PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2018

56 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 11/18 www.petpla.net Fakuma 2018 TRADE SHOW review More intuitive, more safety Engel has rede- fined the human- machine interface w i t h i t s CC3 0 0 . Engel said that the control unit makes it more efficient, user- friendly and safe to use injection mould- ing machines and integrated system solutions. For its fifth anniversary, the Engel control unit showcased along with an upgraded control concept and new features at the Fakuma 2018 trade fair. Tutorials, which play directly on the display, keep the machine operator up-to-date and high- light areas of potential for optimisation. The increasing complexity of the production process poses increasingly tough challenges for control technology. The clearer and more intuitive the control unit, the more safely and efficiently the machines and production cells can be oper- ated. For this reason, when it comes to the CC300 control unit’s ongo- ing improvement, ‘keep it simple’ is a key guiding principle for injection moulding machine manufacturer and system solutions provider Engel. The design and operating philosophy are the essential elements for truly intuitive operation without restricting the scope of the machine or system solution. Visitors to the Engel stand at Fakuma clicked through the tutorials live and learned more about the CC300 control unit’s new features. Along with the control panels at the machinery exhibited, there was a dedicated Expert Corner to provide assistance. In addi- tion, all the tutorials will be available to the users of Engel machines and systems solutions at any time and in any location via the Engel customer portal e-connect. www.engelglobal.com Laser marking in different colours The Finke laser enables high-contrast marking of many common polymers, especially PE, PP, PET or ABS. At Fakuma, Finke has presented a compre- hensive additive batch and masterbatch program for coloured laser markings. It ranges from additive batches for functional modification of existing colour concentrates to FibaPlast combination batches which offer both colour and function. Colour laser markings have been shown on extruded HD-PE sheets in postcard size, which have been coloured with various FibaPlast combination batches: free-flowing polyolefin-based colour con- centrates (concentration: 7 % or 8 % in HD-PE). The sheets are manufactured by the German extrusion specialist CS-Plastik. Laser marking is carried out at Finke’s laser laboratory. Laser marking is the method of choice when it comes to permanent marking for labelling, graphic design or functionalisation of plastics surfaces. A laser works quickly and efficiently. The marking is applied permanently, shows a good contrast, can neither blur nor fade and is individualised easily. Applications range from imprinting expiration dates and conveying information (e.g. as QR codes) to the individual design of products. www.finke-colors.eu Plastics processing in digitalisation mode Everyone who’s anyone in the field of plastics processing came together at the once again fully booked out Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing on Lake Constance where Ger- many, Austria and Switzerland meet for the 26th the time from the 16th through the 20th of October. The international exhibitors were pleased once more this year with the great demand for this pioneering event in the field of plastics technology: 1,933 market and technology leaders from 40 countries presented their com- panies to 47,650 expert visitors from all over the world! The proactive technology transformation appears to be suc- ceeding in the field of plastics processing: new materials, more efficient manufacturing processes, 3D and 4D printing alterna- tives, digitalised and automated production solutions, reduced energy consumption for machines and systems – these are just a few of the regulating screws that need to be tweaked by today’s plastics processors. The issue of sustainability, including aspects such a plastics recycling, material savings and biomate- rials, was the subject of more discussion than ever before at this year’s Fakuma, because the demands of plastics users such as the automotive industry and the consumer goods and packaging manufacturers are becoming more and more complex. Fakuma 2018 very impressively verified the fact that the plastics industry is up to the challenge, and that it has the most up-to-date tools at its disposal in every regard, in order to work economically with efficient use of materials and resources. The production of affordable, and at the same time rugged lightweight design structures was presented at the event to just as great an extent as a broad-based portfolio of new materials. New machines, adapted tooling, integrated quality assurance, control- lable hydraulic and to an ever greater extent electric drives, and last but not least networkable and thus communicative control- lers complete with software – the plastics industry is becoming more and more digital, which is not least of all made apparent by great demand for Industry 4.0-capable equipment and systems. www.fakuma-messe.de/en