The Brazilian manufacturer of pipes and fittings, KRONA Indústria based in Joinville, has expanded its production capacity by a further 6,500 m² with the construction of a new plant in Maceió. In the new production hall, the company’s 88th injection molding machine from WITTMANN BATTENFELD has been installed.
In 1994, KRONA started the production of PVC pipes on two extruders. Today, the company is a leading manufacturer of pipes and fittings in the Latin American market with an annual production of some 30,000 extruded parts and 18,000 injection-molded parts, and about 133 million US$ in sales. In 1997, KRONA began to produce PVC fittings on 3 injection molding machines. In the following years, the company showed impressive growth rates of 25 to 30%. Krona’s production facilities were extended several times over the years to accommodate its rapid growth.
KRONA now has 3 facilities in Brazil, two of which are located in Joinville, and one in Maceió. The new plant in Maceió was completed in March 2012, and the official opening ceremony was held on 26 October 2012. The Maceió plant has a total built-up area of 24,000 m², of which 6,500 m² are taken up by the production floor, 13,000 m² serve as storage space and 4,500 m² are given over to administrative and social facilities. Krona has a total workforce of 780 associates, of whom 133 are employed in Maceió.
At the new plant in Maceió, too, KRONA relies on injection molding technology from WITTMANN BATTENFELD. Of the total of 108 injection molding machines KRONA has installed at its facilities, 21 are located at Maceió – all from WITTMANN BATTENFELD. Another 10 are to be installed in the course of next year. These machines are primarily models from the hydraulic HM PVC series, with clamping forces ranging from 150 t to 500 t, all of which are equipped with energy-efficient ServoPower technology. In this technology, the conventional three-phase motor with constant speed and adjustable axial piston pump is replaced by a highly dynamic servo motor with a significantly higher degree of efficiency.
An internal gear pump with constant displacement serves as hydraulic pump. In this system, the delivery is regulated exclusively via the motor speed. In this way, the machine can be operated at the optimal motor speed required for every operating point. In conjunction with the higher degree of efficiency of the servo motors, the speed-controlled regulation of flow volumes and a specially optimized set-up for PVC fitting production, this leads to energy savings of up to 45% compared with conventional drives powered by asynchronous 3-phase motors. This aspect is of particular importance for KRONA, of course, since the entire new plant in Maceió is laid out for low energy consumption.
All machines delivered to KRONA are fully controlled and ensure a high degree of parts reproducibility, which is an important aspect for the company in its choice of injection molding machines. The machines are laid out for processing the customer’s own special PVC compound and come with many components specially protected against corrosive wear, as well as a customized equipment package. In this way, a long service life of the machines is achieved in spite of high corrosive loads, together with maximum productivity.
The most recently ordered 18 machines now include 500 t machines from the MacroPower series for the first time. These enable Krona to operate with another increase in the number of cavities in its tooling, resulting in a further increase in productivity. Products manufactured in Maceió are sewage pipe joints and high-pressure fittings.
WITTMANN BATTENFELD
WITTMANN BATTENFELD, domiciled in Kottingbrunn, is a leading manufacturer of injection molding machines for the plastics industry. WITTMANN BATTENFELD is represented by its own sales and service companies as well as sales agencies in about 60 countries and thus offers its customers optimal worldwide support in all matters connected with injection molding technology. Its innovative strength, ultimate precision and focus on maximum customer benefit make WITTMANN BATTENFELD a valuable partner for its customers.
