Packaging and Digitalisation Come to the Fore

Auf der Plastimagen 2022 wird ein Allrounder 570 H in Packaging-Ausführung präsentiert: in rund zwei Sekunden Zykluszeit entstehen vier dünnwandige Joghurtbecher. (Foto: ARBURG) / Plastimagen 2022 will showcase a Packaging-version Allrounder 570 H that produces four thin-walled yoghurt pots in a cycle time of around two seconds. (Photo: Arburg)

Guillermo Fasterling, Geschäftsführer von Arburg Mexiko, freut sich auf die Plastimagen 2022, um Arburg Maschinen und -Anlagen für den wachsenden Higtech-Sektor in Lateinamerika zu präsentieren. (Foto: ARBURG) / Guillermo Fasterling, Managing Director of Arburg Mexico, is looking forward to presenting Arburg machines and systems for the growing high-tech sector in Latin America at Plastimagen 2022. (Photo: Arburg)

– Plastimagen: first trade fair after a two-year hiatus
– High end: powerful Allrounders A and H produce pots and cups
– Digitalisation: ALS and arburgXworld demo versions at the stand

Welcoming back in-person attendees for the first time in two years, the Plastimagen 2022 trade fair taking place from 8 to 11 March at the Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City is not just of fundamental importance for the Mexican market, but for the Latin American market as a whole. Accordingly, Arburg will once again be in attendance and will have its own stand in Hall D, no. 730. The focus of the exhibits will be on the packaging sector which, alongside the traditionally strong automotive and medical industries, is experiencing the highest growth rates. Digitalisation too is also advancing at a strong pace in Mexico. As a result, Arburg is also placing great emphasis on this area and will be showcasing the versatile ALS Arburg host computer system as well as the arburgXworld customer portal.

Covering an exhibition area of over 34,000 square metres, Plastimagen 2022 is the most comprehensive and important in-person specialist plastic event in Latin America. It is precisely geared towards the needs of the thousands of visitors (22,000 the last time the event was held) searching for innovative plastic solutions for their companies.

Latin America: growing potential in the high-tech sector

Guillermo Fasterling, Managing Director of ARBURG S.A. de C.V., is therefore rightly excited about the upcoming trade fair: "Mexico and Latin America in general are the markets offering very high and growing potential for Arburg, not least in the high-tech sector. The markets are slowly but surely emerging from the enforced pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic and are picking up again. For Arburg, the entire region is dominated by the automotive and medical technology sectors, but the packaging industry is quickly making up ground. In terms of technology, high-speed machines are in great demand here, which is why our exhibits are geared towards these."

Frank Eberhardt, Head of Applications and Technical Support at ARBURG S.A. de C.V., also views digitalisation as being another important factor: "High-end technology is gaining in importance in Mexico and Latin America too. Here in particular, the need to expand and create added value by using state-of-the-art machine technology in combination with digital platforms such as ALS and arburgXworld is really coming to the fore. But the need to provide qualified help and support in relation to sales, application technology and service still remains important, as the covid restrictions of the last two years have demonstrated. Personal support remains an important factor driving success. That’s why we are delighted that Plastimagen 2022 will be an in-person event."

High performance: hybrid Packaging-version Allrounder with IML application

The first exhibit at the trade fair – a hybrid Packaging-version Allrounder 570 H with a clamping force of 1800 kN and a size 800 injection unit – deals with a high-performance application. To ensure rapid in-mould labelling, the machine is fitted with a docked automation cell from Campetella which combines several robot systems in a compact space. This enables four thin-walled yoghurt pots to be produced in a cycle time of around just two seconds.

The first of the two robots reaches into the mould from the side and applies the labels in the cavities. The vertically operating feed system is extremely fast and compact. Maximum product hygiene is provided by the integrated tilting axis which stacks the containers on the conveyor belt with the opening facing downwards once they have been removed from the mould.
The second robot, which has an electric servo axis, is specially geared towards pick-and-place applications. It takes the stack off the conveyor belt and places it in a storage box.

The robot cell is also linked to a transfer station for a driverless transport station that picks up the boxes of finished products and transports them to a storage area.

High precision: four transparent PMMA espresso cups

Four espresso cups are injection-moulded in a cycle time of 31 seconds on an electric Allrounder 470 A with a clamping force of 1000 kN. The material used is a transparent PMMA with a shot weight of 120 grams. This project resulted from a collaboration between Arburg, the Technical University of Darmstadt and Staeubli. The mould was optimised for quick mounting and water adaptation. The machine is equipped with a Multilift Select with a load of six kilograms for removing and setting down cups on a conveyor belt.

Both exhibits work with the latest Arburg Gestica controller generation which uses smart technology and a digital network to combine a whole host of intelligent functions on an intuitive screen – enabling complex requirements regarding machine, mould, robot and peripheral technology to be managed with ease.

Digitalisation in quality assurance and customer support

Arburg’s portfolio at the trade fair is also being enhanced by two demo versions of the ALS Arburg host computer system and the arburgXworld customer portal. Here, attendees will get to see how the two systems can be used to retrieve, adapt and update quality, production planning, technology management and service management features across a company’s entire fleet of machinery and on all digital devices. Specialists in both applications will be ready and available to answer any specific questions directly. The subsidiary’s service employees will also be in attendance to respond to questions from customers and interested parties.