ErgoTek’s Modular Conveyor Solution Powers Lights‑Out Injection Molding at Happ Kunststoffspritzgusswerk

Family‑owned Happ Kunststoffspritzgusswerk und Formenbau GmbH, founded in 1964 in Ruppichteroth, Germany, evolved from producing lunch boxes and furniture fittings into a leader in automation. A 2014 project that produced an adjustable climbing wall later became the basis for its subsidiary ErgoTek, founded in 2015.

Today, the original Ergo‑Wall is used at the University of Potsdam to train physiotherapists. Since 2018, Happ has leveraged ErgoTek’s modular conveyor modules—integrated into the FlexiTek system—to create buffer inventories that are essential for lights‑out injection‑molding operations combining components with differing cycle times.

ErgoTek Connects Two EcoPower Machines

In 2019, ErgoTek introduced the FlexiTek system, a timed production solution that adds buffering capacity optimized for injection molding. The system now fully links two Wittmann Battenfeld EcoPower 110/350 machines via a conveyor network with buffer capacity.

In this cell, outer and inner tubes of automotive oil‑filter drain screws are automatically molded, inspected, laser‑printed, and shipped. Two 125‑ton EcoPower machines, each equipped with a Wittmann W818 robot, produce the inner and outer tubes from 2‑cavity molds.

Robots transfer parts to cameras that verify dimensional accuracy and check for burrs. The tubes are then conveyed by FlexiTek, buffered for cooling, and assembled by a Scara robot. An articulated robot performs a second camera check, measures depth, and labels the finished parts before they are deposited into Euro containers or KLTs.

According to a Wittmann spokesperson, the parts are made from glass‑fiber reinforced PA6 and require at least four minutes of cooling. Both cycle times are approximately 19 seconds. “The control concept is designed so that conveyors communicate with robots via signals, maintaining autonomous operation even when a fault occurs,” the spokesperson said.

Once 90 finished components are loaded, the KLT is ready for customer delivery. New KLTs are swapped every 2–3 hours, enabling a lights‑out, human‑free operation. Happ reports that the system reduces cost, eliminates work‑in‑progress storage, and enhances cavity tracking and lot‑to‑lot traceability. Parts can also be automatically extracted for SPC at preset intervals, and the cell can continue production for up to an hour if a fault affects any single component.

Happ operates seven all‑electric EcoPower machines, most fitted with W818 and W822 robots, and uses a Wittmann central material drying system to keep resin dry.

Plastics Technology highlighted the seamless integration of robotics and conveyors in this lights‑out cell.