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Technical facility / TrialsPerfection is our goalDESMA is not satisfied with good solutions. The injection moulding system is meant to work impeccably to supply optimum results to the customer.Thus, there is an excellent team of process engineers in the process engineering center who are taking care of the optimization of systems, machines, moulds and processes and of the perfect implementation of innovations such as FlowControl+ and complex customer projects. Besides trials and test series, classes for staff and customers as well as show preparations are running in the engineering center fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and machines, and sometimes even production support is provided for clients. Technical facilites are also installed at the DESMA locations in India, China and in the USA. 
Process engineering centerThe process engineering center, that has been existing since the mid-nineties, moved into a large building at the DESMA headquarters in Fridingen in 2001. Taking up around 500 m2, nine vertical machines from 500 kN up to 10,000 kN and a 3,000-kN horizontal machine of the latest generation together with temperation units, post-curing ovens in three sizes, various vacuum plants, three LSR mixing units and different silicone stuffer for HTV are currently in operation. An optical measurement enables the non-contact examination of injection moulded articles made of elastomers.In a small laboratory for material testing the processability of the rubber compound is determined by the technicians by means of a Brabener measuring kneader. A vulcameter defines the data for process optimization. Interior view of technical facility at DESMA Germany 
TeamThe team headed by Joachim Liebermann and his deputy Thomas Kernler consists of 8 process technicians with largely extensive experience. If required, the engineering center is enhanced by colleagues from the Customer Care Center and from other DESMA locations.Machines, material, moulds, brushing systems, demoulding devices or feeding devices for rubber-to-metal bonded parts and other peripheral equipment are tested. Innovations"Not everything that looks good in the drawing, will therefore work at once. Hence, we are optimizing what our projecting department is developing", says Joachim Liebermann, head of the process engineering center. The engineering center clarifies with preliminary tests whether an idea is technically feasible. Afterwards it is again the turn of the developing team who builds a prototype. The experts in the engineering center are polishing it up until it meets the customer requirements and DESMA quality. Alongside the new FLOWCONTROL+ technology, temperation units are also being put to the test. Since, apart from even temperature control of injection unit, moulds and cold runners, the temperature constancy and the time for heating up and cooling down of the components play an increasingly important role, the demands on these units are growing.
FlowControl+Even after a successful market launch, test series in the engineering center are still on the agenda in case of trendsetting innovations such as the FlowControl+ nozzle technology, because the goal is to test and optimize all fields of application of the patent pending technology. And with such a broad range of use, this is a lot. In the engineering center, applications for quite different industries are analysed. To generate the reality of everyday production, the test engineers are partially using the original moulds from the customer or trial moulds specifically made in the DESMA-owned mould shop and show equipment suitable for this.TestsThe question of the customer is usually simple: "How can I produce x million parts of a new article at a reasonable price?", is what he normally wants to know. The answer is either also simple and is: "With a standard machine of DESMA" or it is a matter for the projecting department and for the engineering center. The engineering center tests solution approaches of the projecting department for its suitability in practice. As soon as all test series are evaluated, the customer's inquiry is answered and he can now decide along with the project engineers if and how the project can be realized.Test seriesCustomers do not always need at once a new machine or even plant. However, the life cycles of many products have become clearly shorter. While in the past automotive manufacturers came up with a new model every ten years, today's market calls for innovations almost annually. Thus, the requirements on the individual elastomer components do usually change as well. For new customer products, whether seals for fuel cells or complete insulators, the engineering center performs pre-production runs. The parts manufactured serve the customers as basis for series of measurements or as verification of realized improvements on the article.Project optimizationDESMA sells turnkey systems, i.e. complete production plants consisting of injection moulding machine, injection mould and peripheral equiment. Following the final assembly of the plants and after having taken over the project from the quality assurance, it is the turn of the process engineering center again. The process technicians install the injection moulds, optimize the machine movements, the injection parameter and the cycle times. After this optimization, a test run of several hours takes place under production condition in the course of which last errors are documented and eliminated.Even if the customer orders a mould for an existing injection moulding machine, it is the business of the engineering center. As soon as the DESMA mould shop has completed a mould, it is optimized on a suitable machine. If required, a machine is rebuilt specifically to the customer requirements. To this end, it is for example often necessary to exchange heating platens, or even complete injection units, and also components on the machine need to be retrofitted. After this optimization, the customer can travel to DESMA to carry out the final acceptance of the mould and to inspect the required sample parts. Requested finishing touches can be discussed and handled during his attendance. Optimization customer mouldsThe optimization of moulds already in use at the customer's is offered by the engineering center, too. The process technicians support the customer staff with wide DESMA know-how. Very often the hints of the skilled technicians help in improving existing cycles at the customer's.Optimization of bought-in partsNot all bought-in parts perfectly fulfill the wishes of the mechanical engineers at DESMA. Therefore the engineering center also takes care of optimizing bought-in parts. "If bought-in parts are not tailored to our demands, we examine them carefully and come forward with suggestions to the supplier as to what he can improve to meet our specific requirements", says Joachim Liebermann, head of the engineering center. Candidates for such a special treatment are components such as temperation units, brushing systems, vacuum pumps, safety parts, photoelectric guard or hydraulic and electrical components.Show preparationA globally acting enterprise has to present itself internationally. The technical preparation for the shows worldwide takes place in the engineering center: Here machines and moulds are selected, rubber compounds are tested, spares are made available and the machines are adjusted to basic conditions of the respective exhibition. For example, the electrical installation of a mould or a cold runner has to be modified, when the exhibit returns from a show in South America and is to be used in Europe again.Production helpCries for help from good customers do not remain unheard in the process engineering center. When there is a bottleneck in production, the engineering center can take over the production of the parts to reduce short-term peak times. Very often these customers are producing independently with their own personnel on such a R&D machine, partly being supported by a DESMA process engineer.In-house trainingThe DESMA world as guest in the engineering center: Here courses for service technicians, trainees and staff of all DESMA locations worldwide are conducted. Here it is possible to expand one's knowledge calmly outside production on machines specifically prepared for this purpose.The DESMA training center also capitalises on machines, moulds and know-how of the engineering center as for the courses with customers. Here training and optimization are closely interacting for the benefit of our customers. Technical facility with attached training centre in Fridingen 
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