Arburg demonstrates innovative injection molding with paper

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At Fakuma 2024, in Hall A3, Arburg will demonstrate how to process so-called Paper Pearls reliably on standard Allrounders instead of plastic granules.

The innovative injection molding process with Paper Pearls, as it is called, allows for new applications and products based on paper fibers, according to Arburg. These could be attractive for the furniture industry as well as many other sectors. The exhibit in Friedrichshafen will feature an electric Allrounder 370 A, which will demonstrate injection molding of positioning tools for furniture connectors.

Early adopters from the furniture industry, cosmetics industry, as well as the household goods and toy sectors have already recognized the potential of the innovative process, as noted by Arburg. The paper injection molding and the development of "Paper Pearls" have been advanced by Arburg in collaboration with the paper and cardboard manufacturer Model. The process thus combines the long tradition of the material paper with modern injection molding technology, significantly expanding the range of sustainable and environmentally friendly injection molding products for various applications, as emphasized by Arburg. The fiber content of the Paper Pearls is over 50 percent. The main components are primary and secondary—new or recycled—paper fibers, which are mixed with bio-based and biodegradable plastic so that they can be injection molded. This process does not require plastics based on petroleum. Due to the high fiber content, the final products should have a minimum wall thickness of three millimeters, because otherwise the cavities might not completely fill. And since the paper-plastic material contains no disturbing additives, the products can be easily composted in garden compost after use.

Specifically, at the trade fair, an energy-efficient production cell around an electric Allrounder 370 A Comfort with 600 kilonewtons of clamping force will take over the process-stable and reliable manufacturing of injection-molded parts from Paper Pearls. The employed Gestica control system includes several helpful assistant functions. The "aXw Control EnergyAssist," for example, combines all essential functions of the plastifying cylinder and tool, which ensures optimized switching on and off of all heating zones. This significantly reduces the energy requirement during the heating phase and enables energy-efficient manufacturing. The exhibit manufactures the positioning tools Slot-Lock using a 2-cavity tool from Lercher in about 60 seconds cycle time. These components are usually made from conventional plastic and serve as assembly aids in the assembly of furniture. The weight of the paper injection molded parts is 19.7 grams. A linear robot system, type Multilift Select 8, removes the molded parts from the tool and places them on a conveyor belt. Furthermore, the "aXw Control RecyclatePilot" in the Gestica control system ensures a consistently constant mold filling and stable processing of alternative materials by reliably compensating for material and batch fluctuations. The digital assistant function is suitable for processing very demanding plastics, particularly post-industrial (PIR) and post-consumer recyclates (PCR). Another feature prevents underfilling and flash.