REA Elektronik is project partner for plastics production of the future
Digital and sustainable production line with biomaterials for research purposes in the AI real laboratory of Fraunhofer IOSB-INA
Mühltal/Lemgo, June 22, 2021 - The plastics production of the future is digital thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). And it is sustainable because it develops products fromCO2-neutral, plant-based materials - which can also be reused and recycled. Not a dream of the future, but already a reality that should serve as a model for many companies: The AI real laboratory at SmartFactoryOWL in Lemgo will soon be launching a production facility that performs all of this. Included: a laser coding and marking system from REA Elektronik.
The result has what it takes to become an alternative to petroleum-based disposable cups: At the end of the production line, a reusable cup made of bioplastic leaves the production line with the color of the customer's choice and an individual design. It was developed by start-up CUNA Products, is made from renewable raw materials and can be collected and recycled via a recycling loop set up by CUNA.
What happens before that in the AI Real Lab is no less interesting: during production, data is produced that is made available to companies via an open platform to help them solve their digital issues and optimize their own processes. The AI real-world laboratory is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and has been part of SmartFactoryOWL, a joint institution of the OWL University of Applied Sciences (Ostwestfalen-Lippe) and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA (Industrial Automation Branch of the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation), since the beginning of 2020.
Fraunhofer IOSB-INA has brought together ten partners for the new demonstration project - from start-ups and SMEs to global players. The medium-sized plastics processor Hadi-Plast is responsible for production management and operation; the overall design and integration of the system technology is the responsibility of the mechanical engineering company Arburg with the participation of the global robotics manufacturer Kuka. Laser-sensitive additives are incorporated into the material: they react to the light of the fiber laser with a color change.
"Thanks to its complete suitability for Industry 4.0, our REA LASER FL fiber laser system fits seamlessly into the production environment in the AI real laboratory and creates permanent, high-contrast markings even at the highest production speeds," explains Christoph Gasiorek, Area Sales Manager at REA JET. "The fact that the fiber laser creates the markings without any consumables and is itself virtually maintenance-free, meaning it only incurs low follow-up costs, contributes to the sustainability of the entire system."
The laser-sensitive additives are incorporated into the entire material when the plastic mixture is created. Once the part is finished, the laser beam then applies its marking inline and has the greatest possible freedom: from lettering and logos to 1D and 2D Codes (QR codes, etc.), it can also change the marking motif during production and individualize and serialize products thanks to the connection to the data system
Christoph Gaisorek: "We are delighted to contribute to this pioneering project with our sustainable laser technology and hope that many plastics manufacturers will benefit from it for their own production."
