Ultrasonic assisted injection moulding of bioplastics (SENTIO)

塑料行业正在发生变化。虽然生物塑料在2019年占塑料行业的份额不到2%，但预计到2030年将以30%的复合年增长率增长，占40%，使生物塑料在短短十多年内成为3240亿美元的企业。目前在生物塑料部件制造中面临的主要挑战是获得具有与传统对应物类似的特性的可生物降解的部件。注塑（IM）工艺中的优先事项涉及管理由温度、停留时间或剪切引起的耐热性和热降解。生物塑料也需要更长的冷却时间。因此，重要的是要注意防潮层，刚性/柔性和耐久性。其他材料限制涉及在传统的多腔模内注射设备中使用。SENTIO将首次推出功率超声子系统，该子系统将有助于生物塑料的注射过程 *，并提高完整性和质量，确保第一时间正确的零件。功率超声子系统将是现有IM设备的可改造定制解决方案，包括将施加超声能量的功率超声（PUT）换能器 ** 和软件（计算模型），将控制过程参数，如超声波功率发生器系统中的超声波频率。我们的主要开发策略将集中在复古，将SENTIO安装在现有的IM机器上，广泛应用于（i）具有内部IM功能的大型制造组织，如McLaren或（ii）向最终用户销售分包服务的IM服务局，如IMPACT。潜在客户还包括热衷于测试和采用新的突破性技术的实验室和研究中心。一旦SENTIO证明了其优势/价值，我们将把SENTIO销售给IM OEM（二级RtM），以将该解决方案纳入“新的增强型注塑机型号”。SENTIO将通过减少23%的循环时间实现高达26%的节能，同时提高生物塑料的质量。

The plastics industry is changing. Although bioplastics controlled less than a 2% share of the plastics industry in 2019, they are expected to grow at a 30% CAGR, accounting for 40% by 2030, making bioplastics a $324 billion-dollar enterprise in just over a decade\[1\]. The main challenge currently faced within the manufacturing of bioplastic parts is the obtention of biodegradable components that have properties similar to conventional counterparts. The priorities within injection moulding (IM) processes pertain to managing heat resistance and thermal degradation caused by temperature, residence time or shear. Bioplastics also need longer cooling times. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to moisture barriers, rigidity/flexibility and durability. Other material limitations pertain to use within the conventional IM equipment with multi-cavity moulds.SENTIO will introduce, for the first time, a Power-Ultrasonic subsystem that will assist the IM process of bioplastics*and enhance integrity and quality, ensuring first-time-right parts. The power-ultrasonic subsystem will be a retrofittable bespoke solution for existing IM equipment, comprising the power ultrasonic (PUT) transducers** that will apply ultrasonic energy and the software (computational models) that will control the process parameters like the ultrasonic frequencies in the ultrasonic power generator system.Our primary exploitation strategy will focus on retro-fitting SENTIO on existing IM machines across a wide range of applications to either (i) large manufacturing organisations with in-house IM capabilities such as McLaren or (ii) IM Service Bureaus selling subcontracting services to end-users such as IMPACT. Potential customers also comprise laboratories and research centres keen on testing and adopting new breakthrough technologies. Once SENTIO proves its benefits/value, we will sell SENTIO to IM OEMs (secondary RtM) to incorporate the solution in _"new enhanced injection moulder models" . SENTIO will enable energy savings of up to 26% due to 23%reduced cycle times while improving the bioplastics' quality.