Engel has released details of what the injection moulding machine manufacturer will be featuring at the upcoming K Show 2019.
The K fair will be held 16-23 October at Messe Dusseldorf.
The Austrian injection moulding specialist has long-offered the iQ series of machine control systems, but will extend the range with new functionalities.
The new iQ process observer goes beyond monitoring and analysis of individual moulding operations to offer a comprehensive overview of the processes used to deliver a given product batch.
This makes it possible to identify issues with the production process at an earlier stage and rectify those problems before they can affect the full batch.
Speaking about the iQ process observer, Paul Kapeller, product manager for digital solutions at Engel, said: “The iQ process observer is currently the only assistance system on the market based on live data, which actively indicates changes in the process and counterproductive settings, helping to improve stability throughout the process.”
In total, the iQ process observer continuously analyses several hundred process parameters across each of the four key phases of injection moulding – plasticising, injection, cooling and demoulding.
The system compares and contrasts machine performance with previous results to determine if there is an on-going issue. Machine operators can be alerted by text message if a machine falls out of a given performance range.
The results of the analysis are immediately available on the moulding machine’s CC300 control unit and the Engel e-connect customer portal.