IIMC - International Injection Moulding Conference

In April, for the fourth time, members of the international injection moulding industry came together in Aachen for the International Injection Moulding Conference (IIMC) to exchange ideas and experiences about the latest developments in their field. The main topics included digitalisation in production, the possibilities and challenges of additive manufacturing, injection moulding applications in the automotive industry, and innovative process solutions aimed at increasing economic and technological efficiency.

Speakers from industry and science

Dr.-Ing. Karlheinz Bourdon from KraussMaffei Technologies chaired the various sessions, during which experts from industry and science presented examples of their latest technologies. The speakers from industry came from the international companies: Code Product Solutions, Netherlands,  Engel Austria and Hirschmann Automotive, Austria, Kistler Instrumente, Switzerland, Prince-Weiss, Belgium, and, from Germany, von Beckhoff Automation, KraussMaffei Technologies, Protiq, Volkswagen and Yizumi Germany. They spoke, for example, about innovative simulation methods for calculating component fatigue, new technologies in foam injection moulding and the additive manufacturing of parts, prototypes and moulds.

Papers from the field of science were given by experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, the Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, the University of Science and Technology in Pohang, Korea, and Ajou University, Suwon, also Korea. IKV presented two papers from its own research. The main topics here were digitalisation, the processing of special materials and automated cooling channel optimisation.

A global, inter-industry network platform

The IIMC is a global, inter-industry network platform for all companies operating in the injection moulding segment. The accompanying table-top exhibition offered an excellent opportunity to make and expand contacts. For the first time, the delegates and exhibitors were able to present themselves to the conference participants in short 'speed-talks' to enable a targeted exchange with other attendees. The Conference Dinner on the first evening and the visit to the IKV pilot plants and laboratories after the conference also offered plenty of room for networking.