Key Highlights:
- At FAKUMA 2024, the SKZ experts will be covering familiar topics such as plastics and process training, research and development services, plastics-related testing and management certification for companies in the plastics industry.
- The SKZ will also be presenting self-made products for visitors to take away including frisbees which are the result of a joint industrial project between the SKZ and GHD Präzisions-Formenbau GmbH & Co. KG.
- Visitors will also see a watchmaker's magnifying glass made from silicone which realised two complex silicone moulded parts, a watchmaker's magnifying glass (weight 6 g) and a coffee cup cover, in one tool.
SKZ
From October 15 to 19, 2024, the industry highlight of the plastics industry, FAKUMA, will once again take place in Friedrichshafen. The SKZ experts will be covering familiar topics such as plastics and process training, research and development services, plastics-related testing and management certification for companies in the plastics industry. As a special highlight, the SKZ will be presenting self-made products to take away.
The SKZ has come up with something special for this year's FAKUMA: Together with its network partner Koenig & Bauer Coding GmbH, frisbees will be printed and customised live on site. The frisbees, which were all manufactured at the SKZ, are the result of a joint industrial project between the SKZ and GHD Präzisions-Formenbau GmbH & Co. KG and shows a classic two-component part made from a hard/soft combination, which is produced in a single mould using the transfer process.
Multi-component technology faces challenges
“In recent decades, we at SKZ have developed and optimised the composite adhesion between thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers down to the last detail. Now, however, the question is how we can separate the two components again at the end of the life cycle. Multi-component technology faces a challenging task in the course of the circular economy,” said Bernhard Hennrich, group manager injection moulding research at SKZ.
“Friedrichshafen is known for the best weather during the trade fair and I'm looking forward to seeing how quickly our frisbee rings will be used in the courtyard between the exhibition halls. We are delighted that Koenig & Bauer Coding will also be customising the sports equipment live at the SKZ stand,” added Matthias Ruff, sales manager education and research, with anticipation.
SKZ presents innovative injection moulding tool
Visitors can also look forward to another give-away at the SKZ stand: a watchmaker's magnifying glass made from silicone. The product was also created in an industrial project at the SKZ with the aim of realising two complex silicone moulded parts, a watchmaker's magnifying glass (weight 6 g) and a coffee cup cover (weight 28 g), in just one tool. The project consortium worked on an LSR injection moulding machine from KraussMaffei with a dosing system from NEXUS in the SKZ model factory. The project partners were Meusburger Georg GmbH & Co KG, Bestenlehrer GmbH, GÜNTHER Heisskanaltechnik GmbH and toolcraft AG. The tool - an example of successful cooperation in the plastics industry - is currently in use at the SKZ Plastics Center. “The realisation of the silicone tool for magnifying glasses and coffee lids is a great achievement by the project partners. It may look simple, but in reality there is so much innovative work behind producing the two items in just one shot. I am delighted that we can pass the magnifying glass on to our guests,” said Ruff.
Driving forward the possible uses of liquid silicone
Bernhard Hennrich added: “The impending PFAS ban and the increased requirements in the field of electromobility will continue to drive forward the possible applications of liquid silicone.” According to Hennrich, the material is enjoying increased demand, particularly in the field of sealing and electrical insulation.