Polymer Technologies (LKT)
Staff
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Deckert
Hochschule Esslingen
Fakultät Maschinen und Systeme
Labor für Kunststofftechnik
Kanalstraße 33
73728 Esslingen am Neckar
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3361
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3361
weitere Ansprechpartner
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3281
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3281
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3427
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3427
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3878
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3878
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3424
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3424
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3877
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3877
Telefon: +49 (0)711 / 397-3872
Telefax: +49 (0)711 / 397-48 3872
Equipment
The Plastics Engineering Laboratory is equipped with a large variety of modern production equipment, as well as state-of-the-art testing and analytical equipment to make the teaching as realistic as possible, enable applied research to be conducted and successfully carry out collaborative projects with industry. The focus here is particularly on interdisciplinary work.
An overview of the equipment:
for plastics processing:
- ZSE18 twin-screw extruder from Leistritz Extrusionstechnik
- Arburg Allrounder 420 C injection moulding machine with 1,300 kN clamping force
- Arburg Allrounder 420C 2-component injection moulding machine with 1,000 kN
clamping force - Demag IntElect 80/310 injection moulding machine with 800 kN clamping force
- IDE tube profile extrusion machine with 45 mm screw diameter
- Hesta-Graham extrusion blow moulding machine for component volumes up to 750 ccm max.
- ILLIG thermoforming machine, max. pressure box size 680 x 500 mm
- Thermosetting press with 600 kN clamping force
- Telsonic ultrasonic welder with 750 N contact force
- FLIR infrared thermal imaging video system
- Infrarot Thermo-Video-System FLIR
for mechanical tests:
- Zwick universal testing machine, test force max. 10 kN and tempering chamber for temperatures up to 150°C max.
- Notched bar pendulum impact tester for Charpy and Izod, test energy max. 50 J
- Hardness testing: ball indentation test, Shore A and D (Frank, Zwick)
- Determination of VICAT softening temperature in air (Frank)
for viscosity measurements:
- Determination of the MVR and MFR Melt Flow Index (Göttfert)
- Determination of the length of the flow spiral under injection moulding conditions
for thermal analysis:
- Dynamic heat-flux differential scanning calorimeter (Netzsch-DSC 200) with low temperature add-on
- Determination of the ignition residue
for CAD/CAE simulation
- Injection moulding simulation with AUTODESK MOLDFLOW AMI 2016
- Ansys Workbench
- Creo / Siemens NX
- GaBi – LCA software
for microscopic analyses:
- Reflected and transmitted light microscope (up to 150 x) with digital image analysis (Olympus)
- Motorised rotary microtome (Leica)
for FT-IR spectrometer analyses:
- Bruker Alpha-P infrared spectrometer with ATR accessory
Other equipment at the university:
- Zeiss Accura coordinate measurement machine
- Steinbichler structured light scanner
- Scanning electron microscope
- Dynamic testing machines
Teaching and laboratory exercises
The laboratory exercises accompany and enhance the lectures in materials engineering and plastics processing. More detailed information can be found in the corresponding module descriptions of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
The focus is on:
MBB1:
- Materials engineering - Plastics
- Production engineering
MBB6:
- Application-oriented module in polymer engineering: design of injection moulding dies
- Production methods, plastics technology
RMM1:
- Lightweight construction materials – composites
- Production methods - Plastics
RMM2:
- Agile project workshop
- Sustainability / Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
DDM2:
- Product Life Cycle Management with LCA specialisation
- Composites
Students gain practical experience in the following four laboratories:
- Production Engineering Laboratory (semester 1)
- Materials Engineering Laboratory 1 (semester 1 or 2)
- Plastics Processing Laboratory (semester 6)
- Plastics Engineering Laboratory (semester 2 Faculty of Automotive Engineering)
Research and knowledge transfer
Applied research and the collaboration with and knowledge transfer to small and medium-sized industries are important tasks in the Plastics Engineering Laboratory. The specialist knowledge and the test equipment are available to all interested companies. Scientific investigations are conducted as part of final theses and projects.
Current research topics and projects:
- Thermally conductive plastics
- Simulation of extrusion processes
- Digitisation in plastics engineering
- Component dimensioning/ fatigue strength
- Eco-efficiency
- Variothermal tempering of injection moulding dies
- Machine parameters in the injection moulding process of thermosetting plastics
Advanced training / seminars:
The customised seminars address the following topics:
- LKT: Plastics engineering
- Kistler: Cavity pressure measurement during injection moulding process
- VDI: Damage analysis on elastomeric components
- TAE: Product liability and warranty management in practice
- LKT: Digitisation in plastics engineering
- LKT: Agile project management/ design thinking
- LKT: Machine settings for injection moulding processes
A selection of our industrial partners
Arburg, Loßburg
Bosch Kunststofftechnik, Waiblingen
Daimler AG, Stuttgart
ddm hopt + schuler, Rottweil
Festo, Esslingen
Gargiulo, Nehren
Hoerbiger-Origa, Filderstadt
Ide, Scharnhausen
Institut für Kunststoffprüfung und Kunststoffkunde (IKP), Stuttgart
Kärcher, Winnenden
Kessler, Stockach
Kick, Göppingen
Kistler, Ostfildern
Woodward GmbH, Stuttgart
Mahle-Filtertechnik, Stuttgart
Murrplastik, Oppenweiler
P.A.U.L., Balingen
Pretema, Niefern
Rexroth-Star, Schweinfurt
Roxan, Graben-Neudorf
Rusko Formen, Wernau
Schlegel Elektrokontakt, Dürmentingen
Stierlen, Rastatt
Strüber, Talheim
Sulo, Herford
ULO, Geislingen
Wilhelm Weber Werkzeugbau, Esslingen
Weinmayr, Wiesensteig
Zumtobel-Staff, Dornbirn (A)