Wittmann: Fakuma 2009 an all-round success for the whole group

The Wittmann group’s success was complete at this year’s Fakuma. With the first combined exhibition of the injection molding machinery and peripheral equipment sectors, the turnkey solution supplier impressively illustrated its slogan of “Everything from a single source”. The premiere of the new allelectric EcoPower machine series became one of the exhibition highlights at Friedrichshafen.

From the very first day of Fakuma 2009, the Wittmann group experienced a lively stream of visitors to its booth. After all, there was quite a lot for trade visitors to see, with innumerable product presentations and a great wealth of innovation. Their interest mainly focused on the premiere of the highly efficient, energy-saving allelectric EcoPower machine series, which particularly impressed the numerous visitors.

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Dr. Werner Wittmann, owner of the Wittmann group, looks back on a successful trade fair presentation: “This Fakuma was an all-round success for us. Thanks to our new positioning as a supplier of turnkey solutions and a consistent innovation policy, we have won a great deal of trust from processors. Several visitors were so enthusiastic about the new EcoPower that they decided to buy it on the spot.”

Not only the new EcoPower series found its buyers at the fair. Numerous contracts were also concluded for other injection molding machine models, robots and other peripheral equipment. “After many months of extremely modest investments, many processors were ready once more to go for state-of-the-art, highly efficient products in order to secure a competitive advantage”, Hans Hunsicker, Sales Manager of the Wittmann group in Germany, sums up.

Apart from many ingenious technical details, the all-electric EcoPower machine series became the talk of the fair for yet another reason. A great variety of peripheral equipment - such as temperature controllers and dryers - can not only be integrated into the machine’s control system, but also fitted into the machine frame and connected with it, which is an extremely space-saving solution and an absolute world novelty. The integration of Wittmann robots from the W8 series into the Battenfeld B6 machine control system has already been possible for a considerable time. The B6 control system thus assumes the function of a single command center from which all appliances connected to the system can be easily visualized and operated. In the area of multi-component technology, the wealth of expertise acquired by Wittmann and Wittmann Battenfeld over many years was also convincingly presented. The production of 2-component sealing elements for the BMW Mini Cooper was demonstrated on a Battenfeld HM MK 240/1330H/210S injection molding machine.

Furthermore, a Battenfeld TM Xpress 210/1350 combined with a Wittmann W727 C IML automation system manufactured a 1,150 ml bucket in just 5.5 seconds. The high-speed series, presented for the first time at last year’s Fakuma, has meanwhile become well established on the market.

In addition to complete production cells, the Wittmann group had various robots and appliances from its extensive range of peripheral equipment on display. For example, the robots from the W8 series showed the efficiency of the R8 control system by demonstrating their real time functions SmartRemoval, EcoMode, PartTrack and SoftTorque. The new SoftTorque function controls the switchover of individual robot axes to torque control. For example, this allows the finished parts to be pressed into the gripper with the help of the ejector for removal, with the demolding axis balancing out the force applied in the opposite direction. Another application is found in manual processes, where the force applied is limited in order to prevent damage from collision with the tie-bars.

Novelties in the area of peripheral equipment included the intelligent WFC flow regulator, which is capable of touchless monitoring of up to eight zones; moreover, the GRAVIMAX gravimetric dosing system with RTLS real time metering, as well as central granulators with newly developed vertical dosing screws and energy-efficient material dryers from the DRYMAX series.

Photo: At the Fakuma 2009, the energy-saving EcoPower series celebrated a successful premiere.

More Information: www.wittmann-group.com

Wittmann Robot Systeme GmbH, Groß-Umstadt, Germany

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