KTW-Press Release

Transcription

KTW-Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
Waidhofen an der Thaya, April 2011
High-Speed Clockwork
What do clockworks and multi-cavity injection molds for closures have in common?
The answer is: Not much, yet very much! The main similarity is the necessary
precision with which the individual parts have to work together. But while selfwinding watches consisting of only about 100 individual parts and automatic
winding watches of 150 parts and wind-up or tower clocks with extra features, such
as display of the moon phases, star constellations, or seasons reaching a
maximum of 400 individual parts, there are molds for bottle closures of several
thousand, finely tuned precision parts. Just like watches, they are designed for fast,
cyclic continuous operation. But unlike clockworks, the movement cycle of injection
molds is also additionally superimposed by changing temperature and pressure
loads caused by the injection and subsequent cooling of hot molten plastic. Cavity
quantities of up to 96 cavities and cycle times down to just 2.5 seconds are
absolutely state of the art. This is representative of the closure production as one of
most technically demanding niches of injection molding. The high-performance
demand applies without exception to the overall package of machine, mold, and
infrastructure. The Austrian KTW Group is focused on high-performance injection
molds for container closures and market leader in this specialized field.
If one had to characterize container closures, whether standard screw closures for
beverage bottles or special closures for personal care products, food packaging, or
medication containers, the most frequently mentioned answers would be: There are mass
products with high quality standards and high measurement precision that no doubt
represent innovative plastics applications of the highest degree. Thereby, also the
technical framework for the mold technology of these products is defined. In any case, it's
about high performance. Examples include injection molds for standard soft drink screw
caps with 64 or 96 cavities and a cycle time in the range of only 2.5 to 2.8 seconds (Fig. 1).
The standard applications are complimented to provide multi-component injection molding
in the high-speed version. In this application segment, besides the technical function, the
main focus is on the integration of form and color accents to support the product
marketing. This product category includes a large proportion of flip top and screw closures
from the "Personal Care" range, e.g. shampoo and lotion closures with flap and flip-top
KTW-Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen an der Thaya Ges.m.b.H., A-3830 Waidhofen a. d. Thaya
Tel.: +43 (0) 2842 52861 - 0, Fax: - 130, E-Mail: [email protected] – www.ktw-group.com
High Speed Clockwork - Page 2
functions. In the technical implementation of the mold, an entire team of technical
specialties in a small compass is required, starting with the 2- or 3-component technology,
mostly in the form of the rotating cavity or the cube technique (spin-stack technology) to
the extension with automation equipment, such as devices for closing flap closures in cycle
conformance.
The multi-component technology can also be employed for "in-mold assembly" of
individual parts of different materials. A representative example is the simultaneous
production and assembly of two-part, multi-functional closures for cooking oil bottles in only
one injection mold. In the process, the basic body with the connection to the bottle,
including the pull-tab and integrated spout, is produced on one side of the injection mold
and the cap on the opposite side of the stack mold. With the help of two middle platens
rotating on the horizontal axis, the molded parts are oriented to each other and assembled
in the subsequent closing movement of the mold. (Fig. 2a + b).
Examples of similar complexity are detergent metering and measuring cups in various
shapes and designs, either rotationally symmetrical together with screw cap or a plug-cap
in complete free-form, in one- or two-component design. The latter places especially high
demands on the design and manufacturing precision of the injection molds due to the
"free-form parting plane”. Also in this case of the 2-component design, KTW incorporates
the space-saving spin-stack-mold technology, in which a stack mold is combined with a
turning mechanism combined in the middle platen.
High Performance Available Worldwide
The expectation of a precision watch, rightfully so, is that it displays the same time
worldwide across all of the climate and time zones, likewise, a closure producer is entitled
to expect the same high-performance of its production cell anywhere in the world. This
requires not only a powerful mold and machine technology, but equally important is a
coordinated infrastructure for energy, cooling media, and raw material supply, and not least
a competent maintenance and operations team.
Corresponding to this trend, the Austrian KTW (Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen ad Thaya
GmbH) has upgraded their application technical capacity, actually almost doubled. In 2010
a new test center with an area of 1400 square meters was built and at the end of the trial
operation was officially put into operation on the 28th of April, 2011.
KTW Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen an der Thaya Ges.m.b.H., A-3830 Waidhofen a. d. Thaya
Tel.: +43 (0) 2842 5286 -0, Fax: -130, E-Mail: [email protected] – www.ktw-group.com
Increased Test Capacity
Exclusively for the test operation, eight injection molding machines with clamping force
ranging from 500 to 5,500 kN are currently available. Four of the eight systems are
equipped with two or three injection units. If required, additional injection units are
available, each having the facility of individual drive units and sequence control, which can
be integrated in the control of the individual injection molding machines over the Euromap
67 interface.
Service Program: From pilot mold to “speed fine-tuning”
The core area of the test center is the contribution in applications technology towards
development of closures. This includes, above all, testing of pilot molds under realistic
conditions and cycle times. The resulting findings flow directly into the engineering of the
production molds.
In series production molds, the focus lies in "fine tuning" to optimize performance. This
mainly concerns the analysis and optimization of the demolding phase. For the multi-cavity
injection molds, this means a steady, fast, narrow falling pattern for all molded parts. A highspeed camera is available and used for the analysis of these "trajectories. Its image
sequence provides the basis for remedial action, as required. Similarly, the KTW technicians
use thermal imaging cameras to optimize the flow rates in the multi-channel cooling
systems.
Overall, KTW not only offers tool technology for high-performance injection molding of
container closures, but also the necessary production know-how for operation.
■■■
About KTW:
KTW- Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen an der Thaya GmbH
Founded in 1979, the officially named family business "Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen ad Thaya
GmbH" is currently led in the second generation by the family Ziegler. In the 30 years since its
inception, the company has become a trendsetter and market leader in the development of
closure systems and the manufacture of high-performance injection molds for closures. The total
capacity is made up of 370 tool makers and designers at three production locations. The main
plant, and home to the development and technology center, is located in Waidhofen an der Thaya
in the northern part of Lower Austria. Branch plants are located in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech
Republic and Chemnitz-Grüna, Germany. All three plants have similar machinery and are able to
provide the same technology and performance standards.
Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen an der Thaya GmbH
Brunnerstraße 24,
A-3830 Waidhofen an der Thaya
Tel.: +43 2842 52861
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ktw-group.com
Further Information:
Michael Feltes, KTW-sales manager
E-Mail: [email protected]
Press Contact KTW
Claudia Wallisch
Tel.: +43 2842 52861-114
Editorial Contact:
Dipl.-Ing. Reinhard Bauer – TECHNOKOMM
Figures:
Photo: KTW - Waidhofen an der Thaya - Austria
Fig.1: 96-cavity mold for a 28 mm light cap with tamper band for still mineral water in a
possible cycle time of 2.8 seconds. This corresponds to a production capacity of 123,400
closures per hour!
Photo: KTW - Waidhofen an der Thaya - Austria
Fig.2a+b: 16 +16- cavity injection mold for manufacturing and assembly of upper and lower
components of an oil bottle cap with a cycle time of 8.5 seconds.
Photo: KTW - Waidhofen an der Thaya – Austria
Fig.3a+b: Example from the realm of "non-standard" closures; this example of a stackinjection mold with a "KTW-Cube" as the middle platen for producing a detergent
measuring cup in 2-component design.

KTW-Press Release

Transcription

Similar documents

Ausgabe Dezember 2008 - "Post und Energie" eG

Hydron Servo Brochure