The Fakuma 2018 exhibition will bring together about 1,900 well-known exhibitors to showcase modern solutions for high quality plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany from October 16th to 20th, 2018. Innovation and advanced technology in the entire value chain of the plastics industry will also be unveiled for the audience.

Two major trends in the plastics industry are increasing efficiency and digitization. Saving energy and materials has become a major concern for plastics processors in reducing production costs and increasing sustainability. In addition, plastic processing companies have become more and more common in adopting global synergy strategies, which also poses a huge challenge to connectivity.

In order to achieve higher efficiency and connectivity, the automation and digitization of the machining process is also increasing. Demand for industrial 4.0 compatible systems capable of controlling production processes and quality online is growing rapidly.

At the show, many machine builders and system suppliers will introduce advanced smart manufacturing solutions. For example, Arburg developed a new auxiliary system for smart machines and will showcase it at the company booth. The company’s new Gestica control system with the 2018 Red Dot Award and Selogica ND (new design) will also be on display, and the company will also demonstrate the potential of AR in smart services.

In addition, in the booth-specific display area, Sepro will showcase its Visual Control Platform. Developed for injection molding, this open robotic control system integrates the robot control system with the injection molding machine control system. Viewers can also preview Sepro’s new control developments, such as the OptiCycle, a control plug-in that automatically optimizes the robot cycle, and the ability to connect customers and their robots to help troubleshoot the application Live Support. Both will be used in conjunction with the new and existing Visuals on the existing robot.

At the same time, an EcoPower 90/350 will showcase the full integration of Wittmann 4.0, with the robot and Unilog B8 control system integrated with all connected peripherals. The special feature is that the spreadsheet will be used in the Unilog B8 control system. The machine will also be equipped with the Wittmann Battenfeld software packages HiQ-Flow, HiQ-Melt and HiQ-Metering, and will showcase the functionality of these packages at the show. In addition, the machine is equipped with a CMS condition monitoring system.

At the show, ENGEL will demonstrate how highly integrated production units use ABS to produce two-piece calipers. During the demonstration, the company will demonstrate the importance of adaptive assist systems in the field of intelligent machines. One of the problems in the production process of this product is that the injection amount of the two components varies widely. In order to produce qualified parts after the first injection, the injection molding machine will continuously optimize itself with the help of the three intelligent auxiliary systems of the inject 4.0 program.

Italian manufacturer Friul Filiere will present the new extrusion line Futura40 at Fakuma 2018. One of the highlights of the new line is that it is fully compliant with Industry 4.0 and is equipped with PLC and Friul Filiere software to centrally control the entire process on the extruder. Thanks to the Ethernet installed on the machine, the software can also be integrated with the Remote Assistance service, which means that the Remote Assistance service can be provided in real time from anywhere.

Moretto will launch its latest innovation “Efficiency 4.0” at this year’s Fakuma show. For the company, “Efficiency 4.0” refers to a factory consisting of advanced machinery and solutions. The various equipment in the plant are connected and integrated with each other through a monitoring system to ensure complete control of the process.