At K 2025, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present various injection molding technologies under the motto „Smart Choices – Smart Savings”

Under the motto “Smart Choices – Smart Savings”, the WITTMANN Group will show visitors how smart choices lead to smart savings – savings that conserve valuable resources while also saving money. As the Group’s machinery manufacturer, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present its portfolio of injection moulding machines and systems.

At stand B22 in hall 15, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present the following systems:

The Highlight – the New MacroPower with a One-Piece Machine Frame

The highlight of the presentation is the new MacroPower 500/3400. While the MacroPower series machines from WITTMANN BATTENFELD have always been characterised by their small dimensions and thus lower space requirements at the customer’s production facility, the new MacroPower impresses with even greater compactness. This is achieved through an entirely new design with a compact one-piece machine frame. The machine’s injection unit also features a new design and can now be swivelled. These features help users save valuable time. Firstly, the one-piece machine frame simplifies commissioning at the customer’s site, and secondly, the swivelling injection unit, accessible from both the front and rear of the machine, significantly simplifies screw replacement. The new MacroPower is equipped with the Unilog B8X control system with in-house-developed control components. These enable a higher internal clock frequency and thus a shorter response time to sensor signals, resulting in greater part reproducibility while retaining the familiar ease of operation and visualisation. The MacroPower with a one-piece machine frame will be available from the K 2025 trade fair in sizes of 400–600 t.

Fig. 1: MacroPower 500/3400 with a one-piece machine frame

The new MacroPower 500/3400 produces a so-called “HAIBOX” using a single-cavity mould from Haidlmair, Austria, and polypropylene material from Borealis. The machine is complemented by an IML system from WITTMANN.

Fig. 2: HAIBOX (Image: Haidlmair)

Labels from Viapiani, Italy, are inserted on the two long sides of the box. After demoulding, a thermal imaging camera captures a live thermal image of each shot. This image is compared with a stored reference image. The images are compared using TDI4.0 software from SKZ, Germany, and any deviations due to temperature differences are evaluated. If the temperature is outside the tolerance limit, a signal is sent to the robot and the part is rejected. Finally, the parts are placed on a conveyor belt.

WITTMANN Multi-Component Technology

Multi-component technology will be demonstrated on another machine from the MacroPower series. This machine, the MacroPower 650/2250H/1330H Combimould with a rotary table diameter of 1500 mm, saves space in production, not only thanks to the small dimensions typical of MacroPower machines, but also thanks to its two horizontal injection units.

Fig. 3: Collapsible laundry basket made of PP and TPE – produced by multi-component injection moulding (Images: ATA Kalip ve Plastik)

This machine, using a 1+1 mould from ATA Kalip ve Plastik, Turkey, will produce a collapsible laundry basket made of PP and TPE. The machine is equipped with a WITTMANN Primus 148T robot, which removes the parts and places them on a conveyor belt.

The New EcoPrimus – Efficiency Meets Economy

The second new development in injection moulding machines from the WITTMANN Group presented at the K trade fair is the new EcoPrimus. As an all-electric machine, its savings potential is reflected primarily in electricity consumption. With EcoPrimus, efficiency meets economy. EcoPrimus is a standardised machine from the EcoPower series. It is the perfect answer to current market requirements, where applications requiring minimal options dominate. The machine is equipped with the latest generation of controls from the WITTMANN Group, Unilog B8X. EcoPrimus will go on sale in size 100, i.e. with a clamping force of 1 000 kN, starting at K 2025.

EcoPrimus 100/525 will produce closure caps for the medical sector using a 24-cavity mould with unscrewing technology from the Austrian company HTW.

Fig. 4: Eye drop bottle cap – produced with the new EcoPrimus machine

The parts are removed by a WITTMANN W918 robot, placed on a conveyor belt and fed into a packaging machine from the Italian company Ravizza Packaging, where they are packed.

