at 5-10% lower density.  Currently, reSound NF is available in black, brown or natural. At Fakuma 2015, PolyOne will announce the availability of the material in brilliant colours to support customers’ projects. The company also will reveal the development of reSound NF formulations for use in the extrusion process for applications in building and construction, sport and leisure, furniture manufacturing, and other industries.

Beck Automation to launch Beck-Flex
New trends in IML decoration are always of importance and developments in IML packaging will be the highlight at Beck Automation’s booth at the exhibition. Normally highly automated IML machines are configured specifically for particular applications to achieve optimal performance. If high levels of flexibility are required, this results in significant challenges when setting up these machines. In response to this, Beck Automation is launching its latest Beck-Flex IML system. The Beck-Flex is a side-entry automated IML system designed for maximum flexibility.

The target group for the Beck-Flex system is diverse. On the one hand,  experienced IML users who wish to quickly get packaging trends to Point of Sale. On the other, those new to IML, who are looking to find their feet in the IML decoration process. Beck-Flex specifically targets short re-tooling times, a wide label, product or mould range and small to medium size production batches. Beck-Flex excels as a universal all-in-one solution to meet these very different production requirements.

During the development ofthe Beck-Flex system, flexibility had utmost priority. The IML system had to able to decorate products that are either inside or outside gated. The system also had to handle moulds with different numbers of cavities, from single and dual cavity right up to four cavity moulds. The development “wish list” also included rapid changeover from lids to containers and vice versa. Another aim was to cover a broad spectrum of labels. Very different types of labels, such as 3 or 5 sided labels, with or without closed edges, flat labels and 360° labels should all be possible with the Beck-Flex. This comprehensive range is a real balancing act for IML automated machines. The Beck-Flex makes all of these tasks possible as an all-round IML system.

Teknor Apex to present new styrenic TPEs  
A new series of styrenic block copolymer elastomers from Teknor Apex Company exhibits performance comparable to that of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) widely used in window gaskets while offering new options for building product manufacturers. In introducing the compounds at Fakuma 2015, Teknor Apex will highlight its multi-material capability as a supplier of both TPVs and styrenic TPEs.
 
Unlike most TPVs used for weatherproof seals in metal, wood, or PVC window frames, Monprene® IN-23000 Series styrenic block copolymer compounds are readily available in small lots and pre-colored grades and require no pre-drying.  Some grades in the new Monprene IN-23000 series can be processed with the same tooling used for PVC profiles at similar throughput rates and die pressures. “We have adjusted the viscosity and melt strength of Monprene IN-23000 Series TPEs to increase throughput while reducing or eliminating the common problem of die drool,” said Gert Joly, European R&D manager for the TPE Division of Teknor Apex.

 
In the coextruded structures widely used for window gaskets, Mr. Joly added, all of the new compounds exhibit excellent adhesion to the polypropylene or high-modulus TPE substrate that serves as the rigid supporting component. They provide sufficient stiffness to facilitate window assembly and, unlike most TPVs, resist staining from paints. Like TPVs, Monprene IN-23000 Series TPEs exhibit the end-use properties essential for air- and moisture-proof window gaskets, including rubberlike seal recovery, low-temperature toughness, and UV resistance.