APCplus from KraussMaffei: Cruise Control for Your Injection Moulding Process

APCplus intelligently cancels out external influences ensuring a consistent and repeatable injection moulding process, regardless of temperature, humidity or material quality fluctuations. Read this short feature to learn how APCplus from KraussMaffei is saving customers in the UK time and money, on the path to zero defect production.

Stability, precision, cost-efficiency and zero defects. The core principles of any effective manufacturing process, and now a reality with APCplus from KraussMaffei.

At the heart of APCplus lies the principle of Adaptive Process Control, similar to the cruise control system of an automobile. Just as cruise control maintains a car’s speed regardless of terrain, APCplus ensures consistent shot weight and component quality, regardless of external factors.

KraussMaffei’s patented APCplus technology analyses and dynamically regulates your injection moulding process in real-time, automatically adjusting and optimising process parameters for every single shot, resulting in consistent and high-quality results, shot after shot.

APCplus at a Glance: Minimise External Influence, Maximise Productivity

• Automatically adjust to account for external influences shot after shot
• Achieve consistently high quality with intelligent production control
• Significant increase in good parts due to improved process stability
• Detailed process information automatically recorded every shot
• Easy adoption of recycled materials with high process consistency
• Reduced lifecycle costs due to less material consumption and waste

Which External Factors Influence My Process?

Every fluctuation in external factors can directly lead to changes in fluid viscosity between cycles, leading to a change in polymer behaviour in the mould.

With fixed process parameters, these fluctuations are not accounted for and could result in defects and inconsistencies in the final components.

Adjusting in Real-Time

APCplus analyses and continually compares the current process state with the configured reference curve.

The change-over point and the holding pressure profile are automatically adjusted for every single shot, with no operator intervention required.

With all external fluctuations cancelled out in real-time, the mould fills completely and consistently, providing higher quality parts and a vast reduction in reject rate.

Consistency in Recycled Materials

APCplus also shines when it comes to inconsistent materials – a common feature of recycled polymer grades. Regardless of the proportion and properties of your recycled materials, APCplus continues to react to fluctuations and reliably stabilises component weight. (See below image). With APCplus you can easily master sophisticated processes even when using high proportions of recycled materials.

Customer Example: Significant Savings and Scrap Reduction

To help visualise the savings you could expect with APCplus, the below real-world example was recently calculated for a customer by KraussMaffei UK, based on a production run of 20,000 components.

This example represents 26 days of production to manufacture 20,000 products, for a total saving of £1826, or a £70.23 saving every day. For a typical 48-week, 5-day week manufacturer, this represents an annual saving potential of £16,855, without factoring in additional savings such as purging, training and more.

Calculate Your Own APCplus Advantage

APCplus technology from KraussMaffei enables significant reductions in your manufacturing costs, and we invite you to test the potential savings yourself using your personal production parameters.

These calculations are made simple with KraussMaffei’s digital APCplus calculator, available to use for free by clicking here.

Are you ready for a competitive edge in injection moulding? Reach out to the KraussMaffei UK team today to discuss how APCplus will revolutionise your injection moulding production processes.

Read more news from KraussMaffei here.

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