We provide innovative solutions for the medical-technical branch as well as for the packaging industry, “says Wolfgang Czizegg, CEO of Waldorf Technik. For the medical-technical branch, the company designs automation equipment downstream of injection moulding machines producing consumer articles such as contact lenses, laboratory items such as pipettes or receptacles, insulin injection pens or Petri dishes – almost any plastics part which is required in large quantities. “In the packaging industry we have opened new markets, by substituting glass and tin with plastics”, says W. Czizegg.

 

During K 2010, Waldorf Technik will be represented on three stands, clearly concentrating on medical-technical applications. Netstal stand D24 in hall 15 highlights a record breaking machine with 96 cavities: “This is the largest injection moulding line of its kind ever shown on a K exhibition,” emphasizes Wolfgang Czizegg. The system produces – at very high output – components for a medical-technical product. “The components are subject to highly stable production requirements. This is why no cavity must be shut off or plugged when a problem arises during the injection moulding process”, explains W. Czizegg. All 96 grippers for demoulding the parts are controlled separately to allow flexible reactions in case of problems. Mr. Czizegg says: “After all, if a single cavity is shut-off in the continuous quality control and surveillance procedure, the entire production cell continues its operation to ensure that the mould flow balance is maintained. The robot simply separates out those components which are eventually blocked.” In fact, the 96 perfect components are not deposited in a single common chute, but they are located in groups in 16 containers. “All perfect components are used, and in the case of a defect at a later point in time the affected batches can easily be identified and separated.“ The supplier is always ready for delivery,” reports W. Czizegg. Consistent readiness to supply is a highly important criterion. A diabetes patient, for instance, must be assured that the insulin-pen he or she is used to will always be available. And product quality must be safeguarded permanently. “Validation and readiness to supply are essential to be commercially successful. We take care of this and show on the Netstal stand how safety works in the supply chain,” says W. Czizegg. On the Sumitomo Demag stand D22 in hall 15, visitors will find a modular plant producing pipette tips in a 32-cavity mould. The automation unit can be adapted to 64-cavity production. Demoulding and cavity-oriented deposition of the parts is demonstrated. A camera unit safeguards complete control in this rather open system – and 100% product quality including pipette geometry is high-end priority: “The principle is a fully modular design. No matter which additional functions are required – such as filter attachments, various further quality surveillance checks or the formation of packaging units – these functions can be added  or supplemented according to individual customer specifications,” explains W. Czizegg. In addition to these two exhibits on the Netstal and Sumitomo Demag stands, Waldorf Technik maintains an information stand within the WVIB community in hall 7A, stand B02.