Processing Liquid Silicone Rubber

Highly efficient energy use will be demonstrated at the WITTMANN stand with another machine from the EcoPower series. An EcoPower 110/350 in the LSR version will be on display. This machine, using a two-cavity mould from the Austrian company Elmet, will produce a pump housing made of liquid silicone rubber for sealing fluids. An Elmet TOP 5100 metering pump is used – designed for maximum process stability and cost efficiency in LSR processing in series production. The parts are removed by a WITTMANN W918 robot and placed on a conveyor belt.

Space-Saving SmartPower in the Insider Version

WITTMANN BATTENFELD will also present a particularly space-saving system in the form of the servo-hydraulic SmartPower 160/1000 in the Insider version. The Insider cell integrates a WITTMANN part-removal robot, in this case the W918 model, a conveyor belt and peripherals for pre- and post-processing into the machine, creating a compact unit. The machine is equipped with an electric injection unit. This combines the advantages of the servo-hydraulic SmartPower in terms of flexible and generous mould installation space with the advantages of the all-electric EcoPower in terms of highly dynamic control with optimal reproducibility of individual shots. The system also features the new WITTMANN WFC plus flow controller with Net8 control. The functionality of the Smart- Power 160 Insider will be demonstrated at the trade fair by producing PP aerosol spray caps with an 8-cavity mould from HTW in Austria.

Fig. 5: Aerosol spray caps – produced by Insider SmartPower 160

Micro-Injection Moulding of Plastics with a 3D-Printed Mould with Nanostructures

Micro-injection moulding of plastics will also be presented at the WITTMANN stand with an impressive application. The all-electric MicroPower, specially designed for injection moulding small and micro-parts, is not only compact and energy-efficient, but also helps save material. The machine's special design allows the injection plunger to reach the mould parting line. This minimises the material cushion. Eliminating the main runner system leads to significant material savings and enables precise control of the part, as pressure is transmitted through a very short flow path in the gate. This increases repeatability and process stability. This makes MicroPower a solution for virtually eliminating waste in the production of micro- and micro-parts.

Fig. 6: MicroPower 15/10

At the WITTMANN stand, the MicroPower 15/10 machine, equipped with the new WITTMANN W9VS2 robot designed specifically for this machine, will produce a lab-on-a-chip made of transparent PP.

Fig. 7: Lab-on-a-Chip

Production takes place in 3D-printed two-cavity mould inserts from the Austrian company NanoVoxel, integrated into a mould base from Ernst Wittner GmbH. The distinctive feature of the component, measuring 18 x 8 x 3 mm, is its structures in the range of 0.04 x 0.04 x 0.1 mm with corner radii as small as 0.005 mm.

Vertical Injection Moulding with a Highly Automated System

Last but not least, WITTMANN BATTENFELD will present a vertical machine from the VPower series. VPower series machines feature a rotary table concept with just two columns, eliminating the central column for optimal accessibility. The machine also impresses with its speed, which saves time in the production process. This is achieved, on the one hand, by generously dimensioned rotary tables with a gantry clamping unit with two columns and two external traverse cylinders for fast opening and closing. On the other hand, the rotary tables are equipped with servo-electric drives for the shortest possible rotation times and precise positioning.

Fig. 8: VPower 160

At the trade fair, a decorated structural component made from the natural fibre-based material NFPP will be produced on a VPower 160/525 R 1600 injection moulding machine with an automation system from WITTMANN Germany. A natural fibre mat, pre-combined with a decorative film, is picked up from a stack by a WITTMANN robot using a gripper, inserted into the machine and reshaped to the contour. The finished part is removed by the robot and turned at a station. The robot then transports it to a printing station, where a QR code containing further information about the application and partners is applied. At an inspection station, a camera checks the dimensional accuracy of the applied material. The finished part is then placed on a conveyor belt.

All machines at the WITTMANN stand are operated via a central material supply and controlled by a central material management control system.

