Wittmann launched new products at 40th anniversary celebration

Dr. Werner Wittmann founded Wittmann Kunststoffgerنte GmbH in Vienna in 1976 to manufacture flow regulators. Today the company is one of the undisputed leading manufacturers of robots and auxiliary equipment for the plastics processing industry. Wittmann's product range includes robots and automation systems, material conveying systems with dryers and recycling equipment, and temperature controllers and cooling units for machine tools as well as volumetric blenders and gravimetric dosing systems.

On April 1, 2008, Wittmann took over Battenfeld Kunststoffmaschinen Ges.m.b.H. in Kottingbrunn (Lower Austria). The merger formed the Wittmann Group and integrated the complementary product lines – Wittmann auxiliary equipment and injection molding machines from Wittmann Battenfeld. Seamless integration of injection molding machines, automation and auxiliary equipment – complete solutions from a single source for the benefit of plastics processors and their products:

On June 8 and 9, 2016, customers and business partners of the Wittmann Group were invited to Vienna to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company. The event was attended by 1,650 guests.   

To kick off the gala event on the grounds of the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, the Director General of PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V., Dr. Rüdiger Baunemann, delivered the keynote address entitled “Plastics, Key Driver for Sustainability.” This wa followed by a live show of product demonstrations and a series of technical presentations about individual product groups and special plastics-processing-related issues. Over the course of the two-day event, visitors were able to take a close look at the full product range of the WITTMANN Group – including many completely new developments.

Guests attending the 40th anniversary celebration were also given the opportunity to tour the company's production sites in Kottingbrunn, Vienna and Wolkersdorf, and in Mosonmagyarَvلr, Hungary.

Launch of new products

Just in time for the 40th anniversary celebration, Wittmann presented the new robot models of its W8 pro series. These advanced designs were developed in response to many users who also wanted to be able to rely on flexible automation in the large machine segment. These robots are best used with machines in the clamping force range of 1,300 to 2,400 metric tons – ideal for handling automotive components, white and brown goods, as well as technical parts.  Both the Z axis and the X axis of these two robots are driven by a gear rack. Carriage guidance is assured by an all-purpose high-precision recirculating linear ball bearing system. The vertical drive is transmitted via a combination of gear rack and belt, whereby strokes ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 mm are available.

In order to better serve the booming compact market, Wittmann's 40th anniversary included the world premiere of its new WL80 robot. Previously the W808, with a payload capacity of 3 kg and a horizontal stroke ranging from 1,250 to 2,000 mm, was Wittmann's smallest robot model. The extremely compact WL80 is designed for a payload capacity of up to 2 kg. Integrating the energy chain into the horizontal arm minimizes the space requirement, which is especially advantageous when this unit is operated in protective housings and used in integrated applications. The WL80 is available with a horizontal stroke of 1,200 mm, and therefore perfectly matched to injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 30 to 60 t. The vertical stroke is 700 mm, and the unit can also be equipped with a second vertical axis. In that case, one of the two axes comprises a pneumatic pivot and the other axis is equipped with a pneumatic sprue gripper.  

Also presented was the full spectrum of temperature controllers. The low-cost entry level units of the Tempro primus series feature highly functional plug-and-play operation and are suitable for applications that require both direct and indirect cooling. With its numerous equipment options, the Tempro basic series represents over half of the needs-based production of Wittmann temperature controllers.

Tempro plus D is the name given to the most advanced temperature controller series. These units are conveniently operated via their touchscreen display. The large number of available options makes it possible to adapt the units to the requirements of just about any existing plastic production application. Different pump and heat outputs can be selected. Other options also include cyclical system water replacement, separate cooling and filling, a purge system that combines suction and pressurized air, an automatic pump bypass, and a temperature-controlled cooling water bypass.

Two new conveying units were also on display for the first time. The updated version of the Wittmann central loader with discharge shut-off valve is known as Feedmax basis.  The key features remain the easy cleaning via the vacuum connection that is separate from the canted lid as well as the ability to set the desired conveying time easily via potentiometer. With a capacity of up to 6 l, the Feedmax basic s well suited for use in workcells or when drying hoppers have to be filled with a volume of up to 150 l from a long distance.

     
Another new produt is the G-Max 12 granulator which is a conventional beside-the-press granulator for the grinding of soft to middle hard engineering resins. This granulator is specifically designed for the inline-recycling of sprues coming from injection molding machines with clamping forces of 90 tons or less. This product is especially compact, energy saving, and it is equipped with a unique cutting chamber damper to significantly reduce noise.