JCI adds KM presses at plant in Germany
Johnson Controls Inc. has added four Krauss-Maffei injection presses at its automotive interior molding plant in Wuppertal, Germany, according to Munich-based Krauss-Maffei Kunststofftecnik GmbH.
The presses are outfitted with KM's Decoform package, used to back-mold plastic onto textile coverings. The machines have oversized platens to accommodate the large parts.
Each press is at the heart of an automated manufacturing cell. A robot moves the part from the mold and simultaneously begins the next cycle by picking up a new textile blank from a rack and placing it in the mold. In the meantime, the part has been deposited on a turntable that moves into an enclosed cabin, where a laser mounted on an articulated robot trims and cuts holes into the part. Another robot moves the part to an ultrasound unit, for final trimming and edge folding. Finally, yet another robot removes the finished part and places it on a conveyor belt, ready for downstream assembly.
The new machines started production earlier this year.
KM's U.S. unit, Krauss-Maffei Corp., is based in Florence, Ky.
Tel. (859) 283-0200, fax (859) 283-0291.
Milacron controls going multimedia
Milacron Inc. has received U.S. patent No. 6,609,038 for the integration of advanced multimedia capabilities into the controllers that run plastics processing machinery -things like video, photographs and advanced text messaging.
The features help machine operators set up new molding jobs and do trouble-shooting, right on the plant floor.
``Multimedia capabilities on the open architecture of our patented PC-based Xtreem control,'' said Ron Sparer, controls development manager of the Cincinnati machinery maker.
Multimedia allows molders to create their own videos, photos or written memos that automatically appear on the control panel when an operator calls up a new mold program or a specific error happens. Video and photos also eliminate language barriers.
Multimedia capability is now an option on Milacron presses with Xtreem NT control. The technology will be a standard feature on the company's new Xtreem XP controller.
Tel. (513) 536-2000.
