Wittmann upgrades dryers with enhanced communications protocols
By Karen Hanna
In a trend that could make the equipment easier to use, communications have become a top talking point among auxiliary makers, which have been rolling out innovations to help their equipment better interact within the plant environment. Dryers are no exception.
As standard, Wittmann 4.0 technologies, including new dryers, drying hoppers and integrated conveying technologies, now can be connected via OPC-UA communications protocols to the company’s Unilog B8 control system for its injection molding machines. The connection gives users access to data about the production and process, equipment status and alarm states; it also allows users to change the state of the equipment, edit production parameters and build a material library. With this connectivity, users can maintain process consistency.
The CARD — the Compressed Air Resin Dryer — is the newest among the company’s dryers. The CARD series includes seven models, with hopper volumes ranging from 1 liter to 3,500 liters and potential hourly throughputs ranging from 5.6 ounces to 2,200 pounds per hour. Its most recent features include a number of new modes: A sleep mode protects the resin from over drying if the press unexpectedly shuts down; a countdown mode sends a signal to the injection molding machine to let it know how long the dryer has been operating and whether the resin is dry enough; and a power mode overrides the dryer’s precise digital control to provide constant drying of very hygroscopic resins such as polyamide. In addition, during its “rampen” mode, the dryer raises its temperature in stages to protect sensitive resins from becoming sticky.
Karen Hanna, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Wittmann Battenfeld Inc., Torrington, Conn., 860-496-9603, www.wittmann-group.com
Karen Hanna | Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.
