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– The Automotive Center Südwestfalen opened in July
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(Munich, July 24, 2013) North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Garrelt Duin, officially opened the new Automotive Center Südwestfalen (ACS) on July 9, 2013 in an event attended by 350 guests. The minister also put a state-of-the-art injection molding compounder from KraussMaffei into operation as part of the ceremony. The Munich-based plastics machine manufacturer beat out the international competition in a tender process held throughout Europe.
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Promoting the transfer of knowledge between business and higher education
The ACS was created as a joint venture of universities and municipalities throughout the region as well as the automotive supplier industry. It was founded with the goal of driving the transfer of knowledge, particularly in relation to weight reduction in automaking. This applies to entirely new vehicle concepts as well as the use of alternative materials and new material combinations. To achieve this goal, the ACS provides cutting-edge infrastructure, machines, software and personnel for projects and studies dedicated to issues involving a car’s body, chassis and manufacturing process for lightweight automotive construction. Extruding and injection molding in one working step
A KraussMaffei injection molding compounder (IMC) provides the most important part of the new collection of machinery in the ACS. More than any other, this technology represents innovation and cost-effectiveness among plastics technology. The combination consists of an extruder and injection molding machine, provide a battery of advantages that are particularly crucial for development projects. The injection molding compounder enables a reduction in material costs and provides increased flexibility due to the fact compounds can be manufactured on a case-by-case basis: An important aspect for development projects. The IMC delivers outstanding melt homogeneity and mixing efficiency, in addition to high injection volume and optimal part quality. This stems from the one-step work process featuring the combination of a unidirectional twin-screw extruder from KraussMaffei Berstorff for plasticizing melt and a piston for the injection process. This enables the manufacture of components with any mix of filler, reinforcement and substitution materials. State-of-the-art technology for flexible use
The MX 1300-14000 IMC with bolt-on BO-L 4300 unit and MC5 Touch control system now installed in the ACS is also outfitted with an industrial robot for handling parts. The individual raw materials are prepared via a gravimetric weighing, dosing and conveying device, meaning each material formula can be fed into the extruder with exacting precision during continuous operation. The plasticized and homogenized material moves into the barrel of the injection unit via a heated runner. The IMC features the proven KraussMaffei twin-platen clamping unit, which has a very compact design and works to ensure molds last a long time. The ACS’s decision to use an injection molding compounder reaffirms KraussMaffei’s excellent reputation with multi-component techniques, automation and, not to be forgotten, cross-process direct compounding.
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