MACHINERY | ROBOTS & AUTOMATION
requirements and tailor the optimal solution for our customer.”
While the standard segment remains stagnant, customised automation is seeing a significant upswing, he added.
Linear demo KraussMaffei unveiled its LRXplus linear robots at last year’s Fakuma – which can be used with injection moulding machines from KraussMaffei or other manufacturers. They were demonstrated in a multi-component application on an all-electric PXZ 121 machine. The new robots are robust and have a long service life. The traversing axes have a new profile geometry and are made of crash-resistant alumini- um or steel. This reduces unplanned downtime and enables cost-effective maintenance. They also offer enhanced functionality and
user-friendliness in control technology with the new MC7 control. The new user interface is intuitive and has freely configurable operating buttons. In addition, the teaching function has been improved so that movement sequences can be implemented quickly. The new LRXplus retains the advantages of the
Below: Wittmann says its W832 pro robot is the link between injection
moulding and downstream steps
LRX series, including high precision thanks to high-performance rack and pinion drives on the axes and a high residual load capacity of the robots. Powerful servomotors continue to ensure fast acceleration and synchronous movements to reduce cycle times. In addition, the absolute encoder (multiturn) eliminates the need for time-consuming referencing when starting the robot. This speeds up the start-up of the robot and the start of production.
KraussMaffei unveiled its LRXplus linear robots at Fakuma, working in a multi-component application
Integrated cell Automation specialists Wittmann and Maier have helped injection moulder Reinert to develop an integrated production cell for a multi-component process. Reinert needed help to produce a fuse box for agricultural utility vehicles, comprising two black boxes clipped together with sealing, numerous sockets and screws, plus red brackets to hold the cover in place after electrical installation. “Both boxes have come out of the injection moulding machine as complete assemblies including sealing and metal inserts, except for the red brackets,” said Christoph Klement, deputy project manager at Reinert. “This is a milestone for our company.” The challenge was not just cost pressure, but the need to combine lowest possible unit costs with high flexibility of the production cell. The fuse boxes are made in 18 variants. The production cell also had to make some other products. While Maier has previously helped Reinert design production equipment for complex parts, Wittmann supplied a large W832 pro linear robot for the project. It handles the inserts as well as the finished parts and so functions as the link between the injection moulding process and the subse- quent processing steps. Automation begins with a small six-axis robot,
which arranges the sockets and screws needed for one fuse box in the specified grid dimensions. The Wittmann W832 takes up the inserts and places them into the lower cavity of the rotary mould. Then, the gripper takes out the moulded part from the previous cycle. In the 1+1 cavity mould, the base body is formed first. The hard component is a glass-reinforced, flame-retardant polyamide. After rotating the mould, the second component – a TPE material – is directly overmoulded, to provide the
36 INJECTION WORLD | March/April 2025
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: KRAUSSMAFFEI
IMAGE: WITTMANN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42
