In the field of modern resin processing, TARTLER’s compact dosing and mixing stations of the MDM series offer a wide range of applications. Whether it’s the production of lightweight composite components from fiber-reinforced plastics, encapsulating electronic assemblies, bonding housing shells, coating surfaces, or manufacturing foam – the MDM model range offers a suitable system solution for these and many other tasks. All systems in the series are designed for processing small and medium-sized quantities of synthetic resin and, depending on the variant and equipment, allow the user to achieve qualitative standards as they are known from industrial production.  “At the same time, they are the perfect entry point for resin processors who want to gradually transition from manual mixing to automated mixing technology,” says company CEO Udo Tartler.

Cost-Effective System Transition

What the managing owner of the TARTLER GROUP is referring to is best illustrated by the top model MDM plus. It bridges the technological gap to the company’s large Nodopur systems, which are used worldwide, offering small-scale processors a means for high-quality metering, mixing, and application of modern resins. Specifically, this means that manufacturers of containers or pipes made of GRP/CFRP using filament winding (fiber winding technology), or of sophisticated lightweight construction elements for aviation using injection molding (resin transfer molding/RTM) or, also, manufacturers of profiles using extrusion (pultrusion) can use the MDM plus from TARTLER to make a cost-effective system change from manual or semi-automatic synthetic resin processing to fully automated, controlled dosing, mixing and application technology. The compact system can also be used for vacuum infusion technology. According to Udo Tartler, “the MDM plus can be adapted to almost all processes and applications of resin processing with the help of numerous modular extensions.” It is particularly noteworthy at this point that the system can also be equipped with intelligent flow rate control, allowing continuous, precise, and automatic control of mixing ratio and output.

Technological Bridge

In terms of equipment and performance, TARTLER’s MDM plus bridges the gap to the company’s large Nodopur systems. It sets itself apart from the smaller models in the MDM series primarily through its higher output (up to 6.5 kg/min) and separate drives for each material component (resin, hardener). Its typical features also include a 7-inch touch panel, a mobile basic structure with drip tray and the aforementioned option of integrating a volume flow control. Also noteworthy: The MDM plus has level indicators for both components and can be equipped with the TARTLER mixing head LC 5/3. It can be fitted with rotating disposable mixers, eliminating the need for liquid detergent.

Furthermore, the design of the compact system allows for the use of electric or pneumatic agitators for the components and for the B component to be passed through a silica gel filter.  Additionally, the user can perform small recirculations with the MDM plus. In this process, unmixed material is returned to the containers through the pumps and – if available – through the flow meter during dosing pauses. This keeps the operating temperature constant and allows adjustments to be made to the system without material loss. It also prevents filler materials from settling in the dosing hose during material downtime. Regarding container configuration, users have the option to choose containers with capacities ranging from 3.0 to 60 liters. The space requirements and purchase price of an MDM plus are significantly lower than those of a Nodopur system. Therefore, Udo Tartler sees this system as “the ideal solution for resin processors who need to process small to medium quantities in tight spaces and do not want to forgo the advantages of highly efficient dosing, mixing, and application technology.”

Adaptable Small Quantity Systems

Overall, TARTLER offers five small quantity systems in the MDM series. Even the entry-level model MDM 3 features electrically driven metering pumps and container ports for connecting original containers. At a mixing ratio of 100:100, it can output up to 0.7 l/min of material. The largest system in the series is the MDM 6, designed for outputs of up to 3.5 l/min and suitable for containers with volumes ranging from 3.0 liters to 100 liters. Its control allows for large recirculations as well. In this process, the material flows through the mixing head and machine and is immediately ready for use again. TARTLER can customize each MDM system according to customer specifications based on its modularity program – for example, with chassis, refill kits, or heating and degassing systems. “We can accompany a synthetic resin user every step of the way to the next level of machine and automated processing,” emphasizes Udo Tartler.

With the MDM plus, TARTLER offers a modern and compact system solution for dosing, mixing, and applying small to medium resin quantities to all resin processors. At the same time, this system proves to be an attractive entry-level solution for those users who have higher quality requirements for mixing than can be achieved with manual mixing or systems without flow control. Specifically, this means that MDM plus provides all the options you need if want to produce containers or tubes using filament winding or take advantage of pultrusion, resin transfer molding (RTM) or vacuum infusion on a small scale. „With numerous modular expansions such as flow control of the mixing ratio and output, this compact system allows even demanding processes and applications in resin processing to be realized cost-effectively,“ says company CEO Udo Tartler.

