TECHNOLOGY | MEDICAL
the production cell is ready for start-up in next to no time. All required data for quality management from the machine and the peripherals are available for documentation via Wittmann 4.0. In future developments, we will continue to work on a further increase in interlinking all the devices needed for injection moulding, including ma- chines, robots and all other auxiliaries.” Fanuc has supplied Roboshot α-S100iA electric injection moulding machines to Crossen Engi- neering based in Belfast, Northern Ireland – a leading full-service manufacturer of custom-made metal and plastic parts to a number of sectors, including medical products. In a bid to increase productivity, it was the company’s first electric injection moulding installation. Crossen – which was first established as a metal processor – has recently assisted in the development and produc- tion of colostomy solutions. The company moulds the seal rings which interface between the user’s body and the stoma bag, before supplying them to the customer which secures them to the bag. “We’d known this customer for over 15 years, stemming back to our metal pressing days,” says Peter Crossen, Business Development Manager at the company. “When they required a solution for sealing a colostomy bag, they knew that we had the design and prototype capabilities, as well as the production capacity, to provide an effective solution. We’re now in the process of developing a second product with that same customer, and it is this increase in demand, especially from the medical sector, that prompted us to explore automation options.” In order to help meet growing demand, the company undertook research on how to increase
productivity, while simultaneously reducing running costs. Electric moulding machines were highlighted as the ideal way to achieve this, offering the opportunity to introduce automation into the production process. Distributor JL Goor was identified to assist with finding and installing a turnkey manufacturing solution. The recommenda- tion was made to opt for two Fanuc Roboshot α-S100iA high precision electric injection moulding machines.
Above: Peter Crossen, Business Development Manager at Crossen Engineering, with one of the new Fanuc Roboshot electric injection moulding machines at its facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland
36 INJECTION WORLD | September 2020
As well as boosting productivity, the Roboshot can contribute to substantial energy savings. “The combination of CNC with the electric injection moulding technology ensures that the Roboshot uses between 50-70% less energy than hydraulic machines, and 10-15% less than other electric machines,” says Michael Reynolds, Sales Manager at JL Goor. “It also has a compact footprint, especially when you consider the output capacities, which drastically reduces the factory floor space required. Combined with the reduction in energy usage, this significantly minimises the total cost of ownership.” The Roboshot electric injection moulding machine can also be used with robotics, to auto- mate machine tending, loading and unloading. Crossen Engineering is already using robots to help with part removal, further increasing the productivity gains associated with the machine. It has also recently taken delivery of a further two Roboshots, which are being used to manufacture face shields due to increased demand for PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hekuma has developed an automation solution to enable manufacturers to respond to the increas- ing number of single-use laboratory parts now required. The company says that in recent months the demand for laboratory vessels and vials have grown significantly due to the Covid-19 crisis. These medical consumable parts are also used for pathogen and antibody detection. In addition to Covid-19, there are around 3,000 different types of virus being researched worldwide. In order to be able to cope with these increasing volumes in the medical market, manufacturers must continue to automate and increase their work processes. The HEKUlab is a fully automated production line for the manufacture of laboratory parts, such as reaction vessels, cuvettes and microtubes. The company says that the system guarantees a high output. A prerequisite for this is that the take-out gripper is able to handle up to 128 cavities from the injection mould. Cycle time reduction can be achieved through short mould open times of less than 1 s when using a
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IMAGE: FANUC
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