KraussMaffei features cut down on energy use, make operation easier
By Karen Hanna
KraussMaffei — a company formed by the consolidation of two rival locomotive makers — is steaming into the future with a special edition of its CX-series injection molding machines (IMMs).
Its special 185th anniversary presses come with four free features to reduce operating costs and increase production quality. The features — which have proved popular even among customers who have had to pay extra for them — are available for presses in the line with clamping forces ranging from about 50 tons to 240 tons.
"Our customers appreciate the CX series machines for their efficiency, compact design and incredible versatility,” said Manuel von Varchmin, director of IMM global sales and area sales for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “In the special edition, in addition to these benefits, we now offer a range of functions that concretely help users with the most pressing issues of the moment, such as energy costs and the shortage of skilled workers.”
The features include:
- The BluePower servo drive, which controls the pumps according to current demand or energy requirements. With the feature, users can realize lower operating costs, and machines emit less carbon dioxide.
- BluePower insulating sleeves covering the plasticizing cylinder that improve process stability by better controlling the temperature profile there. They also reduce warm-up time by up to 30 percent.
- The APCplus (Adaptive Process Control) machine function, designed to slash defect rates by continuously analyzing the molding process and quickly compensating for fluctuations in melt viscosity.
- The smartOperation machine function, which enables intuitive control of the entire injection molding process, without requiring experienced operators.
To secure the APCplus and smartOperation, customers must agree to contracts within 185 days of the official start of the CX#185 campaign, which began May 9.
“The most pressing issues of the moment our customers are facing are energy costs and shortage of skilled workers,” von Varchmin said. “Therefore, the features such as BluePower servodrive, the machine function APCplus or smartOperation are perfect answers to these demands.”
In addition to the special features in the anniversary package, KraussMaffei is offering a new pay-per-use model, called flexPay.
The new presses are appropriate for producing an array of items, including sustainable coasters for coffee cups made from biopolymers and fastening material for membranes in tunnel construction made from recycled marine plastic.
“Sustainabilitiy of course plays a decisive role in the strategy of KraussMaffei. Therefore, our machines includes several features which help, for example, to save energy or processing recyclates,” von Varchmin said.
According to the company’s website, Joseph Anton (J.A.) von Maffei acquired Munich's first machine factory in 1838, laying the groundwork for what would become KraussMaffei. Maffei’s Eisenwerk Hirschau company produced its first locomotive in 1841. Later, in 1867, a company founded by Georg von Krauss received accolades for its first locomotive, when it won a gold medal for its advanced design at the World's Fair in Paris.
In the throes of the Great Depression, in 1931, Krauss und Comp. took over J.A. Maffei, forming Lokomotivfabrik Krauss & Comp. - J.A. Maffei A.-G. Munich. Nine years later, the company changed its name to Krauss-Maffei AG.
Karen Hanna, senior staff reporter
Contact:
KraussMaffei Corp., Florence, Ky., 859-283-0200, www.kraussmaffei.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.
