Injection moulding

Laboratory management

Prof. Ansgar Jaeger

Phone
+49 931 3511-8415
E-Mail
ansgar.jaeger[at]thws.de

Responsible employees

Berthold Dittmann

Phone
+49 931 3511-8239
E-Mail
berthold.dittmann[at]thws.de

Thomas Michel

Phone
+49 931 3511-8227
E-Mail
thomas.michel[at]thws.de
  • Injection moulding is a fully automated manufacturing process for complex plastic moulded parts (Fig. 1) for the automotive, packaging, medical and electronics industries, among others.
  • The process benefits from its enormous design freedom and low-energy moulding. The following animation shows the basic sequence of the process (source: ENGEL, Linz). 

Here you can see an animated video from ENGEL (Linz) on the injection moulding process

  • The Processing Technology Laboratory has three injection moulding machines of different types.
  • During the course, you will learn the A,B,C of injection moulding with a simple bearing box mould on the Arburg Allrounder 370 U 500 - 170 (fully hydraulic injection moulding machine. You will set up the mould in small groups and optimise the most important machine setting parameters independently. You enter the parameter settings into the control system yourself via the touch screen. The work placement takes place in the third semester of the programme, so that you are confronted with the manufacturing processes in your field of study at an early stage.
    The understanding here is usefully supplemented by models that are available to us in the laboratory (e.g.: Section through plasticising cylinders to understand the melting behaviour)
Students at the machine
Students at the machine
Section through plasticising cylinder
Section through plasticising cylinder

  • On a second injection moulding machine, Demag Systec Multi 160/520-310h/80l (hydraulic toggle injection moulding machine), the knowledge gained in the lecture on the relationship between machine settings and moulded part quality, as well as the knowledge of fault detection on the moulded parts, is then further deepened. This practical course takes place in the sixth semester and deepens the basic knowledge.  

Demag 160 multi-component machine
Demag 160 multi-component machine

  • With the available measuring equipment, such as process sensors, whose process values can be visualised for everyone on a large screen, or polarisation optics, the correlations between process control and internal properties can be easily visualised and thus made comprehensible for everyone. The process control itself can also be checked with the help of a modern, high-resolution IR camera, which we will also use in the practical course.

Figure 01: Image by IR camera
Figure 01: Image by IR camera
Figure 02: Thermographic image of handle
Figure 02: Thermographic image of handle
Zhafir Venus 90
Zhafir Venus 90

  • In addition to the two machines, there is also an all-electric injection moulding machine that is available exclusively for Bachelor's, Master's and project work.

Room

  • C.0.05

Devices

  • Arburg Allrounder 370 S 500 – 170,
    Touch-Gestica-control,
    built in 2023
    ( Hydraulic with electric screw drive)
  • Demag Systec Multi 160/520-310h/80l
    with NC5-controls,
    built in 2012
    ( Hydraulic with toggle lever, 1600 kN-clamping force)
  • Zhafir Venus VE 900 – 210,
    built in 2010
    ( Fully electric with toggle lever, 900 kN-clamping force)