Maximum design freedom – proven technology included

The SmartPower series has already proven itself in thousands of installations and has been used by WITTMANN BATTENFELD customers for decades. During this time, the technology has been continuously adapted and optimized. The result is a robust and reliable basic machine that can be tailored to the customers' requirements. The "Drive-on-Demand" drive makes it possible to work in a particularly energy-efficient manner and thus keep the CO² footprint low. This is achieved, among other things, by activating the drive unit only when movements and pressure generation require it. The SmartPower machine series is also particularly economical in terms of other resources. A maximum amount of energy is saved thanks to the patented KERS technology, which optimizes the use and utilization of braking energy for control and heating.

What the SmartPower has to offer in terms of modern multi-component technology is demonstrated by the SmartPower Combimould 240/750H/210S, which produces the housing of the R9 Teachbox robot controller, a hard-soft composite, with a 1+1-cavity mold from ASA/PC Blend and TPU.

The best Combimould process technology for this application is the transfer process. The transfer technique enables cost-effective production of multi-component parts, especially for small series, and has the advantage of a simpler mold technology. The pre-molded part, in this case the frame of the housing, is transferred to the 2nd station by a WITTMANN linear robot. At this stage, the frame is overmolded with the TPU material for a more pleasant haptic feel. As is the case with WITTMANN auxiliaries, the robot of course is integrated into the Unilog B8 machine control system for centralized and simple operation. 

The WITTMANN BATTENFELD Combimould technology, with its wide range of combination options, offers flexible solutions that are optimally tailored to each individual customer-specific application. For example, one has a choice of aggregate combinations, from the horizontal main aggregate with additional aggregates in V- (vertical), L- (horizontal on the rear side of the machine) and S- position ("slanted" or "piggyback") to the H-H aggregate position. The process technologies, such as the rotary unit process, the index plate process, the transfer process or the valve gate retraction process, can also be precisely matched to the application. The servo-electric rotary units and index plate drives, designed for any machine size, are also supplied by WITTMANN BATTENFELD. The complete integration of these rotary drives into the machine control system enables one hundred percent monitoring throughout the entire cycle, thus ensuring reliable production. The production of multi-part assemblies from different materials in a single operation also has economic advantages, above all, as it eliminates subsequent steps such as assembly, screwing and gluing. Furthermore, it reduces the susceptibility to errors to a minimum. This means that even complex components can be produced efficiently in high volumes in a single work step. 
 

Edmund Kirsch, Product Expert at WITTMANN BATTENFELD Kottingbrunn