In terms of performance and technical equipment, the MDM plus matches the large systems of the well-known Nodopur series of the German company. In contrast to the smaller table and frame devices in the series, it distinguishes itself with its higher output of up to 6.5 kg/min and the assignment of a separate drive for each material component (resin, hardener). It also features a 7-inch touch panel and can be optionally upgraded with integrated flow control. At the same time, it offers the advantage of an extremely space-saving design, and its purchase price is significantly lower than that of a Nodopur system. Udo Tartler sums it up: “The MDM plus is the optimum solution for resin processors who need to process small to medium quantities under confined space conditions and do not want to forgo the advantages of modern process technology.”

Typical for the MDM plus is its mobile basic structure with a drip tray – another feature that was previously found only in larger systems in the TARTLER portfolio. Regarding the process tank loading, the operator has the option of choosing containers with a capacity ranging from 3.0 to 60 liters. It is also worth mentioning that the MDM plus has a level indicator for both components and is equipped with the LC5/3 mixing head. LC5/3 mixing head. Udo Tartler explains, “This mixing head developed by us can be equipped with rotating disposable plastic mixers, eliminating the need to use liquid detergents.”

Small Recirculations Possible

The range of functions of the compact dosing, mixing and application station also includes the option of choosing between electric and pneumatic agitators for the components and using a silica gel filter for the B component. Another significant advantage is that the user can perform small recirculations of the components with the MDM plus. “In this process stage, unmixed material is moved from the containers back into the container by the pumps and – if available – through the volume flow meter during dosing breaks. In this way, the required temperature can be maintained and adjustments can be made to the station without any loss of material. It also prevents fillers from settling in the dosing hose during material downtime,” explains Udo Tartler.

“The MDM plus is the optimum for synthetic resin processors who have to process small to medium quantities in confined spaces and do not want to miss out on the advantages of modern process technology.”

Udo Tartler, CEO

Five Solutions for Small Quantities

In total, resin processors can currently choose from five small quantity systems at TARTLER. The entry-level model MDM 3 already offers electrically driven metering pumps, container ports for connecting original containers, and a material output of up to 0.7 l/min with a mixing ratio of 100:100. It is essential to note that the actual output depends on viscosities, mixing ratios, and hose lengths. The MDM 4 allows the leap into mechanical dosing and mixing technology, the output volume of which can be adjusted from 0.5 to 0.8 l/min using various pump configurations and depending on the mixing ratio and viscosity of the components. Dosing ratios of 100:10 to 10:100 can be achieved here and the LC 0/2 uses a mixing head whose disposable mixer is rotated by a frequency-controlled electric drive. When it comes to containers, you can choose between containers with a volume of 0.5 to 100 l.

TARTLER recommends the MDM 5 to synthetic resin processors who require variable output rates of 0.05 to 1.5 l/min and more functionality. This system can be used stationary or mobile and offers the option of pouring, spraying or foaming liquid PU and epoxy resins. It can be equipped with various mixing heads from the company and equipped with different containers, agitators and heaters for containers, hoses and mixing heads. The Siemens control offers, among other things, a pot life alarm and shot time preselection. The MDM 6 from TARTLER, which is designed for outputs of up to 3.5 l/min, can also be used for pouring, spraying and foaming. Their control allows even large recirculation of the components to be carried out. The material also flows through the mixing head and machine and is ready for firing in seconds. This station can be operated with containers with volumes from 3.0 l to 100 l.

Thanks to TARTLER‘s modularity program, each MDM system can be customized by selecting various components, such as chassis, refill kits, as well as heating and degassing systems, to meet specific customer requirements. “We also support our customers every step of the way to the next level of mechanical and automated synthetic resin processing,” says Udo Tartler.

The provision of compact and intelligent control cabinet solutions is an indispensable performance component for the successful deployment of internationally competitive automations. At ETP Walther, it is well understood that far more expertise is required today than mere craftsmanship. „The assembly of standard control cabinets, which have already been fully planned by the customer, is no longer sufficient! Today, the design and manufacture of modern control cabinets require comprehensive qualifications – from electrical engineering and software programming to safety and installation technology and far into energy and air-conditioning technology,“ says Benjamin Beck, the technical manager (CTO) at ETP Walther. The company‘s range of expertise is currently in high demand, in particular when complex control cabinet solutions are required for CNC machine tools, profiling machines, machining centers and special manufacturing technology machines. Numerous renowned manufacturers in this industry now rely on the skills of the ETP Walther team. “We have now acquired extensive knowledge of various manufacturing processes and procedures, allowing us to accommodate almost any individual customer request in control cabinet construction. In doing so, we always benefit from knowledge transfer within the TARTLER GROUP,“ emphasizes Benjamin Beck. The medium-sized corporate group surrounding the plant manufacturer Tartler includes the machining technology specialist ZT Odenwald and the special machine manufacturer SOMATA alongside ETP Walther.

