What is "Action Plan: Energy" launched by Arburg all about?

Arburg stated that anyone who wants to make significant energy savings in their injection molding parts production can receive specific and comprehensive advice and training from Arburg as part of its "Action Plan: Energy".

After a kick-off via video conference, the experts go to the customer's premises, where they follow a 5-step plan. In order to obtain meaningful data, step 1 is to determine the energy requirement in a real production environment. For example, measuring power and compressed air leakages can reveal potential energy guzzlers.

The measurement data is used for subsequent advice on process optimization directly at the machine. This is followed by new measurements to evaluate the success of these measures.

In step 2, the machine fleet is classified and individual retrofits are considered. Step 3 comprises process and cycle time optimizations with the aim of increasing output and reducing specific energy requirements. In steps 4 and 5, the experts deal with the "dos and don'ts" of molds and peripheral equipment.

At the end of the action plan, there is a detailed consultation and a final discussion with the customer, who is given an individual list of measures with all the information and specific recommendations on suitable retrofits, digital solutions and, depending on the region, the use of possible subsidies.

Arburg offers special courses on energy efficiency at its Training Center in Lossburg as well as directly at the customer's premises. The company can also provide documented and traceable consumption measurements for new machines for businesses that require detailed energy data for certification.

It is introduced that this service has three components:

• Basic: Measurement of the energy requirement in the operating phase of the Arburg injection molding machine and robotic system

• Extended: In addition to the operating phase, the energy requirement in the start-up and cooling phases is determined, including peripheral devices

• Complete: Additional measurement of water and compressed air consumption, flow rate and cooling capacity

Existing Allrounder injection molding machines of all sizes and series can also be retrofitted to optimize their energy use. Depending on the application, it may be worthwhile to fully insulate the cylinder, which ensures that process heat losses are minimized and heating is fast.

With this measure, the energy requirement in relation to heating energy can be reduced by up to 40%, depending on the process. For machines made in 2011 or earlier (with IE1 and older motors), an upgrade with energy-efficient air- and water-cooled IE3 motors can save up to 10% of energy, which means a return on investment (ROI) of only 1.5 to 2 years, depending on the machine.

Besides, digital products and features help make production processes more energy efficient and create transparency – at any time and around the clock. The arburgXworld customer portal plays an important role here.

New features in the "MachineCenter" app include energy labels: each Allrounder is assigned to one of three energy efficiency classes. In addition, its carbon footprint is displayed from the creation phase to delivery to the customer.

In addition, the host computer system ALS makes a significant contribution to increasing the production and energy efficiency of machines and systems. Arburg's proprietary manufacturing execution system (MES) allows users to digitally plan and control their entire plastic parts production process and track all relevant information.

Mobile ALS functions enable resource-saving paperless production. Their energy requirements can be visualized and evaluated via ALS. In the information and machine terminal, the total energy requirement of the current job, the energy requirement per 15 minutes or the average output per 15 minutes can be displayed.