Reinforced Plastics  Volume 60, Number 6  November/December 2016
com
Customization of mass-produced parts by
combining injection molding and
additive manufacturing with Industry 4.0
technologies
Heinz Gaub
Managing Director Technology & Engineering at Arburg
Two trends are currently in evidence among plastics processing companies: On the one hand, the
complexity of systems is increasing, while on the other, customers are seeking flexible solutions owing to
ever faster product changes, increasing variant diversity and, consequently, ever smaller unit volumes
per order, down to one-off parts. These requirements can be met, for example, by combining injection
molding, additive manufacturing and ‘‘Industry 4.0’’ technologies to individualize large-volume
products in order to create single-unit batches in a cost-effective manner using an automated, digitally
networked cyberphysical production system.
The production of small batches without impairing productivity
or availability is a genuine challenge. The ideas, inspirations and
opportunities currently associated with ‘‘Industry 4.0’’ can help in
enhancing production efficiency and process reliability. This term
basically describes the IT networking of machines, molds, work
pieces and logistical peripherals. Machine manufacturer Arburg
will demonstrate the latest state-of-the-art technology at the
Fakuma 2015 trade show based on the example of office scissors.
Visitors will have the opportunity to transform a mass-produced
item into an individualized, one-off product.
Fully networked process chain
The process steps of the networked system encompass order entry,
injection molding, industrial additive manufacturing and display
of the process and quality parameters on a part-specific web page.
Customer requirements are integrated directly in the production
process. The required components for the networked production
of these plastic parts are supplied by Arburg: the injection molding
machine for encapsulating the metal blades, the additive
manufacturing system for individualization and the host comput-
er system for a seamless data and information chain that links the
individual process steps. A laser marking step is also integrated in
the production line.
E-mail address: contact@arburg.com.
0034-3617/ß 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2015.09.004
www.reinforcedplastics.
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From high-volume part to one-off item
Using a PC station for order entry, visitors can choose between
several different scissor blanks (for right and left-handed users,
pointed or rounded ends) and personalize the product with their
name. The order is saved in digital form on an RFID chip card.
At the appropriate time, the card can then be read into the
Selogica control system of the injection molding machine. In
the next cycle, production starts on the injection molding
station. In order to enable flexible and fast product changes,
an operator and a linear robotic system work closely together.
Once the metal blades have been manually inserted into the
gripper, they are transferred into the injection mold of an
electric Allrounder 370 E. There, they are encapsulated with
the plastic handles, after which an individual DM code is applied
by laser and the associated process data is transmitted to a host
computer system. From this moment on, the product becomes
an information carrier and even has its own website. A linear
robotic system inserts the encapsulated scissors into part carriers
produced with the Freeformer using Arburg Plastic Freeforming.
These are removed from the injection molding cell by means of a
conveyor belt.
A mobile seven-axis robotic system handles the part carrier and
is responsible for loading and unloading the build chamber at the
Freeformer station. In accordance with the information from the
DM code, read out by means of a scanner, the Freeformer addi-
tively applies the required individual raised logo to the scissors in
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PP. This step takes about one or two minutes. The mobile robot
finally presents the final product to the relevant visitor in person.
Central host computer system
The Arburg ALS host computer system is of central importance in
the networked production system and efficiently controls the
machines, the automation and the entire production process
simultaneously. This is where all individual production and quali-
ty parameters come together and are archived. In order to acquire
machine data, ALS utilizes the internationally recognized Ethernet
networking standard. The process chain is integrated by means of
the OPC-UA application protocol.
The DM code is applied to the work piece by laser for robustness
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and turns each individual pair of scissors into an information
carrier; it communicates with the machines, knows its history,
current status and destination, as well as controlling the work
piece’s path through the process chain itself. The product can be
uniquely identified and located at any time. This creates transpar-
ency throughout the production process and allows individual,
part-specific traceability.
