Industry 4.0 in Plastics: What Molders Need to Know

While many think the future is far away, the Plastics Technology team is already preparing for NPE2018, the world’s largest plastics trade show in Orlando, Fla. (May 7‑11). Our early research shows one thing is clear: the biggest buzz will come from the wave of technological innovation known as Industry 4.0, the Smart Factory, or the Internet of Things.

Industry 4.0 is already reshaping European production lines. In Germany, the VDMA (German Machinery Association) is leading the development of new machine‑to‑machine and machine‑to‑central computer communication protocols. Although most plastics machinery in the U.S. is European‑derived, the concept still feels foreign to many American molders.

“Molders here are more at the stage of ‘What is it, and why do I need it?’ They want to know how much change it will bring, what it will cost, and how they will benefit,” says David Preusse, president of Wittmann Battenfeld, Inc., Torrington, Conn.

Jim Healy, vice‑president of sales and marketing at Sepro America, agrees. “The Industry 4.0 banner will fly over many booths, but U.S. visitors are mainly curious. They’re on a fact‑finding mission to learn what it means for them.” He adds that while robots have been part of Industry 4.0 for years—thanks to standardized control protocols—true connectivity extends beyond a single machine to entire automation cells, including molding machines, robots, insert feeders, secondary robots, end‑of‑arm tooling, in‑mold sensors, vision systems, post‑mold handling, inspection, finishing, stacking, and packing.

Preusse predicts that Industry 4.0 will be the dominant theme at NPE. Companies will showcase how they’re integrating smart factory elements, such as:

• Fully connected molding cells (robot, press, and auxiliaries) that communicate in real time.
• On‑machine mold‑setup recipes for robots and auxiliaries that speed up changeovers.
• Web‑service support for remote diagnostics.
• Manufacturing Execution System (MES) data collection.
• Smartphone apps that provide production status and alerts.
• Predictive‑maintenance monitoring of cell equipment.
• “Smart molding” process solutions.
• Full production traceability.
• Remote access and control capabilities.

Chris Parrillo, national sales manager at Yushin America, Inc., recommends breaking the topic into manageable pieces. “For small‑to‑mid‑size firms, start with one area—like predictive maintenance—before expanding to full integration,” he says.

Predictive maintenance is a growing focus at NPE, with injection‑machine suppliers and auxiliary‑equipment builders (including Novatec and MachineSense/Prophecy Sensorlytics) presenting new solutions. The goal is to let a robot monitor its own systems and flag issues before they cause downtime. “A robot can detect a leaking gripper vacuum or abnormal motor torque and warn operators before a weekend shutdown,” explains Dino Caparco, Yushin’s engineering operations manager.

Wittmann will showcase new gripper‑vacuum monitoring and other vibration‑sensing features at NPE—see Sept. ’17 Keeping Up. Sepro’s Live Support, a web‑service for remote diagnostics, will also be highlighted—see Jan. ’18 Starting Up.

Integration of robot controls with injection‑press controls is another key element of Industry 4.0. Solutions range from mirroring the robot interface on the press operator panel to full data sharing between machines. Wittmann Battenfeld’s “Wittmann 4.0” program demonstrates dynamic changeover of peripheral equipment using saved recipes for rapid mold changes, according to Preusse.

Healy stresses that Industry 4.0’s evolution depends on molders’ willingness to experiment. “We don’t try to define Industry 4.0 for them; instead, we collaborate to develop tools—like OptiCycle and Live Support—that boost efficiency. We work with machine manufacturers to flexibly integrate robot and IMM controls and partner with other robot vendors to give molders the widest choice of configurations.” He adds that research into next‑generation robot technology continues in partnership with European and U.S. institutions.

Industry 4.0 will be a central topic at the Plastics Technology Molding 2018 Conference, Feb. 27‑Mar. 1 in Long Beach, Calif. Get program and registration details here.