Powerful Plastic Molding Technology: The Complete sensXPERT Solution
sensXPERT Material Characterization Sensors
sensXPERT’s material characterization sensors are designed to be in constant and direct contact with the raw material in the mold. The sensors wield dielectric analysis, which allows them to measure and monitor both temperature and material behavior during processing.
With this valuable, real-time data, sensXPERT can calculate and predict important parameters such as degree of cure/crystallization, glass transition temperature and other relevant thermal/mechanical properties of the in-mold material.
The sensors connect directly to the sensXPERT Edge Device and can be complemented with third-party sensors that capture data for additional parameters during the plastics manufacturing process. These parameters include mold temperature, pressure, ambient temperature, and humidity.
Each sensXPERT material characterization sensor is engineered to be highly durable and can withstand the extreme conditions inside the mold. It can stably operate in temperatures of up to 280°C and under a constant pressure of up to 300 bar.
sensXPERT Edge Device
The sensXPERT Edge Device connects with the sensXPERT material characterization sensors within the mold – including any other third-party sensors. For this reason, the edge device has been compactly designed, so as to be placed in close proximity to the machine it is connected to. Additionally, it has been robustly engineered to meet the intense industrial demands of a manufacturing environment.
The edge device hosts a range of measuring electronics, a local processing unit, and a locally accessible edge device interface. This plastic molding technology can process both digital and analogue signals, making it a very stable and easy-to-implement solution for a wide range of machines. Accordingly, ports for the most widely used industrial interfaces have also been added, namely OPC-UA, PROFIBUS and PROFINET. Whether it is installed in new machines featuring state-of-the-art interfaces, or retrofitted onto existing legacy setups, sensXPERT can conduct dielectric cure monitoring, efficiently gather data, and accurately predict the degree of cure/crystallization in almost any plastics manufacturing process.
During production, the edge device is equipped with advanced machine learning models, which are used to predict material behavior while the product forms in the mold. This in turn enables dynamic and adaptive process control should any previously unforeseen changes be detected during production, e.g., material aging, shrinkage, ambient temperature, humidity, etc.
Remote customer support is also directly available through the sensXPERT Edge Device. So, should you require any assistance from us, there’s no need for a complex and time-consuming site visit.
sensXPERT WebApp
Essentially, the sensXPERT WebApp is an interface that allows a machine operator to monitor the manufacturing process in real time.
sensXPERT’s plastic molding technology makes this possible by collecting process and material behavior data on every part produced. This data is combined on a central platform; the interface. Machine learning models – capable of assessing a huge variety of polymer materials and manufacturing processes – then use this data to accurately predict degree of cure or crystallization, glass transition temperature, and other relevant thermal/mechanical properties of the in-mold material.
Crucially, these values are predicted across a future time span to pinpoint the exact moment at which a part will reach the desired degree of cure/crystallization.
Based on all of this, the WebApp provides operators with dielectric cure monitoring and valuable insights to make informed decisions and respond accordingly in their manufacturing process.
sensXPERT Digital Cloud Service
The sensXPERT Digital Cloud Service, developed in partnership with AWS, is an online environment for Manufacturing 4.0.
At the most basic level, the Cloud Service validates and stores all process data (dielectric and machine) and calculations via a REST API. This is used to visualize an overview of different processes and multiple machines – even if they are located in separate factories or countries – via a series of dashboards. The quality dashboard, in particular, highlights any parameter variations and helps operators rapidly identify the cause of errors in production, which might have led to downtime. Other dashboards can also be tailored to distinguish important process trends and performance indicators based on specified parameters.
Moreover, the Cloud Service also retrains and refines the machine learning models used on the edge device. The retraining process is triggered when a change in manufacturing conditions is detected, i.e., when new data is available. Once a machine learning model has been retrained, a user can then choose to have it immediately updated on the relevant sensXPERT Edge Device.
All things considered, the sensXPERT Digital Cloud Service facilitates interconnectivity across multiple manufacturing locations, allowing individual machines to learn from each other. By spanning the entire manufacturing network, users can also log into the Cloud Service to remotely correlate and evaluate manufacturing data from multiple sites around the globe. There is even the facility to download all the measurement data previously recorded by sensXPERT’s plastic processing solution.
User management and permission settings can also be administered via the sensXPERT Digital Cloud Service.
Features Built for industry 4.0
In-mold dielectric cure monitoring
Tap into sensXPERT’s powerful in-mold dielectric analysis data for unparalleled insight into real-time material behavior. Understand what’s happening inside the mold and achieve dynamic control over your plastics manufacturing process.
Process tracking
With sensXPERT’s plastic molding technology, you can now plug into and easily utilize vast amounts of live data from multiple sources around and inside your mold to benefit from a more holistic and transparent view of your entire process in real time.
Process optimization
By leveraging real-time material characterization and data analytics, sensXPERT wields advanced machine learning algorithms to achieve process optimization like never before. Take full control of your process and unlock a new level of productivity and sustainability.
Plastics manufacturing processes that can benefit from sensXPERT
Materials Supported by sensXPERT
With thermosets, sensXPERT focuses on chemical reactions – the so-called “curing”- and material changes during molding. The versatility of dielectric signals recorded by sensXPERT’s sensors, which are in direct material contact during molding, allows sensXPERT to capture in-process material behavior. This includes mixing ratio effects and the effects on curing, which conventional DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) or DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) techniques cannot capture. sensXPERT is experienced in successfully working with a wide range of thermosets, from epoxies, polyurethanes, phenolics to unsaturated polyesters.
