TECHNOLOGY | SMART FUNCTIONS
Above: Cleanroom production at Helvoet in the Netherlands. The company specialises in precision injection moulded products and uses all-electric E-mac injection moulding machines by Engel
intensive process, which means that it is infrequent- ly performed in many plants and that quality problems and unplanned system shutdowns repeatedly occur. Systematic use of machine data offers the opportunity to reduce maintenance costs and boost machine availability. Engel adds that
E-connect.monitor is the only system on the market that allows the screw condition to be assessed without dismantling the plasticising unit. Based on the latest sensor technology, Engel has developed a measuring system that can be installed easily on the outside of the barrel. It relies on ultrasound to assess the condition of the plasticis- ing screw through the barrel wall and the molten plastic. The distance between the screw flight and the barrel liner, which increases with increasing production time, is measured. If the gap becomes too large, process fluctuations occur, and this can lead to quality problems with the part. The meas- urement is performed by an Engel service techni- cian and takes just a few minutes to collect the data. The measurement results are transferred to Engel via a secure data link, where they are automatically evaluated and interpreted with the aid of specially developed mathematical models. The processor can discover the results of the evaluation at any time via the Engel E-connect customer portal. If the screw condition is checked at regular intervals, the maintenance department can evaluate the wear trend enabling the next screw replacement to be planned in a precise way. This means that system downtime can be kept to a minimum while making optimum use of the screw service life. For three- zone screws, the
E-connect.monitor is already a reality in practical applications. Barrier screws pose special requirements for the analysis technology due to the complexity of the screw geometry, the different pitches of the flights and the wide range of variants of this screw type. They require a propri- etary algorithm, which Engel has now developed.
44 INJECTION WORLD | October 2020
Barrier screws are mainly used on large ma- chines and in applications with a high material throughput in 24/7 operation. Unscheduled machine downtime is particularly critical, especially since an interruption in operation for the removal and evaluation of the plasticising screw on a large machine can sometimes take two workdays. Engel says that
E-connect.monitor offers a far faster solution. In the long term, regular condition monitoring supports process optimisation. Evaluat- ing the wear parameters makes it possible to identify critical process settings that accelerate wear and avoid these settings in the future by making appropriate process adjustments. In addition to the module for plasticising screws, Engel offers
E-connect.monitor modules for three other critical machine components: hydraulic pumps, the hydraulic oil and ball screws in high- performance electric machines.
Virtual visits During the current Covid-19 pandemic, the company has been involved in digital process optimisation with Netherlands-based Helvoet Rubber & Plastic Technologies through virtual site visits. Using smart tools and services, Engel has assisted Helvoet to master process optimisation tasks via E-connect.24 and Skype to overcome contact prohibitions. Filmed images of moulded parts were encrypted and transmitted securely between Engel headquarters in Schwertberg, Austria and its subsidiary in Houten, Netherlands, as well as Helvoet’s Tilburg facility. Helvoet specialises in high-precision injection moulded parts for medical technology, diagnostics and other applications. In collaboration with Engel, Jeroen Molenschot, Development Manager at Helvoet, carried out a mould and process optimisa- tion procedure for a diagnostics product: a lab-on-a-chip product that poses the highest demands on the precision and consistency of the injection moulding process. Helvoet is a member of the Flow Alliance, an association of experts in the field of microfluidics. Helvoet’s customer expected the component to be optimised in good time: typical daily work for a plastics processor used to producing highly complex components and assemblies where the interaction between mould and injection moulding machine has to go to the limits of what is technically possible. The product has been under development in Tilburg for several years. Now a technical revamp had to be implemented. Digital solutions were prompted by the pan- demic and the schedule threatened to collapse,
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IMAGE: ENGEL
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