Wittmann Battenfeld Delivers Sustainable Injection Moulding Technology for FUSO

Joh. Fuchs & Sohn – FUSO– was established in 1947 in Waidhofen on the river Ybbs in Lower Austria. Today the family-owned company makes highly sophisticated plastic parts from a great variety of materials, including high-temperature plastics, for many different sectors of industry. To make all these parts, several injection moulding machines ranging from 450 to 5,200 kN in clamping force are in operation, 17 of which have come from WITTMANN BATTENFELD

Joh. Fuchs & Sohn – FUSO – was established in 1947 in Waidhofen on the river Ybbs in Lower Austria. In 1964, it started into plastic injection moulding by producing orange-coloured lids for Ovomaltine cans. Today, the family-owned company managed by its CEO Maximilian Högn and its CSO Klaus Großtesner makes highly sophisticated plastic parts from a great variety of materials, including high-temperature plastics, for many different sectors of industry, with about 80 workers on a production floor of just under 3,000 m². The company supplies technical plastic parts and assemblies to a solid, mixed industrial customer base. The various sectors served by FUSO include the automotive and railway industries, consumer goods, electronics, medical technology, building construction, telecommunication, mechanical engineering and renewable energy generation.

To make all these parts, several injection moulding machines ranging from 450 to 5,200 kN in clamping force are in operation, 17 of which have come from WITTMANN BATTENFELD. Moreover, FUSO is also a long-standing customer of the WITTMANN Group for automation equipment, using more than 40 handling devices with load capacities from 5 to 30 kg, including No. 7 robots and the latest No. 9 series models with R9 control systems.

The items produced range from micro parts weighing just 0.03 g to large parts weighing 2 kg. In addition to manufacturing complex plastic parts by 1- or 2-component injection moulding, the company offers insert moulding for functional parts, mounting of complete assemblies, as well as glueing and welding, plus decoration by 4-colour pad printing and laser printing, and 3D scanning for reverse engineering. 3D prints for rapid prototyping are also possible. Injection moulding tools and automation systems are planned, designed and manufactured in-house at the company’s mould-making shop. The company has made a particular point of installing tool-friendly cooling water systems for ecological purposes. Further evidence of FUSO’s commitment to protecting the environment is waste heat utilisation and a photovoltaic system.

Requirements from the customer base concerning quality standards and attributes of the parts in terms of tolerances, outward appearance and materials used are constantly becoming more and more stringent. FUSO scores with purchasers through its extensive technical know-how and years of experience making high-quality parts and assemblies. This wealth of expertise enables the company to offer top-quality solutions which are both sustainable and cost-efficient. FUSO also stands out in the market because of its high supply availability and reliability towards its customers.

With the rising demands from customers on the parts and assemblies produced, FUSO’s need for injection moulding equipment is also increasing. The company’s machinery is state-of-the-art, with a high level of automation on its production floor. All systems are fitted with matching robots to ensure careful parts handling. In addition to an excellent price-performance ratio, FUSO requires injection moulding machines above all stability, easy access for servicing and cleaning, a smooth, easy-to-clean surface, user-friendliness in operation and a high repeatability standard. Other factors gaining increasing significance are the machines’ energy efficiency, their networkability with robots and auxiliaries and the availability of assistance systems. Last but not least, the quality of the after-sales service, including the possibility of using an online service, also plays an integral part in the purchasing decision, according to Klaus Großtesner. Easy programmability is a top priority in acquiring robots and all other criteria applicable to the machines.

The cooperation between FUSO and WITTMANN BATTENFELD has existed for four decades. The machines most recently supplied by WITTMANN BATTENFELD are exclusive models from the SmartPower series. The machines from the SmartPower series are hydraulic machines equipped with fast-responding servo motors and powerful constant displacement pumps. This technology, combined with the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) to recover the deceleration energy within the machine, which is included as standard, provides SmartPower’s high energy efficiency. Further characteristics of the SmartPower are its small footprint and pivotable injection unit, ensuring easy access to the barrel for quick and comfortable changes.

All SmartPower machines except one are designed as Insider cells, meaning they come with a WITTMANN robot and a conveyor belt integrated into the production cell. This variant offers several advantages, from an enormous amount of space saved compared to systems with conventional automation solutions to cost benefits because all hazardous areas are already secured and certified ex-works. Moreover, the robot cycle time can be minimised due to shorter travel distances and direct parts depositing on the conveyor belt.

The machines delivered in 2023 are also equipped with the new B8X control system and the HiQ Flow assistance system. The B8X control system includes several control components developed in-house. These allow a higher internal clock frequency with shorter response times to sensor signals and, consequently, a higher standard of parts reproducibility, with user-friendliness and familiar visualisation remaining unchanged. The HiQ Flow assistance system is an injection regulation function by which viscosity fluctuations in the material used can be compensated. This function enables automatic process automation and compensates for even minimal fluctuations in the material quality. FUSO is so completely satisfied with this system that all of the company’s other machines have been retrofitted with it, too, wherever technically feasible and economically advisable.

Maximilian Högn said:
“The Insider cells based on the servo-hydraulic SmartPower and WITTMANN linear robots meet our requirements in every respect. The equipment is space-saving, highly energy-efficient, easily accessible and easy to operate.”

Read more on WITTMANN BATENFELD here.

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