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Keeping one step ahead of industrial change in the plastics
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Intelligent robotic solutions for the plastics industry: KUKA UK & PC Moulding & Automation
lastics have for many years been the most versatile and inexpensive manufacturing materials available for consumer products, traditionally fabricated using manually-operated injection moulding machines. Today, as consumer and market attitudes towards single-use plastic products change alongside its sustainability challenges, manufacturers are becoming more astute to the processes involved in plastic product manufacture, with a focus upon waste reduction, sustainable production processes and cost savings across the process chain.
Robot automation is addressing many of the challenges faced in today’s plastics market, presenting solutions that address quality, quantity and cost. More and more process steps can be carried out in a single work operation. Value creation increases, while the logistical eff ort for the transfer of materials decreases, through automation integration. Ground-breaking solutions are leading to growing productivity and making production processes more fl exible. Consider a scenario involving the
production of components intended for use in the medical sector. Across two robotic cells, one of two interlocking pieces that form a functioning implement are produced using injecting molten material into a mould. Inter- and post-production processes, incorporating laser and vision technology, mark each component with a serial number and scan for imperfections ahead of an industrial robot selecting and depositing each part into a bin, consummate with that particular mould reference.
Historically the injection moulding unloading process would have been manual, which led to traceability issues. In this way substandard moulded parts could still creep through quality control. As such, when parts had been manufactured and distributed, anomalies were only identifi ed when product was introduced into the process chain. As the manual production process aff orded no traceability, i.e. no batch numbers that aligned to a mould sequence could be identifi ed. Therefore, the entire shipment had to be scrapped, which was costly and led to downtime.
20 September 2021 | Automation
Having automated the production process, the manufacturer was now able to narrow down any potential defective parts to a particular mould sequence. That batch could be quickly identifi ed and locked down/ removed from the production run, thus not impacting the entire shipment. As a result of automating the production
process, in addition to quality considerations, both health and safety and productivity facets within the operation were also identifi ed and satisfi ed, utilising industrial robots. Removal of the moulded product are now extracted using a cartesian robot with end-of-arm tooling, designed for this particular process. Post laser printing, components are taken from a conveyor by a second six-axis robot with vacuum end-of-arm tooling and placed into one of six corresponding bins. Production can continue with no manual intervention for eight hours, supporting productivity gains and meeting increased demand. Using production automation in both the plastics processing industry and for component mould making is rising, although in some traditional manufacturing sectors it often causes uncertainty, especially for SMEs: Is it fi nancially viable to rethink production methods? What about the return on investment? How quickly can automated solutions be implemented, and are they fl exible? The short answer is that automation is defi nitely worth pursuing. More effi cient processes mean lower costs over the long term. And with a tailor-made solution, the investment will quickly pay off . But, once a product’s life is complete or
has a redesign, is the robot cell future proof? In most cases it is: with new mould tools, end-of-arm tooling on the de-mould robot, nest change on conveyor and fi nally new laser artwork and vision program, and the cell could be producing a completely diff erent part, size dependent of course. This manufacturing fl uidity empowers businesses to retain and attract new customers, and even encroach into new markets. Having a reputable and experienced integrator/partner on hand to ensure the successful design and implementation of an automation solution is key. One that possesses both the sector expertise and knowledge of the manufacturing processes, but also a proven capability in conceptualising and delivering automated robotic solutions. Common challenges such as shorter
product cycles and a greater variety of products, not to mention a shortage of skilled workers, require quick solutions. But that’s not to suggest that the decision to utilise automated robotic processes shouldn’t be one that is taken hastily. In depth process chain qualifi cation is required to understand just where value can be added: don’t automate for the sake of automating – Understand the features and benefi ts of the technology and what can be achieved and, more importantly, what the operational returns shall be. KUKA UK and PC Moulding & Automation’s collaborative presence at this year’s Interplas 2021 industry exhibition, will demonstrate just how manufacturers are developing greater cost-eff ectiveness through more-effi cient production methods, utilising robotics and automation, and how those companies who are adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ approach are potentially at risk from fi erce competition. We shall be at stand G80, and KUKA and PC Moulding & Automation’s automation experts will be on hand to discuss your automated manufacturing requirements. The full case study referenced in this article will also be on display.
CONTACT:
KUKA UK
www.kuka.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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