Challenges when using thermosets:
The manufacturing of thermoset composites presents several challenges due to factors such as the utilization of novel resin formulations and the chemical reactions involved in combining reinforcements and fillers. Additionally, there is a need for faster reactions and shorter cycle times, and the process must accommodate environmental variations whilst meeting the unique specifications of the component being produced.
How sensXPERT solves this challenge:
sensXPERT’s plastic molding technology follows the chemical reaction of the material during molding to link design, manufacturing, digitalization, and quality control.
Relevant industries:
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Automotive & e-mobility: semiconductor encapsulation, e-motor components, gear housing, electric power trains, lightweight structural components, and applications requiring low vibrations, low noise and improved heat dissipation.
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Aerospace & Defense: composite fuselage sections, frame structural reinforcements, and rear fuselage.
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Electrical, building, and construction: construction equipment panels, heat shields, electric enclosures, load breakers, disk breakers, along with pipes and sewer rehabilitation using UV light liners.
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Renewable energy: wind turbine structural components, heat shields or encapsulation, frames for silicon panels, roof tiles and electrical enclosures used for solar energy.
In terms of thermoplastics, sensXPERT focuses on detecting phase changes during melting and crystallization, as well as the glass transition temperature and other relevant parameters.
Challenges when using thermoplastics:
Manufacturing that uses thermoplastics is confronted with numerous obstacles, such as stiff competition and cost reduction pressures. The integration of new blends and compound formulations, alongside the inclusion of pre- and post-consumer recycled materials, each with their intricate thermal histories and compositions, presents additional difficulties. Furthermore, environmental factors exert a considerable influence, and the material’s behavior inside the mold is not yet fully comprehended.
How sensXPERT solves this challenge:
sensXPERT aims to track the thermoplastic material throughout the molding process by integrating processing, material science, and digitalization to minimize manufacturing scrap and quality control complications. Particularly with sensXPERT’s material characterization sensors, various manufacturing processes such as injection molding and its variants, primary recycling, extrusion, blending, primary and secondary recycling, and compounding can all reap significant benefits. We are currently focusing on the technical applications of polyamides and their variations, such as aramids, nylon, and Kevlar and primary and secondary recycling with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) and support molders. The challenge here is to ensure a stable manufacturing process.
Relevant industries:
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Automotive & e-mobility: transmission parts, fuel tanks, lubricant tanks, and parts that provide insulation, periodic fatigue resistance and wear resistance.
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Electrical, building, and construction: electrical tool housings, escalator handrails
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Primary recycling: extrusion of pre-consumer or pure polymer streams.
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Secondary recycling:sorting polymer waste streams, reducing the size of the polymer waste, and then extruding the material.
Similar to thermosets, sensXPERT’s plastic molding technology concentrates on chemical reactions – the so-called “vulcanization” – and material alterations during elastomer processing. The adaptability of dielectric signals recorded by sensXPERT sensors, which are in direct contact with the material during molding, enables sensXPERT to record the material’s behavior during processing. This includes the impact of mixing ratios and vulcanization, which conventional DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) or DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) techniques cannot detect. sensXPERT has extensive experience with nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile butadiene (HNBR), ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM), fluoroelastomer (FKM) and liquid silicone rubber (LSR).
Challenges when using elastomers:
The production of elastomer products entails numerous obstacles. Firstly, there’s the complex nature of the chemical reaction to consider, particularly when it is combined with a high filler content. Another potential challenge is the uneven mixing process used to produce pre-vulcanized elastomers. Finally, it is also worth mentioning the effects of unforeseen processing and environmental fluctuations on the finished product’s required specifications.
How sensXPERT solves this challenge:
sensXPERT helps manufacturers optimize their reaction injection molding (RIM) and extrusion processes, including variations of these specific manufacturing processes. It is important to remember that our portfolio continues to expand, especially as we strive to follow the chemical reaction of the component during molding, linking design, manufacturing, digitalization, and quality control.
Relevant industries:
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Automotive & e-mobility:seals, gaskets, o-rings, pipes, hoses, vibration damping applications, and bushings.
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Electrical, building, and construction: load breakers, cords, tubing, power transformers, and parts that provide electrical and thermal insulation/damping.
sensXPERT’s plastic processing solution concentrates on chemical reactions and material alterations during composite production. The variability in dielectric signals recorded by sensXPERT sensors, which are in direct material contact during molding, allows sensXPERT to capture in-process material behavior. This includes mixing ratio effects and the effects on curing, which conventional DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) or DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) techniques cannot capture. sensXPERT is experienced in successfully working with a wide range of composites including carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and glass fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRP).
Challenges when using composites:
Composite materials are often used in high-performance applications and are, accordingly, required to withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and stress. Additionally, the manufacturing of composites presents several challenges due to factors such as the utilization of novel resin formulations and the chemical reactions involved in combining reinforcements and fillers. Additionally, there is a need for shorter cycle times, improved product quality, and the process must accommodate environmental variations whilst meeting the unique specifications of the component being produced.
How sensXPERT solves these challenges:
sensXPERT’s plastic molding technology follows the chemical reaction of the material during molding to link design, manufacturing, digitalization, and quality control.
Relevant industries:
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Automotive & e-mobility: lightweight structural components, and applications requiring low vibrations, low noise and improved heat dissipation.
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Aerospace & Defense: composite fuselage sections, frame structural reinforcements, and rear fuselage.
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Renewable energy: wind turbine structural components.
Material benefits
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