Fakuma celebrated its 30th edition in Friedrichshafen this month, with more than 1,500 exhibitors filling the halls and plenty for toolmakers and moulders to talk about. Ramani and Reiner were there for Gunther UK this year, and for us the show is one of the best chances in the year to spend proper time with the three supplier partners we represent across the UK and Ireland, Günther Heisskanaltechnik, Knarr Group and RTC, and to see first hand what they're bringing to the market. Here's a round-up of what we saw on each stand and why we think it matters for moulding businesses here.

Günther: ClusterFlow takes an award in its first outing

The big story on the Günther stand was ClusterFlow, which took second place in the injection moulding category of the very first Fakuma Innovation Award. The award was launched to mark the show's 30th anniversary, and with a jury drawn from industry and research institutes including RWTH Aachen and the University of Stuttgart, it's recognition that carries real weight in our sector.

ClusterFlow is a multi-drop valve gate hot runner system that fits up to 96 gate points into a remarkably compact layout, with the 32-gate version taking up just 70mm by 35mm. It uses an electric valve gate with Günther's CompactDrive mechanism for precise needle closure, and needle positions can be adjusted while temperature control stays uniform across the system, so melt quality is consistent from one cavity to the next. The 32-impression parts on display showed just how evenly it fills from such a small footprint.

For toolmakers working on miniaturised parts or high cavity moulds where space is tight, it opens up layouts that would be difficult or impossible with a conventional hot runner.

Knarr: venting, collapsible cores and a live moulding cell

Knarr's stand was one of the busiest we visited, and the products given pride of place at the front were their flat ejectors and ejector pins for venting. Trapped air is behind some of the most frustrating moulding faults, from burn marks to short shots, and putting the vent right where the air builds up in the cavity is a neat way to tackle it without adding complexity to the tool.Alongside the venting parts, Knarr showed collapsible cores for moulding internal undercuts and threads, and a selection of the custom special parts they machine to order, backed up by the standard parts and mould bases that make up the core of their range.

Fakuma also gave visitors a first look at the newest addition to Knarr’s range, a heavy-duty transport pallet for moving injection moulds, stamping tools and other high-value components. Made from stainless steel, it’s designed so each load can be clamped and secured to suit its shape, keeps its strength under heavy loads where a wooden pallet’s nail joints can loosen over time, and can be cleaned thoroughly enough for food, pharmaceutical and cleanroom environments. There’s also the option to fit a tracker, so a valuable tool can be followed while it’s on the move. 

An Arburg 290e was running live on the stand as part of a "Smartest Factory" display, moulding salt and pepper pots throughout the show. The mould was built internally by Knarr with standard components and collapsible cores.

RTC: the best atmosphere in the hall

RTC was our favourite stand for atmosphere, with a warm welcome, good conversation and a team who clearly enjoy what they do. It's a big part of why we value the partnership so much.

There was plenty of substance behind the hospitality too. RTC's coupling technology covers water, air, hydraulic, chemical and electrical connections for moulds, and the Huracan flow control unit on the stand showed how cooling circuits can be monitored and balanced across a tool, which has a direct effect on cycle times and part consistency.

RTC's Mobile Mould Cleaner was also on show, a compact unit for cleaning mould cooling channels on site. It runs on compressed air with no electricity needed and works with water, hydraulic and pneumatic circuits, and because it's easy to wheel around the shop floor, moulds can be cleaned where they are instead of being taken out and moved. Keeping cooling channels clear helps optimise maintain protect cycle times and part quality, while less time with a tool out of production keeps maintenance costs down. Read more here.

Bringing it back to the UK

What stood out across all three stands was a shared focus on making tools more compact, more reliable and easier to run, whether that's through gating, venting or cooling. If anything here sounds relevant to a tool you're quoting or a problem you're trying to solve, or you missed the show and want to hear more, our team would be glad to talk it through - do get in touch.