The product uses the DM code to identify itself to the machines
and supply information for the next production step. In addition,
all process steps can be documented seamlessly and error-free. The
relevant process parameters can subsequently be uniquely
assigned. These include details of the cycle time, injection pressure
and ambient temperature of the injection molding process as well
as the build chamber temperature, number of droplets and build
time for the additively manufactured part.
The host computer assigns an individual web page in the cloud to
each separate part. Using the code, the part-specific web page can be
retrieved at any time and from anywhere in the world using a mobile
device – even after several years. This plays an important role, for
example in the traceability of safety-related parts, such as airbags for
the automotive sector and implants for medical technology. This
type of traceability is also the basis for just-in-time production.
Industry 4.0 in plastics processing companies
Many injection molding companies already use Industry 4.0 or at
least some aspects of it. These include, for example, production
with automated machines and turnkey systems, interactive main-
tenance planning, self-organizing logistics and batch-based data
archiving. The factory of the future will control itself. In other
words, production data will no longer be managed centrally, but
will be displayed and evaluated on a mobile, decentralized basis.
The individual machines and systems must be well coordinated in
order for the production flow to work. These demanding tasks
require well-trained specialist staff at the local level, who know
when and how to intervene in the production process.
Thanks to three decades of experience in digitally integrated
production, Arburg now enjoys a leading position in the industry
and has made a significant contribution toward producing the
VDMA’s ‘‘Industry 4.0 Guidelines’’. The German machine manufac-
turer has also set trends with its products: At the K trade show in 1986,
Arburg first presented a fully automated production system with no
manual set-up processes, consisting of several linked injection mold-
ing machines – a concept that was far ahead of its time. Back then, the
system was already controlled by the Arburg host computer system
(ALS), which has undergone continuous development and which,
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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 60, Number 6  November/December 2016
like the Selogica control system, is now an important element in the
company’s Industry 4.0 solutions.
Summary
The individualization of mass-produced products with the Free-
former means that plastic parts can be enhanced in such a way that
manufacturers can generate added value from them. The example
of office scissors, which is representative of numerous potential
value-adding production processes or products, highlights the
possibilities of combining injection molding and additive
manufacturing with the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Basically, many mass-produced parts can be simply individualized
in this way. It is therefore possible to exploit new market potential
for individual components that were previously not economically
viable. At present, Arburg is the only manufacturer in the sector
that allows its customers to produce individual plastic parts cost-
effectively in batches as small as one unit. This is how the company
demonstrates the concept of the smart factory and Industry 4.0 in
a practical implementation, positioning itself as a provider of
cyberphysical production systems.
Additive manufacturing
The Freeformer is designed for industrial additive manufacturing
and can achieve far more than a simple 3D printer. Compared to
other additive manufacturing processes, a significant advantage
here is that inexpensive, qualified standard granulate can be pro-
cessed to produce fully-functional parts. Already qualified materials
include ABS, PC, PA and TPU. Further plastics are set to follow.
In Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF), the plastic granulate is
initially melted in a plasticizing cylinder using a process similar
to injection molding. A stationary discharge unit with a special
nozzle applies tiny plastic droplets layer-by-layer onto a part carrier
mounted on three movable axes using high-frequency piezo tech-
nology at a specified duty cycle of 60 to 200 Hertz. The part carrier is
positioned so that each drop falls onto a precisely predetermined
point. As they cool, the 0.2–0.3 mm droplets automatically fuse
together. The desired three-dimensional component is thus created
layer-by-layer on the basis of 3D CAD data. Its surface corresponds to
that of a coarsely structured injection molded part. Although the
droplet structure means it is rough, it is extremely even. The smaller
the nozzle, the smaller the droplets and the finer the surface texture.
A larger nozzle, however, permits faster progress of the build-up.
Tensile strength measurements show that the quality of parts is
perfectly adequate for most functional parts and small-volume
batches. One difference compared with injection molding lies in
the fracture behavior, during which virtually no expansion phase
occurs. The challenges lie less in achieving good tensile strength and
more in implementing thin wall thicknesses of less than 0.6 mm
and complex structures. The build chamber of the Freeformer offers
space for parts with maximum dimensions of 190  135  250 mm.
