The newest all-electric fully-automated injection moulding cell from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is delivering pioneering and repeatable results on over 4,000 test settings a year at the Injection Moulding & Extrusion Pilot Plant of BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Pooling their engineering competences and technological resources, BASF’s Performance Materials division in collaboration with Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and H + S Automatisierung have created an innovative manufacturing cell to produce a wide range of different test specimens for the product development and research activities of thermoplastic polymers and compounds.

Taking centre stage in the cell is Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s ultra-precise IntElect 1000 kN injection moulding machine. Selected for its compact design, energy efficiency and repeatability, the team of 30 research operatives at the facility have also welcomed the IntElect’s enhanced welfare and safety features. Among them progressive solutions to automate mould changes and low noise emissions combined with fully-digitised robotic processing solutions.

For operative safety and efficiency, a linear SDR 5-35S robot serves two purposes. A new feature is fully automating the selection and placement one of 12 interchangeable mould inserts from a magazine located within the cell. After the part is moulded, the same robot fitted with a multifunctional gripper, gently extracts the test specimen from the mould and passes it to the small six-axis articulated-arm Yaskawa GP8 robot for precise cut of the specimens from the gate using a servo spindle drive punching machine.

Integrating BASF’s existing mould insert concept and special features into the injection unit, the installation also includes an existing thermal temperature control unit and a new digital Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to map each test sequence.

Reinhard Jakobi, Head of Performance Materials Processing at BASF, describes the project as an achievement of advanced engineering combining mature technology with state-of-the-art automation and moulding precision. He credits the dedication, flexibility and solutions orientated approach of the entire team to the delivery of such a pioneering project.

Angelika Homes, Senior Project Engineer at BASF expands: “Although we have extensive experience collaborating with the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag team producing standard test parts, from the outset all of the partners had the courage to deviate from previous concepts and break new ground. Despite the complexity of the project, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and H + S delivered an innovative production cell design in a much smaller energy and spatial footprint.”

Many of the specimens processed at BASF’s technical centre are high temperature thermoplastics, fibre reinforced and often flame retardant. Consequently, melt temperatures can reach up to 400°C with mould temperatures hitting up to 180°C.

Being a pilot centre, the BASF research team typically sets up 20 test settings daily on this machine. That means the control program of the cell has to be adapted to different materials, sample geometries, temperatures and processing parameters. Every single setting that runs is recorded and documented digitally.

Angelika Homes comments: “Unlike our former MES systems, this one logs every single aspect of a trial and the results, giving us insight for every single shot. This data is extremely valuable as it represents the entire processing sequence and enables us to draw deeper conclusions about how materials perform under certain conditions and how a customer might later process it.”