Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing is a process in which components are built up layer by layer starting from 3D volume models. Unlike injection molding, no tool is required. These processes are often also referred to as 3D printing and include several technologies that differ in the materials used and the process of generative built-up. For example, sintering processes with powders (powder bed fusion), photopolymerization of liquid polymers and material extrusion are used to process plastics.
Large-format parts, high volumes, maximum productivity - 3D printing with resin pellets opens up new application areas for additive manufacturing. 3D printing is becoming a well-established manufacturing process in a growing number of industry sectors. Directly processing thermoplastic pellets using screw extrusion for a layer-by-layer deposition in additive manufacturing makes high production speeds and large parts possible.
Laser Transparent Materials
With increasing use of plastics in automotive, electrical, and industrial markets, clean and precise joining technique is required. Laser welding is one method of joining plastic parts that offers a precise weld with a precise energy input, lower thermal delay, high weld strengths and welding of three-dimensional geometries in a single process step.
With more and more miniaturization of components and their increasingly complex geometries, a high-quality weld seam is achieved by a relatively easy laser welding process as compared to conventional joining techniques. To join two parts by a laser welding process, one of them has to be laser transparent and the other laser absorbing. The laser transparent part can be even black or colored, but not carrying minerals.
Laser Marking
In light of the increasing complexity of plastic components and the requirements for quality assurance, marking of plastics is an essential process for many industries.
Laser marking is used in industrial applications because of its high contrast and excellent contour definition. In the automotive and E/E industries, plastic parts are often individually marked to enable the traceability of production processes. Such-laser marked parts can include logos and/or decorative designs for branding and individualization, for example, on household appliances and sporting goods.
Foaming
Core-Back Injection Molding is a process variant of thermoplastic foam injection molding.
The process begins after the cavity has been filled completely (full shot). After a short delay time when a compact boundary layer has formed, the mold opens by means of precision opening until the desired opening stroke has been reached. During the opening, a pressure drop takes place in the cavity and the gas can escape from the plastic melt and thus expand. Due to the defined mold opening, the plastic does not lose contact with the mold wall during expansion, allowing the foam structure to form inside.
The foaming process causes the wall thickness of the component to increase continuously during the opening until the desired opening stroke is reached. This is followed by the standard residual cooling time. Subsequently, the mold opens, and the component is demolded. As a result, such parts are characterized by a compact, solid skin layer followed by a porous, flexible foam structure inside the component. The density of the material thus decreases continuously from the outside to the inside. For this reason, the process is used primarily in the field of lightweight constructions.