As a result of climate change and rising energy and raw material prices, energy savings and the efficient use of resources have become a key issue for entire branches of industry. Increasing energy and resource efficiency is also more necessary than ever to maintain international competitiveness. This is precisely where the ENK research project - energy-efficient and sustainable production of plastic components - comes in. The project is funded as part of the German government's 7th Energy Research Program with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). Project Management Jülich (PTJ) is the project sponsor. The project is being funded with a total of 2.57 million euros.
Reduce energy consumption by 30 %
The project aims to significantly improve energy efficiency in the plastics processing industry. In view of the critical debate on climate protection and rising energy costs, which particularly affect the production of plastic components, the project addresses one of the main problems facing the industry. The topic of the project directly affects over 2,900 companies and 320,000 employees in Germany.
The project consortium, which consists of six companies and a research institute at Leibniz Universität Hannover, is pursuing the goal of reducing the use of electrical energy in the production of plastic components by at least 30%. This is to be achieved through the development of highly efficient tool technology for injection molding and profile extrusion as well as machine technology based on AI. A process monitoring system based on machine learning to detect avoidable energy consumption, in combination with an AI-based machine control system, will enable a more precise control and thus a significant reduction in energy consumption in plastics processing processes. The system will initially be implemented and tested in the machinery of the IKK - Institute for Plastics and Circular Economy - and used to produce a demonstrator before being transferred to industrial manufacturing processes.
Minimizing inefficiencies and energy losses
At the level of company organization, a new type of model is to be developed and tested that maps energy, sustainability and value creation aspects along the production chain and can be used to identify and minimize inefficiencies and energy losses. The use of recyclates and the combination of the compounding and injection molding processes in one machine are also part of the project content.
The focus of the development tasks in the project is on the energy-intensive processes of compounding, profile extrusion and injection molding. The starting point of the development are representative real processes from the industry.
The joint project is being carried out by the partners
- Konstruktionsbüro Hein GmbH, Neustadt am Rübenberge (consortium leader)
- KraussMaffei Extrusion GmbH, Laatzen, and KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, Munich
- Iba AG, Fürth
- Hankensbütteler Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH & Co. KG, Hankensbüttel
- Profex Kunststoffe GmbH, Uetze
- Grean GmbH, Garbsen
- Institute for Plastics and Recycling Technology (IKK) at Leibniz Universität Hannover
- Frötek-Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Osterode (assoc. partner)