TECHNOLOGY | DIGITAL MOULDING


Right: The Gestica control system incorporates all of Arburg’s experience in the develop- ment of hardware and software. The easy-to-use platform is now establishing itself as a “seal of quality” for high-tech injection moulding machines


growth in the amount of equipment that is being shipped with Smart Service monitoring contracts as well as install base equipment which is now moving under 24/7 proactive ‘We Call You’ monitoring.” In response to this, Husky has established six global Advantage+Elite Monitoring Centres. Husky has a dedicated team responsible for developing Smart monitoring capabilities. “The current level of Smart monitoring is based on developing capability to address the biggest reasons for losses in efficiency,” says Kinson. “We expect this development to continue in the future as those monitoring capabilities develop to increase levels of predictivity to prevent emergencies and to optimize preventive maintenance activities.” In the run-up to the Fakuma exhibition in


Friedrichshafen, Germany in October, Arburg has unveiled the latest version of its Gestica control system, which was launched in 2016 as the “control system of the future,” replacing Selogica. Guido Frohnhaus, Managing Director Technology and Engineering, says Arburg has made detailed improvements to navigation and to the sequence editor in particular. Multilift and six-axis robotic systems can be fully integrated into the system. “Our strategic approach is to ensure that the machine ‘knows’ its environment – which results in unique assistance functions,” says Frohnhaus. For example, Gestica 2021 has new aXw Control features CycleAssist, and EnergyAssist, which complement two existing ones, FillAssist and MeltAssist (see feature on smart functions in Injection World October 2020). With the new aXw Control CycleAssist, the


control system knows the programmed cycle sequence: it graphically compares the current times of each cycle step with previously defined


reference values. Unproductive time segments can be displayed with a click – making high productivity programmable in advance. The EnergyAssist feature knows when produc- tion is scheduled to start and when it will end, so that heating up or deactivation of the cylinder module and mould can be controlled automatically. Another set of “pilot” features provide adaptive


process control and regulation. For example, aXw Control ScrewPilot ensures a stable filling process by regulating the position of the screw, while PressurePilot, with what Arburg calls “bionically optimised” pressure control, makes mould filling more consistent. ReferencePilot controls the holding pressure curve in real time via a pressure sensor in the mould. The control unit has two separate computers for


operation and process control, including Multicore technology. As well as great operational reliability, this also provides the best possible protection against unauthorised external access, Arburg says. “In addition, because Gestica has a closed operating


Yizumi goes for automated production


Yizumi has been putting into operation an automated trolley wheel production line at its own injection machine manufac- turing workshop. From material feeding to injection moulding, insert conveying and inserting, product picking up, packing and placing, warehousing, and beyond, the entire production process runs automatically. The wheels will be used as an assembly unit for injection moulding machines, eliminating the need for external procurement. “This all-new production automation solution integrates the self-developed mould design, injection moulding machine, non-standard automatic equipment, and MES system to form a data- and information-driven, standardized automated production system,” says Yizumi.


30 INJECTION WORLD | October 2021 www.injectionworld.com


IMAGE: YIZUMI


IMAGE: ARBURG


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