Optimizing production processes for high quantities at SLG

Ensuring consistent quality is one of the biggest objectives in the series production of plastic components. However, various factors can influence the injection molding process, leading to fluctuations in the components:

• Fluctuating quality of raw materials

• External influences such as temperature or humidity

• Lack of specialists

• Necessity of regular adjustments to injection molding parameters

This was also the case for our customer SLG Kunststoff GmbH, a family-owned company in the southern Black Forest. With around 300 employees, they produce high-quality plastic injection molded parts for various industries.

In injection molding, digital solutions can help to optimize production processes and increase transparency, among other things.

Parameter-Limits in particular offer an effective solution for keeping production quality stable. After sampling new tools or optimizing existing components, application engineers determine the ideal injection molding parameters. Thanks to Parameter-Limits, these values can only be adjusted within a specified tolerance range.

This prevents uncontrolled changes and reduces the need for continuous process optimization by technicians, thereby optimizing production processes and reducing errors.

Parameter-Limits is an optional feature available on all ENGEL and WINTEC injection molding machine control units. It allows a process window to be defined for up to 150 individually selectable injection molding parameters, motion profiles and heating settings.

Find out more about Parameter-Limits from ENGEL and how you can optimize your production processes on our product page.

Parameter-Limits ensures validated process settings and provides the machine operator with a defined framework to operate in and produce good parts.

• Injection molding parameter selection and display: All selected injection molding parameters are shown to the process technician on an overview page. They are divided into four groups that correspond to the phases of the injection molding process. Further groups can be added if required.

• Target and reference values: In addition to the currently set target value, the reference value that was determined as optimal during the optimization of production processes or validation is stored. This reference value serves as the basis for the allowed deviations.

• Tolerance definition: Tolerances can be flexibly defined as absolute or percentage values. Alternatively, upper and lower limit values can be entered directly, from which the tolerance is automatically calculated.

• Storage and protection: All defined settings are saved in the part data record. As soon as Parameter-Limits is activated, injection molding parameters can no longer be changed outside the defined process window.

Parameter-Limits offers numerous advantages for injection molding and the control of injection molding parameters:

• Safety through validation: The validated process window is displayed directly on the machine and ensures that changes are only made within this area.

• Preventive protection against operating errors: Adjustments to the process window can only be made by authorized employees. This prevents incorrect settings from being made in advance.

• Increased efficiency: All tolerances are immediately available after a mold change without the need to make any new settings.

• Reduction of rejects: By preventing incorrect process settings, scrap production is minimized, thereby optimizing production processes.

For more detailed technical information on injection molding solutions for contract manufacturers, visit our page about Technical Injection Molding.

SLG was able to significantly optimize its production processes. The most important results:

• Reduction of scrap: Scrap was reduced by 0.5%, improving production quality and efficiency.

• Increase in production volume: SLG increased its production volume by 60,000 parts per year, better meeting market demands.

• Optimization of injection molding parameters: Adjusting the parameters of the injection molding machines led to a significant improvement in operational stability.

• Increase in machine availability: Machine availability increased by 12%, reducing downtime and making more efficient use of resources.

• Increase in equipment efficiency: Equipment efficiency was increased from 73% to 85%, resulting in better utilization of production capacity.

If you want to learn more about how digital solutions ensure the success of our customers in plastic production, read our article: Practical success guaranteed: Digital solutions for plastics production.