Control cabinets also according to UL 508A

ETP Walther‘s range of services includes not only the realization of individual control cabinet systems but also the production of complete control cabinet series with UL 508A certification if required. Regarding the designs, the company adheres to various customer specifications. Sometimes they are stationary floor cabinets or cabinet rows spanning several meters, other times they are mobile units on wheels, compact wall cabinets, or pure mounting plates for installation in existing cabinets produced at the Michelstadt facility. The current portfolio also includes custom solutions in special sizes for various mounting methods, equipped with fans, filter fans, cooling air openings, heat exchangers, cooling units, interior lighting, or special cable management. To improve ergonomics and space utilization, custom-made housing solutions often incorporate support arm systems for the installation of control elements and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI). Delivery and provision can be done in a pre-assembled condition or in modules, depending on the customer requirements.

Preserve and replace

However, manufacturers of machine tools and machining centers do not just rely on ETP Walther‘s expertise when it comes to having completely new control cabinets manufactured. The company is also often involved in modernization projects as well. „Retro-fitting or re-engineering of technically obsolete control cabinets has now reached a considerable scope,“ reports Benjamin Beck. For reasons of cost-eff ectiveness and resource conservation, he and his team typically aim to achieve an ideal solution at the component level, balancing the aspects of preservation and replacement.

Like all companies within the TARTLER GROUP, ETP Walther has access to the company‘s in-house F.E.D. research, development and demonstration center. „All members of the group are located in the immediate vicinity around the main plant in Michelstadt and form a technology cluster in which innovations and synergies quickly take eff ect,“ says Benjamin Beck.

Cooperations and partnerships

ETP Walther operates in a network of partnerships and collaborations with research institutes, material manufacturers and universities. This results time and again in innovative solutions for plant engineering and process automation. In close cooperation with Darmstadt Technical University, ETP Walther is currently driving forward the development of a CNC-controlled 3D printer for additive manufacturing of plastics on an industrial scale, for example.

Whether you think of vacuum infusion or wet pressing, direct infusion or resin transfer molding (RTM) – the TARTLER GROUP degassing stations can meanwhile be used in almost all technologies of modern synthetic resin processing. What’s more, users of other processes in which liquid and pasty media circulate have now also discovered the advantages of these innovative system solutions. At the moment, it is primarily the T-EVAC type evacuation system, which is mostly customized, that has proven to be a pioneering option for quality-enhancing, resource-saving and cost-reducing material conditioning. Numerous synthetic resin processors now use them as a preliminary stage in their dosing and mixing processes, thereby opening up further scope for improving the mixing quality, material efficiency and product quality.

New perspectives for quality optimizers

The T-EVAC is particularly popular in vacuum infusion technology. As in numerous other synthetic resin processing methods, one crucial question is always in the mind of plant operators, product developers and quality optimizers: How can the homogeneity of the material mixtures consisting of different components (resins, hardeners, additives, etc.) be significantly improved? Since this is precisely the focus of TARTLER degassing systems, they make a decisive contribution to the realization of high-quality shaping, application or coating results.

The functionality of the T-EVAC can be illustrated using the example of a synthetic resin processing method where the TARTLER system is currently encountering growing interest: pultrusion technology. In industrial practice, this technology is now a multi-stage process for the production of lightweight profiles or weight-saving molded parts made of carbon or glass fiber reinforced plastic. Passing a fiber reinforcement – fleece, mat or another knitted fabric – through a bath or a mold with a matrix of liquid polyurethane or epoxy resin and various additives is usually one of the first processing steps. The quality of the mixture of resins and additives is of great relevance for the successful cross-linking of the CFRP or GFRP fabric with the matrix. To be on the safe side at this point, the first T-EVAC degassing stations are already being used in pultrusion technology. As before, users are using the opportunity to positively influence the quality of the mixture immediately before application – for example by controlling the dosing/mixing system and selecting the mixing heads and mixing spirals (all of this is also part of the TARTLER portfolio). With the T-EVAC, however, the operators of the pultrusion systems tap into additional potential for process optimization and improvement of the product quality. The reason for this: With a vacuum of <5 mbar (abs.), the T-EVAC removes all air and moisture from the resins and hardeners before processing.

