Sustainability

Energy efficiency is a concern to which both WITTMANN and WITTMANN BATTENFELD, a member of the WITTMANN group since 2008, have always paid special attention. BATTENFELD already developed its first all-electric injection molding machine in the 1990s, which was followed in 1994 by a speed-controlled drive system with a fixed displacement pump and motor cut-off during long holding pressure phases. Shortly afterwards, all of the large machines from the hydraulic HM series were also equipped with delivery pumps instead of the storage technology which was then in common use. With the product launch of the PowerSeries in 2010, WITTMANN BATTENFELD has brought machinery to the market whose energy consumption values have set new benchmarks in the industry. For example, all machines with hydraulic drives are equipped with servo drive technology in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency.

The all-electric machines of the EcoPower series come with extremely efficient servo-mechanical drive shafts. Moreover, the EcoPower is equipped with a KERS system to utilize the kinetic deceleration energy of  the opening and closing strokes directly within the machine for barrel heating and to provide the necessary voltage for the control system. The result is the highest possible degree of energy efficiency which can be achieved with today’s technological means.

But ultra-modern process technologies also contribute substantially to reducing customers’ consumption of energy and material resources. To promote a comprehensive approach to saving resources in plastics injection molding, workshops are conducted with processors to enable them to implement the entire process from material preparation and conveyance to actual processing in order to reach the highest possible level of energy and production efficiency.

Moreover, the use of resource-saving manufacturing processes is a top priority at WITTMANN. The company builds new production facilities and remodels existing ones invariably with the objective of optimizing energy management.

The WITTMANN group prides itself on its dedicated and highly qualified staff, and longevity within the company.

Well-qualified technical staff are a resource which is becoming scarcer these days. This is why training young people to become expert specialists has assumed vital importance. So an extensive internship training program has been in place for many years to secure young expert personnel for the future. The training program covers a great variety of occupations in the technical sector as well as in business administration. This ensures that the high quality standard WITTMANN sets for itself can also be maintained in times to come.

In addition to its corporate training program, the WITTMANN group actively supports schools and universities by providing them with machines on loan, to give future plastics processing and mechanical engineers an opportunity to learn with state-of-the-art equipment.

Another major concern for WITTMANN is to create optimal plastics processing solutions for industries with a promising future, in order to promote new developments which will benefit society as a whole in areas such as medical technology, electronics, automotive engineering and other industries requiring highly developed technology.

With its MicroPower, for example, WITTMANN BATTENFELD already offers a machine model which has been optimized in terms of both energy efficiency and cost efficiency to meet the rapidly growing demand for small and micro parts in medical technology and electronics. Moreover, the company makes a vital contribution to long-term saving of resources in production with its process for making light-weight components with significantly reduced material consumption. The focus on this goal will be maintained und even strengthened in future.

In the interest of sustainable product development, the WITTMANN group continuously cooperates with universities and research institutes in specific projects to make sure that the latest findings from research and development are incorporated in its own product development. In this way, it regularly provides the best possible solutions for its customers with a harmonious combination of ecological and economic aspects in view.

Sustainability – practiced for decades and a top priority for the future – is something the WITTMANN group is concerned about: to protect the environment and our resources, and to benefit everyone.