KraussMaffei Tech Day highlights iPul, other technologies

Brighton, Mich. — KraussMaffei Corp. highlighted its range of plastics processing technologies at a May 18 Tech Day event in Brighton.

This marked the first time that KM held a Tech Day in Brighton, which is the U.S. home to its reaction process tooling business. But the event also featured demonstrations of KM's injection molding, extrusion, polyurethane and automation equipment, and presentations about composites manufacturing, tooling, recycling, conformal cooling and specialized equipment for automotive interior manufacturing.

"We're always trying to educate how technology can help our customers be better at their business," President Paul Caprio said.

The event drew more than 100 guests, with a heavy emphasis on customers in the automotive market. Several presentations targeted that market's search for lightweight solutions to help plastics replace metal. They included high-pressure/thermoplastic resin transfer molding, carbon fiber manufacturing; and robotic foam parts de-flashing.

"Lightweighting is obviously a big one, from RPM [reaction process technology] side as well as the injection molding," Caprio said.

Other big-picture trends that processors ask about include ways to improve productivity, and the relatively new Industry 4.0 concept that connects technology from all aspects of manufacturing, he said.

One process that is not focused primarily on automotive is the new iPul pultrusion equipment, which KM will unveil for the first time at a Tech Day event on June 28 in its Munich headquarters. KM officials gave a detailed presentation on the new technology in Brighton.

KM is partnering on iPul with polyurethane supplier Covestro and epoxy suppliers Evonik AG and Huntsman Corp., as well as pultrusion technology specialist Thomas GmbH + Co. Technik + Innovation KG.

Pultrusion isn't a new technology, but it has advantages for making very strong profiles reinforced with carbon or glass fiber or other materials. Pultruded profiles can be used in oversized windows, for example, or large but very light wind turbine blades.

But one of the drawbacks is that pultrusion is a relatively slow process; the current standard is about 1.5 meters per minute. KM touts iPul as a high-speed version of the technology, capable of manufacturing 3 meters a minute, or even faster. The secret is the method for direct injection of the matrix material into a low-pressure metering system.

KM says the higher speed opens up the potential for pultrusion to tackle fast-growing markets for pultruded profiles, including window profiles in high-rise buildings, construction rebar, decking, grating, and transportation applications in buses and trucks.

"Customers are asking us about it, and when can we sell it," Caprio said.

Live demonstrations at the Tech Day event included EcoStar and RimStar metering equipment for polyurethane; RPM tooling technology; an all-electric PX injection press; a CX 200-750 injection press with an integrated robot running a RocTool mold; an industrial robot training cell; and a ZE 25A twin-screw extruder.