World premiere: WITTMANN BETTANFELD to present new EcoPower DC technology at Fakuma

At Fakuma 2023, WITTMANN BETTANFELD will present for the first time its new conceptual machine model EcoPower DC, which draws its power supply solely from a battery as DC voltage source. Another highlight exhibit of the manufacturer at the trade show will be the new EcoPower B8X, an injection molding machine with minimal energy consumption.

EcoPower DC with direct current as energy source

WITTMANN BETTANFELD has investigated on how the direct current generated by solar cells can be used effectively for running injection molding equipment directly without first passing through inverters. Such conceptual study about this subject was presented for the first time at K 2022.

At Fakuma, this technology will be demonstrated on an EcoPower 180/750+ B8X. With a single-cavity mold from the Austrian company Kunststofftechnik Grabher, a drainage body will be manufactured from polypropylene. The part will be removed by a modified WX142 robot in DC version from WITTMANN, which draws its power supply directly from the interim DC voltage circuit of the EcoPower. It also returns any surplus energy to the interim circuit whenever the axes are delayed.

To enable a live presentation of the DC technology, the machine remains disconnected from the mains network of the exhibition hall and is powered independently via a solar power storage battery consisting of ultra-modern, ecological salt battery technology supplied by Innovenergy. The battery has a total capacity of over 45 kWh, which is more than sufficient for continuous machine operation throughout the 8-hour trade fair day.

New EcoPower B8X offers greater energy efficiency

WITTMANN BETTANFELD will also present its new EcoPower B8X for the first time at the fairgrounds. The new version offers several advantages with a further reduction of its energy consumption compared to its predecessor.

EcoPower 110/350 B8X.

The new injection unit is pivotable and oil-lubricated instead of grease-lubricated, which reduces mechanical resistance, thus leading to an improvement in the machine’s dynamism. With a range of additional injection unit sizes, this has a positive effect on the energy balance.

The design of the toggle lever has been optimized in terms of dynamism and service life. The faster injection units with the highly dynamic toggle lever enable extremely short cycle times.

The B8X control system comes with several system components developed in-house. These enable a higher internal clock frequency, consequently shorter response times to sensor signals, and thus a higher reproducibility of parts, with smooth operation and familiar visualization remaining unchanged.

The new EcoPower B8X’s functionality will be demonstrated on an EcoPower 110/350 B8X in combination with the new WITTMANN sprue picker model WX90, designed as an insider cell with an integrated parts chute and an S-Max screenless granulator, plus a WFC120 flow controller.

With this production cell, a bracket for a climbing net will be produced using an 8-cavity mold supplied by Lechner. The sprue will be removed and transported directly into the granulator integrated in the machine, by the WX90, which is also integrated in the B8X control system. There it is ground and subsequently returned to the process.

The new EcoPower B8X will be available to the European market in clamping force sizes from 550 to 1800 kN from Fakuma 2023 onwards.

SmartPrimus with high-tech automation equipment in digital network

WITTMANN BETTANFELD will demonstrate its expertise in digitization and automation at Fakuma by producing a spirit level on a machine of the SmartPrimus series with the new B8X control system.

SmartPrimus 90 production cell.

On a SmartPrimus 90/350 equipped with the CMS Lite conditioning monitoring system and an automation cell designed and manufactured by WITTMANN BATTENFELD Deutschland, a spirit level made of ABS is produced with a 1+1-cavity mold supplied by SOLA, Austria.

As the first production step, the top and bottom parts of the spirit level housing are injection molded. The top part is then deposited and printed at a laser station. At the same time, the bottom part placed on a tray is fitted with vials from SOLA.

Next, the top part is pressed onto the bottom part by a pre-set force. The finished parts are then transported to a testing station, where the positioning of the vials is checked by a vision system. After quality inspection, the finished spirit levels are removed and deposited on a conveyor belt by a WX138 robot from WITTMANN.

Liquid silicone processing with MicroPower LIM

MicroPower, a machine for injection-molding micro parts, is also very energy efficient due to its design, as are the auxiliaries specially tailored to match this machine.

The rotary disk and single-cavity mold from Starlim.

At Fakuma, WITTMANN BETTANFELD will demonstrate its liquid silicone processing expertise on a MicroPower 15/10H/10H Combimould. The LSR application is the production of a membrane for an upmarket micro loudspeaker made of thermoplastic and liquid silicone, using only a single-cavity mold supplied by Starlim Spritzguss.

Energy measurement with IMAGOxt software

On every machine at the company booth, an energy measurement will be carried out using the IMAGOxt software.

IMAGOxt interface.

IMAGOxt is a proprietary development from WITTMANN Digital Srl. The software provides scalable display and visualization of the energy consumptions of the machines and equipment connected. It also calculates directly the CO2 consumption and energy savings already realized. All values calculated can be documented in reports which allow long-term analyses.

This program is available as a web application either in the form of an optional extension to the TEMI+ MES program from WITTMANN or as a stand-alone program.