The Freeformer is equipped with two stationary discharge units as
standard. The second unit can be used for an additional component
in order, for example, to produce a part in different colors, with
special tactile qualities, or as a hard/soft combination. Alternatively,
it can be used to build structures from a water-soluble support
material, enabling unusual or highly complex part geometries to
be realized. Once the support structures have been removed in a
water bath, the parts can be used as design prototypes or for function
Reinforced Plastics  Volume 60, Number 6  November/December 2016
Industrial additive manufacturing: with the Freeformer and Arburg Plastic
Freeforming (APF), functional parts can be produced from qualified
standard granulate without requiring a mold. Photo: ARBURG.
and assembly tests. Depending on the specific case, it is possible to
dispense with expensive, time-consuming injection molds for pro-
totypes or small batches. Another great advantage is that no dust or
emissions are produced and no additional infrastructure is therefore
necessary. No extraction units or cooling water are required. The
system is therefore also perfectly suitable for use in an office or
laboratory environment.
The control system has also been developed in-house by Arburg.
The operating panel comprises a high-performance industrial PC
and a multi-touch screen, which can be intuitively operated via
gestures. The 3D CAD data for the parts being manufactured (STL
files) is prepared offline on a PC in accordance with quality and
material-dependent criteria. Special software generates the required
production data through slicing.
Host computer system for planning and production
The trend toward smaller batch sizes in production orders, greater
deadline pressure and growing levels of automation in production
Individualization of high-volume parts: the Freeformer can produce an
individually designed geometry (here lettering in PP to office scissors) in an
additive manufacturing process. Photo: ARBURG.
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With the Freeformer for additive manufacturing and Allrounder injection
molding machines, Arburg covers the entire industrial production spectrum.
Both processes and Industry 4.0 technologies are combined to customize
mass-produced parts. This gives rise to the smart factory, which can
produce batches as small as one unit. Photo: ARBURG.
require an increased use of IT solutions in plastic part production.
Special machine, operating, settings and order data can be ac-
quired, processed and transmitted using ALS, Arburg’s host com-
puter system. This means that several machines and the entire
production process can be efficiently controlled and documented
at the same time.
The major advantage of ALS is its modular structure. The basic
expansion stages for machine and operating data acquisition
(MDA and ODA) form the basis. These can be freely combined
and extended through various expansion stages. In order to ac-
quire machine data, ALS utilizes the internationally recognized
Ethernet networking standard. The data collected can be displayed
by calling up the machine status. The three possible information
areas can be subdivided into status data (operating modes, alarms
and fault causes), operating data (production, product range, mold
and order information) and process parameters (actual process
values from the injection cycle).
The ALS is integrated directly into the company network via a
PPS or ERP interface. All the important planning data and produc-
tion orders can be downloaded onto the ALS server from such
Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) is based on liquid plastic droplets. The
base material used here is standard granulate, which is melted in a
plasticizing unit. Photo: ARBURG.
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higher-order planning systems. The actual data for the production
orders can be fed back continuously in the opposite direction from
the ALS to the planning system. This ensures permanent data
calibration.
To ensure that ALS data is available anywhere in real time, as
and when required, authorized persons can now access their
internal company network at any time using their smartphone.
Thanks to ‘‘ALS Mobile’’, they have the facts at their fingertips at
all times, for example during a meeting or when a customer asks
when his components will be ready. The new analysis tool
is particularly useful for just-in-time suppliers and production
managers seeking to utilize their personnel and machines
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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 60, Number 6  November/December 2016
as efficiently as possible. The more smoothly each system runs
and the greater its degree of utilization, the more earnings it
generates.
In order to continuously measure and control performance in
production planning, the current OEE values, for example, can be
transmitted via a smartphone. This Overall Equipment Efficiency,
a quotient based on quality, efficiency and availability, provides an
indication of value added, from individual machines and locations
through to total production. Furthermore, the ALS analysis tool
provides insights into current cycle times, running orders, shifts,
batches, unit volumes and the current utilization level of the
machine fleet.