There is no getting around Industrie 4.0 – especially in the supply industry. In Halle 6 at HANNOVER MESSE 2017, the plastics specialists ARBURG and Pöppelmann are demonstrating what modern customized mass production can look like. In five stages, they will produce personalized smart luggage tags, creating a bridge between Digital Factory and Industrial Supply . The performance symbolically stands for the infiltration of IT into the supply industry: According to the principle of physically separated manufacturing in smart factories, they will demonstrate the manufacturing process of a smart luggage tag right in front of visitors' eyes.

At stand K16 in Hall 6 ARBURG is demonstrating flexible automated production in a batch size of 1. To customize each product to individual customers, injection molding, industrial additive manufacturing, and automation are combined and the data captured by the main computer system ALS.

A smart product in just five steps

In the first stage of the process chain a turnkey solution consisting of an all-rounder 375 V and a space-saving robot cell with an integrated six-axle robot produces the luggage tag part. By integrating an NFC chip (Near Field Communication) the product can store and communicate information. The next step in the flexible manufacturing process can be carried out at Arburg or at Pöppelmann: At an input terminal, visitors can select an emblem for the design of the tag and create their own electronic business card (vCard). At the ARBURG stand the data is transmitted directly onto the luggage tag’s NFC chip.

"Our little trade show factory at ARBURG and the related web shop at our partner Pöppelmann illustrate important elements of Industrie 4.0," explains Heinz Gaub, CTO, Arburg, "This included the manufacturing sequence at physically separate locations, mass customization – in other words customer-specific customization of mass production parts –the combination of injection molding and additive manufacturing. Plus each individual component can be tracked using our ALS main computer."

Components that store data

At Stand B18 Pöppelmann is showcasing the advantages of the 4.0 business model "Web Shop": Customers enter individual product wishes online. A QR code is generated from the "order" and is mailed directly to the customer’s smart phone or printed on paper. At the Arburg stand the information is read via scanner and the corresponding order data is transmitted and stored on the NFC chip in the luggage tag for the downstream production process. The component thus becomes a data carrier that identifies itself at the individual stations and controls its own manufacturing process from then on. "This way we can use this application as a partner to clearly demonstrate how customer requests can be incorporated into the value adding process and tap new business models," says Thorsten Koldehoff, Sales Manager, Pöppelmann KAPSTO®.

Process and quality data can be tracked any time

At the next station, both the personal data and the QR code from the vCard are added to the luggage tag using personalized laser labeling. All parts handling is done by an integral picker V. A Freeformer customizes the luggage tag even further by applying the emblem selected at the second station in 3D plastic. The series product has been transformed into a unique, one-of-a-kind product.

Finally, visitors can learn how to carry out data supported actions with their smart luggage tag, such as ordering brochures online using the integrated NFC chip. In addition, contact data can be read from the QR code or NFC chip. It also contains the individual URL address for the website of each product where 100 percent of the process and quality data can be tracked at all times.