TECHNOLOGY | ROBOTS AND AUTOMATION


Right: Muller case packer uses an Omron cobot


and a return on investment of less than one year, the supplier claims. The product platform will be manufactured in Switzerland and Colorado. Muller has already sold several units for lids and contain- ers in the US and Europe. The cobot incorporates a standard Muller HMI, which eliminates any programming requirements and stores multiple recipes for a wide range of stack and box sizes. It can be purchased separately or integrated into an automation line such as Muller’s M-Line system, introduced last year (see Injection World April 2020). An increasing number of M-Lines are being shipped with automated case packing, Konowal says. The M-Line has proved to be a great success as calls for automation during the Covid pandemic have boomed. Last year, the company received 24 orders for M-Lines, which Konowal says is incred- ible for a single product of this type. “It’s all down to it being extremely flexible. Anything that fits in a moulding machine, the M-Line can take them out and stack them. A further advantage is the high level of flexibility. Processors are getting less advance notice of what products their customers want, so the need to be able to change moulds quickly is increasing. So we need to supply systems that are extremely flexible.” Another automation specialist extending its


cobot offering is Comau. It has just introduced the Racer-5-0.8, which it describes as a new paradigm in collaborative robotics which meets the growing demand for fast, cost-effective cobots that can be used in restricted spaces and in different applica- tion areas. The six-axis articulated robot that can move at up to 6 m/s, it has a 5 kg payload and 809 mm reach. Furthermore, the cobot can instantly switch from a collaborative mode to full speed when operators


Right: Comau has just


unveiled its Racer-5 cobot


are not around, “letting its 0.03 mm repeatability and advanced movement fluidity deliver un- matched production rates,” says the supplier. “Our new Racer-5 cobot delivers the speed and preci- sion the small-payload collaborative robotics market was missing,” claims Pietro Ottavis, Comau Chief Technology Officer. Comau says the Racer-5 enables systems


integrators and end users to automate even the most sophisticated manufacturing processes without sacrificing speed, precision, or collabora- tive intelligence. Because it operates in dual modes, customers can install a single, high-perfor- mance solution rather than having to deploy two distinct robots, the company says. Mark Gray, UK Sales Manager at Universal


Robots, one of the best-known producers of cobots, highlights another factor particular to the region that is driving automation: “The injection moulding industry is particularly reliant on cheap labour from the EU, so Brexit coupled with the UK’s [covid-related] immigration quarantine policies – which are making it a logistical nightmare to bring in new staff from abroad – are having a big impact on operations. Comparatively speaking, injection moulding companies have short delivery time- scales for their products, meaning components produced today might be needed on another product tomorrow. In practical terms, this means any problems on the factory floor can have a wide-ranging impact across the supply chain.” Gray says the UK plastics processing industry


urgently needs to strive towards more automated operations, as it will not only reduce the sector’s reliance on cheap labour, but also help drive organisational efficiencies as well. “There are many areas within injection moulding that are well suited to automation – meaning companies will get a


18 INJECTION WORLD | April 2021 www.injectionworld.com


IMAGE: COMAU


IMAGE: MULLER TECHNOLOGY


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