Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 30

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tmann Technology. The trade
fair highlight, however, is an
EcoPower equipped with the
new B8X control system and
operating with direct current
generated from sources of renewable
energy. Wittmann Battenfeld,
together with its customer
WAGO, have developed
technology - and applied for a
joint patent - that enables the
continuous current generated
by solar cells to be used directly
for driving injection moulding
lines, without loss due to having
to pass through inverters,
transformers and high-voltage
power lines. On an EcoPower
180/750+ operating with direct
current, a part for the customer's
'basic clamp' is produced
from flame-retardant polyamide
with a 24-cavity mould supplied
by WAGO. The parts are
removed by a modified WX142
robot from Wittmann in a DC
version powered directly via the
intermediate DC circuit of the
EcoPower, and which also returns
any excess energy set free
by axis deceleration to the intermediate
circuit. This concept
not only enables energy costs
to be kept down by direct use of
solar electricity, but direct current
is also easy to store in conventional
batteries, thus providing
an excellent way to handle
current peaks. If necessary, the
machine can be changed over
to AC operation.
Nissei and Negri Bossi will be
exhibiting together (in hall 15,
stand B22) for the first time
at a major event since the Italian
machinery manufacturer
joined the Nissei Group in January
2020. That move added
large-tonnage injection moulding
machines and a greater
geographic reach to Nissei's
product line and allowed the
businesses to share supply
chains and production bases.
Nissei will debut an all-new
all-electric machine, intended
as a flagship model, to be sold
in Europe. The companies also
plan to expand on the PLA
bioresin moulding package
introduced at K 2019, where
Nissei moulded long-stemmed
thin-wall transparent PLA
champagne flutes; and exhibit
a solution to meet the rapidly
shifting demands relating to
electric vehicles.
Arburg, whose motto at K this
year is " There is only a Plan A " ,
is emphasising its commitment
to addressing the fundamental
and critical issues of sustainability,
the circular economy
and carbon reduction. At its
stand (hall 13, A13-1) and the
arburgGREENworld pavilion
in the VDMA Circular Economy
Forum, the company is demonstrating
how highly networked,
digitalised manufacturing helps
to conserve resources and increase
production efficiency.
The arburgGREENworld pavilion
offers insights both into
Arburg's own efforts, within the
company to conserve resources
and into what its products do
for customers. Here, an electric
Allrounder 370 A with recyclate
package will produce " Greenline "
plugs from Fischer.
The main stand will showcase
Arburg technologies that
enable sustainable, efficient
manufacturing. Exhibits will
include solutions with a small
footprint, process control and
networked peripherals, as well
as completely new technologies,
configurations with compact
automation or the series
production of mass-produced
articles. A total of eight hydraulic,
hybrid and electric Allrounders
with a clamping force
of between 350 and 6,500 kN
and two Freeformers for industrial
additive manufacturing
will be on show. All injection
moulding machines will be automated
with robotic systems,
in some cases integrated into
complex turnkey systems and
connected to the " arburgXworld "
customer portal.
Nissei's NEX30Ⅳ-1EN1 33-ton micromoulding machine
will be among the machines on display at K2022.
An electric Allrounder 370
A with recyclate package
produces " Greenline "
plugs from Fischer at
the arburgGREENworld
pavilion in the VDMA
Circular Economy Forum.
Extrusion highlights this year
include energy-efficient technologies
from Coperion and
Coperion K-Tron (hall 14,
stand B19) for processing, and
a dedicated area for plastics recycling
developments.
Coperion will be exhibiting an
entire production line for recycling
polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) at the VDMA's Circular
Economy Forum (CE09) as
well as its expertise in numerous
plastics recycling processes
such as chemical recycling,
multilayer film recycling, and
upcycling. Its ZS-B MEGAfeed
side feeder that enables plastic
film and flake recycling in very
30
September/October 2022
high throughput dimensions
will be featured in the system,
which is built around a ZSK
58 Mc18 twin screw extruder
configured for manufacturing
high-quality PET based on recycled
materials. Conventional
technologies for recycling
PET require the pre-drying and
crystallisation of flakes and fibres
before they can be re-processed.
Using Coperion's technological
process solution, PET
recyclate can be introduced
directly into the ZSK extruder.
The MEGAfeed enables plastic
recyclate with a bulk density
under 200 kg/m3 to be fed in
large quantities into the ZSK
twin screw extruder. Melting,
intensive devolatilisation, and
complete homogenisation occur
in the process section of
the ZSK 58 Mc18; the material
stream is then transferred via
a gear pump and filter with an
automatic screen pack changer
to an underwater pelletiser
for pellet production, and then
condensed in the SSP (Solid
State Polycondensation) reactor.
The high quality of recycled
PET manufactured using this
innovative Coperion process
was approved by the FDA for
direct contact with food (letter
of non-objection).
One eye catcher at the Coperion
Booth B19 in Hall 14 will
be the high-performance ZSK
Mc18 extruder with a 70 mm
screw diameter. With its high
specific torque of 18 Nm/cm3,
it is especially suited for efficient
compounding of plastics
at very high throughput rates
yet a comparatively low energy
consumption.
Davis-Standard will exhibit
machinery and process solutions
that highlight the company's
commitment to 'value,
innovation, and sustainability'
in hall 16, stand A43. Technology
will be displayed from the
Davis-Standard family of companies,
including Davis-Standard,
Maillefer, Brampton
Engineering, Deacro and
Thermoforming Systems
LLC (TSL). The focus is on
the circular economy, energy
efficiency, reducing power
consumption and minimising
waste. A live demonstration
of smart factory connectivity
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