Wittmann Battenfeld Unveils Innovations at Fakuma via Virtual Portal

Wittmann Battenfeld announced a Virtual Fakuma portal to showcase the technologies originally slated for its October show in Germany. The company will deliver personalized video presentations to customers and conduct web conferences, while also posting all videos to its public YouTube channel for wider access.

Inline Scrap Reclaim

The firm introduced the Ingrinder concept—a self‑contained molding cell that continuously reclaims machine scrap. The Ingrinder houses an injection‑molding machine, an integrated sprue picker, a granulator, and a vacuum conveyor. All components are controlled through the machine’s UNILOG B8 system.

To demonstrate the system, Wittmann deployed a servo‑hydraulic SmartPower 60/210. The machine molded a polystyrene can with lid using a 2 + 2‑cavity mold. A WP50 sprue picker with a swivel drive removes the sprue and feeds it to the G‑Max granulator. The regrind is then transferred to the material hopper via a FeedMax vacuum conveyor, allowing alternating feed of virgin material and regrind for a uniform blend.

According to a Plastics Technology interview, the G‑Max 9 granulator—electrically interlocked with the molding machine—runs at 200 rpm at 50 Hz and 240 rpm at 60 Hz.

High‑Speed Thin‑Wall Packaging

Wittmann also showcased a machine from its all‑electric, high‑speed EcoPower Xpress line. The EcoPower Xpress 300/1100+ was equipped with the new Wittmann SONIC 131 top‑entry robot, introduced at K 2019, which excels in applications requiring cycle times as short as 4 seconds. Using a tool from Italian firm Abate, the machine molded a margarine tub from polypropylene in a 4‑second cycle.

Medical Micromolding

In the medical segment, a clean‑room version of the MicroPower micromolding machine was demonstrated. The MicroPower 15/10, featuring 16 tons of clamping force, molded a 2‑mg retaining ring for miniature medical tubes. The ring was cast from polycarbonate in an 8‑cavity mold supplied by Austrian moldmaker Wittner.

The MicroPower includes a rotary unit, an integrated Wittmann W8VS2 robot, and a camera for part inspection. The rotary table offers two stations—inject and eject—allowing automated separation of parts by cavity.

Complete LSR Cell

For liquid‑spray‑rubber (LSR) applications, Wittmann partnered with Austrian firm Nexus Elastomer Systems to develop a drink timer. A SmartPower 120/350 servo‑hydraulic machine runs a 2‑cavity cold‑runner mold from Nexus, employing Flowset cold‑runner control and a Z200 metering unit with OPC‑UA integration. The SmartPower’s open‑injection unit simplifies LSR metering device integration. A W918 robot handles part removal.

Upgraded MES

Addressing Industry 4.0, Wittmann Battenfeld presented the recently upgraded TEMI+ MES from ICE‑flex. In addition to minor HMI tweaks, the core framework has been overhauled, delivering faster operator interaction and higher stability. Features include a Production Planner, optional IMAGOxt package for graphical energy and material consumption metrics, and programmable actuators and alarm responses directly from the interface.

All Wittmann Battenfeld machines are compatible with TEMI+, which was specifically engineered for the plastics sector. The system offers advanced OEE calculations and integrates data from molding machines via Euromap 63 or 77, and from auxiliary equipment via Wittmann 4.0/OPC UA.

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