- Five automated injection-molding cells (two IMD lines) were installed to produce EV wall-box housings; shot weights: front covers 500–800 g, main housings up to 2 kg, range 20 g–2 kg.
- Project delivery and first-part startup were completed in under six months, with late design changes forcing retrospective increases in clamping force and installation tolerances down to under 5 cm.
- IMD uses crystal-clear polycarbonate and a capacitive multi-layer foil carrying the user-interface electronics and backlit logo; sequential (cascade) injection plus Tempro temperature control enable sub-1-minute cycles and high surface quality.
- Automation integrates WITTMANN multi-axis and linear robots with gripper cameras, autonomous transport and laminar-flow clean-room enclosures; 30 kg IMD rolls can be changed in ~30 minutes and a central granulate supply was added.
Overview
Kontron eSystems in Leipzig moved production of OEM-branded IoT-capable AC wall boxes in‑house, installing five automated injection‑molding cells (two IMD lines) to produce eight molded components per housing and replace prior external sourcing.
IMD front covers and materials
Front covers are made by IMD using a multi-layer capacitive foil (including the user-interface electronics) developed with Leonhard Kurz; decoration is via foil on crystal‑clear polycarbonate with cascade/sequential injection to minimize visible seams—front shot weights 500–800 g, main housings up to 2 kg; Tempro plus D temperature control supports fast cooling and cycle times below one minute.
Automation and quality
Demolding uses a multi‑axis robot (chosen for low building height and dust‑free enclosure), while linear robots handle quality inspection and fully automated packing with gripper‑camera positioning; OEM visual inspection remains manual and autonomous transport swaps filled boxes.
Clean room and IMD roll handling
A laminar‑flow box above the clamping unit creates downward clean air; IMD roll changes (30 kg rolls) are enabled by a small platform behind the clamping unit and a push‑back laminar‑flow module, cutting roll‑change time to about 30 minutes.
Project delivery and materials handling
The production lines were planned, installed and started in under six months despite supply‑chain constraints and late design changes requiring increased clamping forces and sub‑5 cm installation tolerances; a central granulate supply from WITTMANN was added to support broader material diversity.