With the components preconditioned in this way, the dosing/mixing system can then create mixtures of high homogeneity reliably and with repeatability, with which high-quality composite-technical results can be reliably achieved in the subsequent pultrusion. Costsaving side effect: Many fillers (e.g. zeolites) previously required in pultrusion technology, which are intended to bind moisture in the resin in order to prevent unwanted reactions, can be partially or even completely omitted. Since the use of such fillers is unpopular anyway – they often act as disruptive factors in fiber impregnation – this also means a simplification and optimization of the process.

Offline or inline?

As standard, the T-EVAC has a PLC control from Siemens (7-inch HMI screen), is primarily designed for the conditioning of epoxy and polyurethane resins and achieves a degassing capacity of up to 1,000 l/h. In addition, it is basically available in two versions: As a central offline station, at which several dosing/mixing systems can be „filled up“ with the degassed components; and as an inline module that can be integrated into a dosing/mixing system. The basic equipment of the T- EVAC includes an automatic vacuum pump protection system and an automatically controlled water heating system with heat recovery. Optionally, there is an automatic water-cooling system, an MX feed system with Kamlok connection for 1,200-liter IBCs and a vacuum buffer tank with a capacity of 1,000 liters. In its role as a special machine builder, TARTLER then takes care of the coordination with the individual process requirements of the customer and all other technical adjustments. As a result, the customer always receives a complete solution tailored to their needs. 

TARTLER developed the T-EVAC to offer users in almost all areas of synthetic resin processing an additional tool with which they can decisively optimize their application, coating and shaping processes as well as the quality of their products. The improvements achieved through the use of the vacuum degassing station can be measured and verified and documented in numerous customer applications by TARTLER.

TARTLER GROUP implements an integrated system solution for cutting-edge encapsulation technology

For increased productivity and efficient production of large quantities, more and more electrical engineering companies are taking advantage of the possibilities offered by automated encapsulation. In order to serve these needs, the TARTLER GROUP has developed a complete solution consisting of a resin dosing and mixing system, a robot-assisted encapsulation station and an external refilling unit for a renowned manufacturer of plug connector and motor protection products.

Regardless of the quantities involved, grouting is a traditional encapsulation process used in the production of electrical and electronic components and assemblies. Circuit boards, transformers, controllers or sensors, for example, are coated with a synthetic resin coating or encased in a block of synthetic resin that offers electrothermal insulation and protection against splash water, dust and humidity. Two-component systems of polyurethane, epoxy resin or silicone are usually used for this purpose, which have to be processed according to defined parameters. Dosing and mixing are just as important as application and pouring of the free-flowing compounds. These requirements are fully covered by the portfolio of Tartler Group, a leading medium-sized plant manufacturer based in Germany. When the group recently received an order from a well-known manufacturer of motor contactors and plug connectors to implement a fully automatic electric encapsulation station, a decisive factor for the award was the finely balanced interaction between the parent company – TARTLER GmbH – and its subsidiaries. The result was a modern complete solution consisting of a flexibly controllable dosing and mixing system, a robot-assisted application system and a 2K refill unit that enables continuous encapsulation of already wired assemblies.

Precise dosing and mixing

The dosing and mixing epicenter of this encapsulation station is a controlled PU system of the TARTLER NODOPUR series with automated refilling. It has a volumetric flow meter for the A and B components and a Siemens PLC with color touch screen and allows automatic, variable control of the mixing ratio and output. The system ensures that the potting compound can be precisely metered and has the desired properties when cured. It masters even the processing of resins in delicate mixing ratios and with high viscosity differences. Its range of functions includes permanent pressure and level monitoring, shot quantity control, recipe management, numerous safety features, and the use of rotating static mixers from Tartler‘s injection molding line.

Accurate application of precise quantities

The resin mass produced in the NODOPUR is applied by a 6-axis cobot working in a booth (180 x 170 x 250 cm) with exhaust air extraction. It is connected to the dosing and mixing process by a control unit and guides the mixing head with the outlet nozzle – supported by a camera system – with high precision over a workpiece carrier fed through a pneumatic gate. In doing so, it recognizes which positions are equipped with components standing in mold trays and only allows the defined amount of synthetic resin to flow in there. As specified by the customer, certain areas of the components are left out of the potting compound. Sensors for sensing distances and positions are located in the robot cell. Multiple windows ensure easy accessibility to all major system areas. For reasons of work safety, the cell is designed so that the potting process can only start when the booth is completely closed. On its front side there is space for a roller table for manual potting operations. For this purpose, another mixing head with tension balancer can be latched into the system. This allows small batches of special parts to be cast manually while the system is automatically processing the standardized series parts.