New thermoforming machines take aim at labor challenges, leverage AI
By Ron Shinn
One of the most eye-catching booths at K 2025 was connected to a thermoforming machine – digitally.
A crowd clogged the aisle watching Kiefel Technologies GmbH produce cups with recycled PET on a Speedformer KTR 6.2 Speed thermoforming machine. A dozen or so booths away, another crowd standing in front of a wall-sized screen in the Siemens booth watched a digital twin of the same machine operating in real time. Siemens did not have cups to hand out, but the crowd was digitally wowed.
Siemens designed the control and drive systems on the KTR 6.2 Speed, and the software supports digital twin capabilities.
Siemens sells digital twin software, which Kiefel said it uses to simulate operating scenarios and errors, train users and test performance limits without risk to the machine.
Kiefel was not the only machine manufacturer showing digital advances.
Swiss manufacturer WM Thermoforming Machines SA showed WM Empower, an integrated solution of four artificial intelligent (AI) powered modules that simplifies operator requirements, monitors operation and provides smart analytics, gives multilingual support to operators and automatically inspects every part.
The new E-forming machine from Italian machinery manufacturer Cannon S.p.A has an AI-powered control system, called Easy Power Mapping, that configures the machine’s initial settings to enhance process stability, optimize material distribution, lower sheet thickness and reduce energy use.
Most of the manufacturers claimed to have made improvements in energy efficiency and product output. Here is what they said:
Gabler displays biggest M-Line
Gabler Thermoform unveiled a fourth model to its M-Line series of large-scale production machines, the M100 Evo.
The trim-in-place M100 Evo features a maximum film width of 49.6 inches, a significant increase over other M-Line models, and a minimum film width of 17.7 inches. The M98, the next biggest in the series, is limited to a maximum film width of 34.7 inches and minimum width of 17.7 inches.
Closing force on the new M100 Evo, which the German manufacturer calls its flagship model, is 127 tons. Forming area is up to 44.5 inches by 22.4 inches for PP products and 45 inches by 22.4 inches for PS. Depth of draw is up to about 8.3 inches.
The machine combines forming and cutting into one step.
Christian Kissinger, North American sales director, said hourly output rates of more than 250,000 items is possible. The high output means the lowest production cost per product, he said.
Maximum cycle rate is 43 times per minute. The cycle rate is boosted by improvements in the forming air supply system and quicker filling and venting.
The M11 Evo is especially well-suited for producing cups, the company said. Because the machine uses cast steel and linear guides, it can process PET and PP sheet up to 3mm thick.
A new control system and Gabler’s Movidrive C technology provides energy savings, Gabler said. It estimates the M100 Evo uses 37 percent less energy than earlier models.
Just two operators are required for product handling.
A new stacking system with linear guides, an electric drive and patented retaining bar control improves product handling with pull-out depths up to 210mm.
The machine uses separate servo drives for lifting and swiveling movements. This provides maximum precision.
The top heater uses 160 kilowatts (kW), and the bottom heater is a 106kW unit.
Kiefel Speedformer faster, energy efficient
Kiefel’s claims its new Speedformer KTR 6.2 Speed can deliver 50 percent more production with 10 percent less energy.
The KTR 6.2 Speed follows an earlier model called the KTR 5.2 Speed, which could produce standard plastic cups up to 190mm tall. The company also previously released a Speedformer KTR 6.2.
The redesigned KTR 6.2 Speed can make standard cups and coffee capsules up to 250mm tall.
The new, high-performance thermoformer has a maximum forming surface of about 33.1 inches by 23 inches. Punching force is 90 tons and production speed is 45 cycles per minute. It can process PP, PET, PS, polylactic acid (PLA) and recycled materials, as well as PET and recycled PET (rPET) in a single operation.
Kiefel said a machine redesign and optimization of processes, along with intuitive operator guidance, make production increases possible. The machine can produce up to 86,000 cups per hour, according to a Kiefel spokesman.
“What matters to our customers is how they can work as profitably as possible with our solutions,” said Michael Staudinger, product manager at Kiefel, which is part of the Brückner Group. “Pure output is only one aspect. Energy costs, flexibility and usability are equally important.”
The KTR 6.2 Speed includes two patent-pending features, the SpeedGuard film guide and ProSpacing system.
The trademarked SpeedGuard film guide automates transfer of the remaining film after punching with no human intervention. It adapts to different film widths and enhances process speed and safety.
The trademarked ProSpacing system optimizes handover of formed products to downstream automation, regardless of product geometry. This can be a critical task at higher machine speeds.
Production and performance data is available through one of Kiefel’s preconfigured data packages. Data is transferred through a standard OPC-UA interface that is independent from the control system. The data can also be integrated into a company’s ERP or other data system.
