Major Contract for FRIMO

SMP chooses FRIMO for large-scale door panel project

Major Contract for FRIMO

Natural Fiber Pressing Line – FRIMO Group GmbH

The FRIMO Group is a specialist in technology for lightweight construction solutions and natural fiber processing. The competence centers in Sontra and Freilassing can now look forward to a major project for back-injecting, laminating, punching and edgefolding production equipment used for manufacturing natural fiber door panels. After successful completion of a jointly implemented prototype phase, customer Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP) has placed orders with FRIMO for tooling and systems technology amounting to a total investment of more than ten million euros.

With its innovative technical concepts, the FRIMO Group has qualified as a development and systems partner for a pioneering project by Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP). This includes a technology package for substrate pressing, laminating, punching and edgefolding.

Substrate pressing is carried out using an all-in-one system with tools for manufacturing door panels by back-injecting natural fibers. This allows the originally separate steps of hot pressing semi-finished sheets (e.g. natural fiber mats) and back-injecting to be integrated into a single process. The project also has a global focus, including not only Europe, but China as well. The modules that SMP will receive from FRIMO essentially comprise: a mat magazine, mat aligner, sizing press, mat transporter, forming press, forming tool, component remover, tool changer and a control system for the entire installation.

The double design of the mat magazine allows materials to be changed without interruption. Material or version changes are possible while production is ongoing. A flexible robot solution is used for mat alignment; this also has a positive impact on system availability. The sizing press is designed to ensure that a precise sizing thickness is maintained across the entire product. Quick, short-term adjustments of the surface weight are also possible. Energy efficiency and reliability were important features in the technical design of the sizing press. Adjustment to the tools, minimal waste and top speed tool changes were crucial in the forming press design. The system is centrally controlled, with the option of using a mobile unit.

The project scope also includes complete laminating, punching and edge-folding technology. Here, the FRIMO specialists convinced the customer with an innovative „full flex“ laminating system concept that allows fast tool changes. In addition, the recently developed FRIMO advanced cooling system (FACS) enables the film to be cooled further with the same expected cooling time, resulting in a superior initial adhesive bond. SMP opted for a combined edgefolding and punching concept which can also produce different component variants without tool changes, allowing the customer to make significant savings in terms of handling. At the same time, this multifunctional inline system also saves energy as it is equipped with the Smart Energy heating system.

After the successful prototype phase, SMP expects that commissioning an all-in-one substrate pressing, laminating, punching and edgefolding package will be beneficial for designing standard tools and systems. This was an important aspect in commissioning the serial equipment. FRIMO is responsible for precisely coordinating the interfaces between the tooling and systems technology. In addition to this, FRIMO will also carry out integration and project management for any additional scope included in the project by SMP, e.g. injection units including material supply and peripherals. Further benefits include the combined single step forming and back-injecting process and the sustainable manufacturing concept in terms of material and energy consumption, as well as significantly optimized space requirements.

The FRIMO Group has already demonstrated its expertise in the field of NFPP manufacturing and processes in a number of completed reference projects. Both SMP and FRIMO feel that this joint project aimed at back-injecting natural fiber door panels offers a great deal of potential for future applications.

About FRIMO (www.frimo.com)
The FRIMO Group includes global production and sales locations with more than 1,200 employees in Europe, Asia and America, and numerous representatives around the world.
Companies of the FRIMO Group have been repeatedly awarded for outstanding achievements. FRIMO already received 20 times the SPE awards, also known as the „Plastic-Oscars“. Three of these were awarded in 2012, both for achievements as tool manufacturers and as equipment manufacturers in the category of „body interior“.
FRIMO“s portfolio for the plastics processing industries covers an extremely wide range of technologies PU processing along with flexible trimming, punching, pressing and forming, as well as thermoforming, laminating, edgefolding, joining and gluing. FRIMO offers its customers tailor-made tools, machinery and systems as separate or turnkey solutions from a single source.

Kontakt:
FRIMO Group GmbH
Martina Schierholt
Hansaring 1
49504 Lotte
+49 (0)5404 886-157
schierholt.m@frimo.com
http://www.frimo.com