technology | Automation


Sepro’s new Success 5 robot is designed for machines up to 80 tonnes


PHOTO: SEPRO


machines up to 80 tonnes. Previewed at the K show last autumn along with the S5 Picker, which shares a similar mechanical design, the Success 5 can be configured with horizontal strokes of 1,000 or 1,500mm, a 400mm demould- ing stroke, 1,000mm vertical stroke, and a 3kg maximum payload.


ised switching cabinet to provide easy access for maintenance or when retrofitting sensors or additional media circuits. Rack and pinion drives are used instead of toothed belts to maximise precision during


rapid axis movements and media lines and electronics are protected on the Y-axis by quick-change covers. In addition, a central media portal allows fast gripper changeovers. The company adds that a new axis design allows free access for plasticising and material supply. Other features include a more compact servo-driven hand that allows opening strokes to be reduced, while a blow-off function has been added to the vaccum gripper system to ensure rapid deposition. The company says the robots have also been designed to minimise energy use. For example, a new digital vacuum monitoring system with integrated air-saving function is said to reduce compressed air usage by up to 90%. An additional leakage monitoring system reports malfunctions during operation, allowing planned maintenance of the system. The servo-driven hand has been made lighter, as have the other robot axes. This enables a higher load capacity and speeds response of the robot but also allows the use of smaller drives, which reduces energy consumption. Following seven years of uninterrupted global sales


Right: Sepro is now making robots for


Milacron for fitment on machines sold in Europe as


well as North America


growth, French-headquartered robot maker Sepro Group announced an €11m three-phase investment programme that will see it expand capacity for produc- tion of its linear robots in France by 60% to reach 5,000 units a year (sales reached 2,700 units in 2016, pushing the company’s global turnover to €103m). The programme will see the company expand its


production plant at La Roche-sur-Yon in France from 13,000m2


to 20,000m2 over the next 12 months. The new


space will allow it to separate robot manufacture from automation integration. Integration capacity will also be expanded by 50%, allowing the company to take on up to 70 custom projects annual in Europe. Training will be relocated from its current headquarters site to a new purpose built facility nearby. Sepro says it will also add large robot assembly capabilities at its US operation in Pittsburgh this year. On the product side, Sepro recently introduced the


Success 5 range of general-purpose 3-axis robots for simple pick-and-place and stacking applications on


38 INJECTION WORLD | May/June 2017 www.injectionworld.com Standard features of the Success 5 range include:


simultaneous motion on all three axes; ‘Y-free’ function for easier ejection tracking and simplified gripper support; multiple vacuum and pressure circuits; and quick disconnects for fast end-of-arm tooling changeo- vers. Control is by the company’s Touch 2 system. While most Sepro units are sold under its own name,


the company also supplies branded robots to a number of injection machinery makers, including Milacron. Sepro robots have been sold under the Milacron brand in North America since 2010; a similar arrangement has now been agreed for Europe covering 3 and 5-axis robots. Under the agreement Sepro will integrate its Sepro Visual control into Milacron’s machine controller. Milacron will handle aftermarket service with support from Sepro.


Gripping matters US-based Rethink Robotics has introduced ClickSmart, a solution for end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) that incorpo- rates smart sensing and rapid swapping capabilities. The system is based on the ClickSmart Plate, an intelligent toolplate that lets users swap end effectors in seconds without the need for any tools. The company says the range of gripper kits contains the essential components that allow end users to quickly construct EOAT suitable for most automation tasks, enabling faster deployment and saving


PHOTO: MILACRON


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