Wittmann Battenfeld manufactures a complete range of moulding and automation technology and auxiliary equipment - from autonomous work cells to centrally managed and controlled method solutions.
Products include injection moulding machines, sprue pickers, robots, end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT), degators, and complete automation work cells.
Wittmann Battenfeld UK also supplies a range of fully integrated materials handling systems, including dryers, blenders, vacuum loading systems, silos, central filters, vacuum receivers, tilt tables and surge hoppers dryers, and temperature controllers.
Wittmann also offers beside-the-press and central granulators, and water products including flow and mould temperature controllers, portable and central chillers.
On its trade show booth, Krauss-Maffei will be showcasing composites moulding processes.
During the JEC Composites Show in Paris, 24-26 March 2009, Krauss-Maffei will be demonstrating injection moulding fibre composites using thermoplastics or thermosets.
The list covers LFI (long fibre injection moulding), fibre composite spraying (FCS), reinforced reaction injection moulding (RRIM), structural reaction injection moulding (SRIM), structural component spraying (SCS) and resin transfer moulding (RTM).
A major focus will be on making large parts made of fibre-reinforced PUR, with a high-gloss surface finish produced in the mould.
In the LFI system, the long glass reinforcing fibres are chopped from an endless roving and wetted in the mixing head with the PUR mix.
Krauss-Maffei offers two alternative processes for the substrate: LFI and FCS.
The part is then pressed and compression moulded into shape, ensuring that no air bubbles form in the material.
Fillers in the PUR prevent the glass fibres spoiling the quality of the surface finish.
In fibre composite spraying (FCS) the glass fibres and the PUR mix come into contact only after the PUR has been discharged from the mixing head.
As in LFI, the glass fibres are chopped from an endless roving, but they are wetted with the PUR mix in the spray cone.
The first layer is a barrier layer consisting of PUR without glass fibres.
The PUR/fibre mix is sprayed in thin layers.
Subsequent layers, containing reinforcing fibres, are applied in thin layers until the specified wall thickness is reached.
This barrier layer produces an optically flawless surface, ready for in-mould or post-mould painting.
Krauss-Maffei is a single-contact partner supplying machinery and services for all stages of the fibre-composite process chain.
Different layers - compact, foamed or reinforced - can be combined to comply with product specifications.