Kiefel’s data analyzes energy consumption per 1,000 parts, film consumption and machine availability. The company said this permits better identification of efficiency potential, faster detection of the causes of errors and long-term improvement of the production process.
The controller is a new Simatic S7-1518 from Siemens. Staudinger said the goal in developing the controller was that operators “who had never worked with the KTR machine before can quickly find their way around the user program and add value without extensive training.”
Cannon controller uses AI for settings
Cannon introduced the e-Forming machine line that is compact, very energy efficient and features AI-controlled automatic parameter setting.
The company said the e-Forming’s footprint is the smallest available on the market and is based on Cannon’s patented Triplo compact tool-changing system.
Cannon said the new machine’s AI-powered control system, called Easy Power Mapping, intelligently configures the machine’s initial settings to enhance process stability, optimize material distribution, lower sheet thickness and reduce energy use. The system results in less trial and error in setup, Cannon said.
It also provides recipe optimization suggestions for the most energy-efficient settings for each product and monitors energy usage in real time. No compressed air is used in the heating process.
The e-Forming machines are designed to process a wide range of plastic materials through vacuum forming, twin-sheet, thermoforming, pressure forming and thermocompression processes.
The company said the heating phase uses optimized heating profiles, improved zone control, closed-loop management and an intelligent standby function to apply heat only where and when it is needed.
“Sustainability is a top priority in our industry, and energy efficiency remains a cornerstone of our innovation,” said Giuseppe Dall’Ora, Cannon sales manager, in a press release describing the e-Forming line.
Cannon said the e-Forming series is suitable for manufacturers of large, thermoformed parts such as components for domestic and commercial refrigeration, refrigerated vehicles, trucks, industrial and agricultural equipment, public transport and aircraft interiors, as well as thermoplastic pallets and trays.
WM Thermoforming debuts AI package
Swiss manufacturer WM Thermoforming Machines displayed two new machines – the FX780 IM2 steel rule cutting model and the Twist 700 MSvS in-mold trimming model.
It also showed off WM Empower, an integrated system of smart solutions that uses AI to boost machine performance.
The FX780 IM2 is an upgrade to the basic FX780 introduced in late 2023. It now has an integrated AI Vision inspection system for real-time quality control and a redesigned D-Lifter for improved product handling.
It is designed for forming plus cutting, separate cutting and stacking. Stacking options are upward, downward or pick-and-place with a two-axis or three-axis robot.
The FX780 IM2 has a maximum mold size of 30.7 inches by 23.2 inches and can accommodate molds from most competitors. Maximum forming depth is 5.5 inches.
Forming clamping force is 76 tons, and cutting press clamping force is 61 tons.
WM Thermoforming said it has reworked the heating system to use less energy. Also, the tool changeover is quick, and the machine is easy to set up and maintain. The design utilizes a symmetric, double-toggle system and four-point parallelism in forming and cutting.
The main applications for the FX780 IM2 are in food and beverage, protein trays, medical and pharmaceutical, horticulture and consumer products.
The all-electric Twist700 MSvS has a tilting lower platen. It features the new MSvS stacker, WM Thermoforming’s latest technology for speed and flexibility.
The Twist700 MSvS has a maximum mold size of 27.7 inches by 15.7 inches and maximum forming depth of 7 inches.
Forming clamping force is 40.7 tons, and the machine can perform up to 50 cycles per minute. Maximum sheet thickness is 1.8mm.
WM Thermoforming said it operates with minimum vibration, and has an energy-saving heating system and an electric bottom extractor.
The MSvS multi stacker is designed for lids, lightweight cups and shallow items. It stacks downward and has an optional automatic sheet feed system.
Main applications for the Twist700 MSvS are in food and beverage products.
The company also highlighted its new WM Empower system, which consists of four AI-based modules:
- Flow View, a new HMI interface designed to simplify every operation.
- WMind, a cloud suite for real-time machine monitoring, smart analytics and predictive maintenance.
- Form.AI, a virtual assistant providing multilingual support for operators.
- WM Vision, a full-automated, 100 percent product-inspection system.
WM Empower is available as an optional package on new thermoformers and can be retrofitted to older machines. The modules are also available separately.
Contact:
Cannon USA, Cranberry Township, Pa., 724-772-5600, https://cannon.com
Gabler North America, Charlotte, N.C., www.gabler-thermoform.com
Brueckner Group USA Inc., Dover, N.H., 603-929-3900, www.kiefel.com
WM Thermoforming Machines SA, Stabio, Switzerland, 41-91-640-7050, www.wm-thermoforming.com
About the Author
Ron Shinn
Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.