TECHNOLOGY | MACHINERY PROFILE EXTRUSION Reliefed signs cooperation with Polestar
Reliefed Technologies – which is devel- oping battery components for electric cars using a new ‘3D extrusion’ process – has brought car maker Polestar on board as a partner. The company’s ‘Z-trusion’ technol- ogy can upgrade standard extrusion lines by adding the ability to impart 3D features onto a profile. In this example, it is developing a battery pack with cooling fins in a single extrusion process. The project will use Ztrusion to
improve thermal management, structural behaviour and economical
ANCILLARIES
Manufacturing execution systems help cut energy
BMSvision showcased a number of its manufactur- ing execution systems at the recent Fakuma exhibition in Germany. Its EnergyMaster system
makes energy flows transparent and relates the exact energy cost to each product. In this way, excessive consumptions or low e-KPIs can be auto- matically
detected and reported in real time. The system is BAFA-ap- proved in Germany, meaning 30-40% of the investment can be subsi- dised, said the company. In addition, its Plant- Master system monitors production machines and processes in real time,
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production of future battery compo- nents, says the company. “We are confident that this collabo-
ration will yield significant advance- ments in the field of batteries, and look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead,” said Marcus Berggren, CTO at Reliefed.
In a separate project, Reliefed is developing a bipolar fuel cell plate using the technology – which it hopes to complete by the end of this year. The production method allows unique flow patterns to be designed on both sides of the fuel cell plate – which can
then be manufactured in one produc- tion step. Performance of the plates has been simulated using computa- tional fluid dynamics (CFD) – allowing the company to design flow channels on the gas and cooling sides of the plates. Bipolar fuel cell plates are typically made using methods such as hot compression and injection moulding. The plate is likely to be made from a polymer base – with potential to use some recyclate – that is filled with a carbon powder. �
www.ztrusion.tech
MIXING
Foaming solutions
providing
managers with useful informa- tion. The digitali-
sation of the factory improves efficiency,
profitability and competi- tiveness without a loss of quality, it says. The company also showed a solution for big data analytics called BI Connect. The cloud-based system is easy to use and can be customised to
PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | November/December 2023
analyse data trends. It also offers mobile solutions through its MyMES app, which pushes alarm messages through to users in real time. The Smart Bracelet is a wearable device that tells operators when a machine interven- tion is needed. A new version of Web-
DU, which is typically used as a group terminal, was also showcased at the event. �
www.bmsvision.com
cut costs At Fakuma, Promix Solutions presented ways of mixing, foaming and cooling polymer melts. Its aim was to cut raw material costs, reduce carbon footprint and raise production capacity. For instance, its P1 cooling mix technology can be used to improve mechanical properties and reduce densities of light foams such as XPS, XPP, XPE, XPET. It showed solutions for efficient cooling or tempering of viscous media and for inline viscosity measure- ment.
It also showcased its
Microcell technology, which creates a microcel- lular foam structure in the polymer by adding atmospheric gases. �
www.promix-solutions.com
www.pipeandprofile.com
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