Robots in advanced automation systems

New trends in composite part fabrication, blow moulding and high mix/low volume production are boosting demand for advanced manufacturing methods with collaborative robots being front and centre. At NPE 2018, Universal Robots (UR), the company that pioneered the cobot and a known market leader in user-friendly robot arms that can work right alongside employees took automation a step higher. 

 

Universal Robots showcased the Kanga Poucher from RND Automation & Engineering. Kanga is a vertical form/fill/seal pouching system that forms four-sided pouches for the medical device, pharmaceutical, and durable goods industries. The system integrates with a UR cobot loading products into the pouches before the fourth, “top” seal is made after the product is indexed through the sealing gasket. “Collaborative robots from Universal Robots reduce or eliminate the need for guarding which means a significantly reduced footprint,” according to Sean Dotson, President and CEO at RND Automation & Engineering. “The fully customisable robots fill our customers’ unique packaging needs. They also stop safely upon operator contact and can be moved with minimal force.”

 

Universal Robots is also credited for the Bulk Box Loader from Dyco, another system utilising the small footprint and safety benefits of UR cobots. “We are getting a lot of requests from our customers to integrate Universal Robots throughout the blow moulding process. End of line packaging is just one example of their numerous applications,” says Mark Lovelace, Sales Manager with Dyco that also offers a tray loading/palletizing system with UR cobots. “We selected UR for their robustness and design for use in industrial applications vs. other collaborative robots.”

 

 

The integrated safety features of the UR cobots enables Dyco to offer continuous operation as the box loader cell includes two stations; with one box being exchanged by an operator, the other box is being loaded by the robots. The system, shown loading plastic bottles at NPE, was designed for easy set-up on a self-contained plate that can be redeployed between multiple blow moulding production lines running different bottle and box sizes. The bulk box loader is a fully automated system controlled from the UR interface and a few push buttons. 

 

UR robots were also utilised in by Cold Jet, a specialist in innovative dry ice cleaning solutions that improve manufacturing processes. Cold Jet demonstrated a better way to clean moulded parts prior to painting. The Cold Jet Combi 120H system is a waterless system that incorporates JIT dry ice production and an integrated blasting system. Cold Jet systems safely and gently removes a variety of contaminants from the moulded parts using dry ice, eliminating the need for aqueous and solvent based cleaning methods and the associated large parts drying ovens. The system incorporates a UR10 collaborative robot cleaning automotive mirrors.

 

A leading manufacturer of automation systems for the blow moulding industry, Proco collaborated with UR at NPE through the Half-Cube Palletizer system and the Robo-Packer. The Half-Cube Palletizer delivers a major cost reduction versus conventional automation as the system automatically palletizes blow moulded containers with minimal operator involvement – only manual operations occur when an operator places the trays in the magazine. The system quickly adapts to a variety of packaging configurations i.e. all necks up or all necks down. The palletizer is an integrated module supplied with the UR robot arm, infeed conveyor, pallet lift magazine and Slip sheet/Tray pick on a common sub-frame fitted with leveling pads and castor wheels. The Robo-Packer is a breakthrough collaborative robotic automation system that works interactively with co-workers, requires no special guarding, and needs minimal training for teaching new tasks. The system is supplied with any of the three UR robot models depending on the application and comes at a cost that is 50% less than conventional automation solutions.

 

Industry-leading reliability

Milacron announced the availability of the largest tonnage Roboshot machine – The Milacron-Fanuc Roboshot 500 – with an increased tonnage option up to 550 US tonnes (558 metric tonnes) and is great for larger moulds with tie bar spacing of 36.2 inches (91.94 cm). The new larger machine doesn’t sacrifice any of the Roboshot standard strengths such as industry-leading reliability, precise process control, high-speed injection and consistent repeatability. The model was shown at NPE moulding a detergent cap with 24-cavity mould at 6 second cycle times. The cell featured a Mold-Masters Master-Series valve gated hot runner and TempMaster M2 hot runner temperature control system and DME mold components.

 

 

Another innovation brings flexibility to liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection moulding. The Milacron-Fanuc Roboshot offers high precision and reliable moulding as it’s the ideal solution for clean rooms and other moulding environments that demand precise process control, high-speed injection and consistent repeatability. The Roboshot 140 is outfitted with an Enhanced LSR Package that includes a special Milacron screw and barrel with water jackets, vacuum pump, and water regulator.  All of these components can be retrofitted to the current stock Roboshot machines to meet the quick delivery requirements of customers. The performance and repeatability of the Roboshot make it ideal to meet the precise requirements of LSR moulding.