Optimising benefits from automation

According to the market research report "Industrial Robotics Market - Global Forecast and Analysis by Applications, Functions, Product & Geography (2012 - 2017)" published by MarketsandMarkets  (www.marketsandmarkets.com), the total industrial robotics market is expected to reach $32.8 billion by 2017, growing by as much as 5% annually from 2012 to 2017.

The degree of automation in plastics processing depends greatly on the manufacturing location. In Europe, particularly in Germany, it is extremely high. In Asia, on the other hand, automation is only carried out in certain areas. But even then, automation is increasingly being introduced directly after the manufacturing process. This means that the user no longer needs to bother with costly intermediate storage of products.

" Manufacturing systems become more flexible because the products generally leave the production facility in a saleable state. Simple operator control of the systems is also an important criterion: the machine operator should be able to find his way around the system easily," according to Tobias Scheich, Key Technology Manager of Plastics of KUKA Roboter GmbH.

"Automation enables the manufacture of complex products at acceptable prices in a highly competitive market. Plastics applications will continue to be substituted for traditional materials, such as glass and metal. This is illustrated by current examples, such as glazing applications, vehicle trunk covers and door linings in the automotive industry today," Mr. Scheich added. Generally, the company sees high potential for automation in the Asian markets where manufacturing bases have been posting tremendous growth over the years.

Getting the work done
KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, is a member of the KUKA Aktiengesellschaft and ranks amongst the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots. Core competencies are development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers and software. "The company is the market leader in Germany and Europe, and the number three in the world. KUKA Robot Group employs about 2750 people worldwide. In 2011, sales totaled 616,3 million Euro. 25 subsidiaries provide a presence in the major markets of Europe, America and Asia," according to Mr. Scheich KUKA Robots are predestined for typical works in plastics processing, like loading and unloading of injection moulding machines. There are many good reasons for using robots or moving towards automation in general: these include the higher quality of the manufactured products resulting from the greater stability of the manufacturing processes, lower costs and reduced logistical requirements, shorter production cycles and many more besides.

With its broad range of products, KUKA Roboter GmbH offers automation solutions for a vast array of customer requirements. The KR Agilus robot series, the new small robot family from KUKA, is predestined for handling tasks with very short cycle times. The KR Quantec robot family covers the entire high payload range from 90 to 300 kg, with reaches from 2,500 to 3,100 mm. Presslinking robots for the metalworking industry, shelf-mounted robots Mr. Tobias Scheich of KUKA Roboter GmbH for the plastics industry, palletising robots for the logistics sector and foundry variants for foundry settings are demonstrating their flexibility in applications covering all areas of general industry.

"All KUKA robot types have something in common: their open architecture and the features of the KR C4 controller generation. In addition to robot, motion, sequence and process control, safety control has also been seamlessly integrated into the control system," Mr. Scheich stressed. Thus,the KR C4 not only ensures the simple impAir Jordan IV 4 Shoes