All of the molding machines on the Boy booth (A7/7101) will be cross-linked via an integrated Ethernet interface. For Fakuma, BOY has partnered with ProSeS BDE GmbH, whose systems can be customized to suit individual operations and enable production planning and control, quality control, and operational cost accounting. The software accesses the internal Boy Procan Alpha machine control, and machine settings, operating parameters and production data recorded by the machine's control system, such as injection volume, temperatures, pressures and so forth, can be recorded and reused. The data can be accessed from any workstation with online access via the IP address of the Boy injection molding machine and can be applied to downstream BDE functions.

Boy also will introduce an online energy calculator at the event in Friedrichshafen, Germany, next month. The calculator functions without additional programs and does not need to be connected to machine portals. Operators only need to input a handful of values via the Boy app to determine calculated cycle times, material throughput per hour and energy consumption.

Industry 4.0 is a hot topic in manufacturing right now, and Boy will demonstrate how that concept is being applied to injection molding machines and peripheral devices. At Fakuma, toothbrush bodies will be molded on a Boy 60 E system and removed by a Kuka six-axis IIWA robot without the customary safety cage. Integrated torque sensor technology stops the robot's movement as soon as its arm feels an obstacle. Through this demonstration, Boy illustrates how the human-robot collaboration can work in a present-day production environment.

Finally, the company promises a surprise for booth visitors. "What it is, exactly, we don´t want to reveal at the moment," says Alfred Schiffer, Managing Partner. He adds, however, that it is a new online tool that will make the "working life for many plastic processors easier and more comfortable."

Fakuma 2015 will be held at the Friedrichshafen Messe from October 13 to 17. For more information about the event, go to the Fakuma website.