Chinaplas 2023: Lindauer DORNIER shows new developments for particularly energy-efficient & economical film production
After a two-year pandemic break, Chinaplas, Asia's largest plastics trade fair, will be held again in Shenzhen from 17 to 20 April. Lindauer DORNIER (hall 10, booth F37) has used the time since the last venue to develop new parts and components for more energy-efficient and economical film production. The German machine and plant manufacturer will present its innovative new developments at the 35th Chinaplas, including a new conversion catalogue for existing plants.
In view of the high energy prices prevalent in many places, the modernisation of existing film stretching lines under aspects of energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important. "Energy is currently a hot topic, also for conversions", says Bernhard Wandinger, Head of Product Line Specialty Machines at DORNIER. The demand for retrofitting older plants to reduce their energy consumption has recently risen noticeably. Sustainability and climate protection aspects are playing an increasingly important role when considering a conversion.
Component innovations: Less wear, lower energy costs
In Shenzhen, the family-owned company is also presenting a new type of heat exchanger for the air guiding system of the transverse stretching machine. In future, it will be used to feed the waste heat from film production more efficiently into the heating of the film. "This saves primary energy and permanently reduces energy costs," says product line manager Wandinger. This innovative component can also be easily retrofitted to existing plants. Another innovation from DORNIER that film manufacturers are invited to find out about at Chinaplas: the patented belt clip closer. It will in future be used to close the clips in DORNIER film stretching lines. Up to 2,800 such clips grip and transport the film through the 150 meter long film production lines. "Our new belt clip closer closes the clip flaps much more gently," Wandinger explains. This allows significantly higher production speeds of the lines without major wear.
Digitization: Ordering spare parts with a few clicks via myDoX®
The myDoX® customer portal (powered by SAP HANA), which is based on the latest database technology, has also been further expanded. Among other things, customers use the portal to quick- and easily interact with the sales and service teams at the company headquarters in Lindau or at DORNIERs Chinese subsidiary in Shanghai. Film manufacturers are using the digital tool more and more intensively on site, for example to access the integrated spare parts catalogue. In addition, the technical documentation of the film production lines is available in myDoX® – paperless and directly at the line. "Even though a lot can be done digitally around our plants today, we are very much looking forward to finally being able to meet our customers from China and Asia in person again at Chinaplas," says Bernhard Wandinger.
New conversion catalogue for existing lines
In order to give film producers a better overview of existing possibilities for optimizing their film production lines in the future, DORNIER will present a new conversion catalogue at Chinaplas. In this catalogue, the long-established machine and plant manufacturer has detailed numerous upgrades and modernizations that make film production with existing technology more energy-efficient, economical and stable. For example, it includes an improved high-performance cooling roller for the DORNIER longitudinal stretching machine. Because it has significantly larger passages for the cooling water, the film cools down faster than before after having been stretched in the longitudinal direction. "This makes the film production process more stable overall," Wandinger explains. This roller, which is now standard in DORNIER film stretching lines, can easily be retrofitted to older lines as well as other efficiency-enhancing components that DORNIER developed during the Chinaplas break.
Customized systems for lightweight composite construction
New developments of the DORNIER Composite Systems branch will also play a role at the Chinaplas. This product line combines the unique know-how of DORNIERs weaving machine and film stretching line divisions to manufacture machines for the production of high-quality fiber composite structures and components. "In view of the increasing demands for sustainability and energy efficiency, enquiries for tailor-made plants for composite lightweight construction are noticeably increasing," says Product Line Manager Dr. Josef Klingele. Whether in vehicles, aeroplanes or wind turbines – fibre-reinforced composites ensure greater lightness, economy and sustainability everywhere. According to Klingele, future-proof lightweight composite construction is not only oriented towards the material itself – an optimized interaction of material, process and application is also important. With its PROTOS® (Polymer and Roving to Sheet) and TRITOS® (Textile Roving into Three-dimensionally Oriented Structure) production systems, DORNIER will therefore present integral solutions for the economical production of high-quality and customized fiber composite structures at the Chinaplas.