Furthermore, at stand B22 in hall 15, WITTMANN will demonstrate the use of artificial intelligence in the service sector with AIM4Help, a knowledge-based expert system for technical queries and troubleshooting. AIM4Help is provided as first-level support via a web portal and offers a wide range of assistance options for all kinds of queries concerning the operation and configuration of WITTMANN equipment, as well as fault analysis.

The Power of Plastics Forum, Outdoor Area E06:

The key theme of this year's K trade fair – “The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible”– is evident in all WITTMANN BATTENFELD systems. Two systems that address these aspects in specific ways will be presented at the VDMA Power of plastics forum, outdoor area E06, located between exhibition halls 15 and 16.

First, a machine from the servo-hydraulic SmartPower series will be exhibited. This machine, the SmartPower 350/1670, will demonstrate the processing of an alternative material. In cooperation with the innovative company Wafflerie from the United Arab Emirates, the production of an ice cream cone from a patented natural plant-based material will be demonstrated. The material developed by Wafflerie is made exclusively from food-grade plant-based raw materials and is not only compostable but even edible – for both humans and animals. After injection into a hot mould, the material undergoes steam-like expansion – similar to expanded polystyrene (EPS). The result is a waffle-like, porous structure with excellent insulating properties and a pleasant texture. The parts are removed by a Primus 128 robot and placed on a conveyor belt. The four-cavity mould comes from the German precision mould manufacturer Precupa. Compared with conventionally baked waffles, the injection-moulded product offers consistent quality, greater mechanical stability and a longer shelf life – ideal for edible product packaging solutions in the food sector.

The second system is the all-electric EcoPower DC Insider model. This machine technology offers users considerable potential for savings on energy costs. On the one hand, these costs can be kept low by directly using solar energy, and on the other, direct current can easily be stored in conventional batteries, which is ideal for covering expensive energy peaks and increasing power supply security. The exhibited EcoPower 180/750+ DC Insider machine will be operated independently of the trade fair's power grid during the fair via a solar energy storage system consisting of state-of-the-art environmentally friendly salt battery technology from Inesco. The battery has a total capacity of 45 kWh, which is more than sufficient for continuous operation of the machine throughout the eight-hour trade fair day.

Fig. 9: EcoPower 180/750 DC

Using the EcoPower 180/750+ DC Insider cell with an integrated WITTMANN WX142 DC robot, a “Wild Pot” – a container made from 100% PCR material – will be produced with a single-cavity mould from Haidlmair, Austria. The PCR material consists of so-called “wild plastic”, which was collected from the environment by WILDPLASTIC^®, Germany, and its partners in Senegal, and cleaned and sorted on site to produce regranulate according to industrial standards. WILDPLASTIC^® promotes environmental protection and fair trading relationships with local partners by implementing recycling systems. The post-consumer recyclate is processed using Cellmould foam injection moulding. This saves material and energy and reduces the weight of the component. In addition, attractive marbling effects are created, opening up new design possibilities for product designers. This application uses TagTec technology, which gives each “Wild Pot” its own unique DNA. With this technology, invisible markers mixed into the material – the so-called TagTec Identity Batch – are made visible using a light source, and a reference image is stored. A QR code can be used to obtain information about the origin of the material, the manufacturing process, production data and other product details.

Partner Stand: Momentive, Hall 6, Stand B15

A machine from the SmartPower series in a LIM configuration will be exhibited at Momentive's stand B15. Using the SmartPower 120/350 machine, Momentive will demonstrate the production of a frisbee disc using a single-cavity mould with a four-way valve and ACH SERVOSHOT 2G with electric nozzle control from ACH Solution, Austria.

Fig. 10: Frisbee disc – produced with SmartPower 120/350 LIM technology at the Momentive stand (Images: Momentive)

In this application, a pre-moulded part made from BASF's Ultramid B3S material is overmoulded with Silopren LSR 2740 from Momentive.

We look forward to your visit at the K trade fair!