Wittmann Battenfeld Features EcoPower B8X Press at Fakuma

Wittmann Battenfeld will introduce new products and reinforce its commitment to energy efficiency at Fakuma 2023, according to Michael Wittmann, president of Wittmann Technology, and Rainer Weingraber, president and CEO of Wittmann Battenfeld. The two executives conducted an online press conference on Oct. 12 outlining the company’s plans for the Oct. 17 to 21 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The company’s display in hall B1 booth 1204 will include four injection molding machines with complete work cells, eight robots, and more than 50 auxiliaries.

“We have been working to reduce energy consumption for 10 years and it continues to be a big topic for us,” Wittmann said. “Our latest development is the EcoPower B8X featuring a new toggle with shorter cycle times, a swiveling injection unit for better accessibility, and easy retrofitting options.”

The machine achieves high performance and repeatability with low energy consumption, he said. This applies to the all-electric machines from the EcoPower and MicroPower series, as well as the servo-hydraulic SmartPower models.

Oil lubrication reduces mechanical resistance

The new injection unit on the B8X is pivotable and oil-lubricated instead of grease-lubricated, which reduces mechanical resistance. The design of the toggle lever was optimized for improved service life. Faster injection units combined with a highly dynamic toggle lever enable very short cycle times, the company said.

The B8X control system enables a higher internal clock frequency, which results in shorter response times to sensor signals and improved reproducibility of parts. The EcoPower B8X will be available in Europe in clamping force sizes from 550 to 1800 kN after the show.

At Fakuma, the company will demonstrate an EcoPower B8X 110/525 in combination with the new Wittmann sprue picker WX90, designed as an insider cell with an integrated parts chute and S-Max screenless granulator, plus a WFC120 flow controller. This production cell will produce a bracket for a climbing net using an eight-cavity mold supplied by Austrian company Lechner.

EcoPower DC runs on salt battery technology

The company also will introduce the EcoPower DC (direct current) machine, which is operated with the latest salt battery technology. This technology will be demonstrated at the show on an EcoPower 180/750+ B8X with a single-cavity mold manufacturing a polypropylene drainage body part. The part will be removed by a modified WX142 robot, which draws its power supply directly from the interim DC voltage circuit of the EcoPower and returns surplus energy to the interim circuit when the axes are delayed.

During this live presentation of the DC technology, the machine remains disconnected from the main electrical network of the exhibit hall and is powered independently via a solar power storage battery consisting of ecological salt battery technology supplied by Innovenergy. The battery has a capacity of more than 45 kWh, which is more than enough for eight hours of continuous machine operation, the company said.

Other injection molding machines on display at Fakuma include: