Robotic solutions for processors of plastics

Bei der Herstellung medizintechnischer Produkte ist eine prozesssichere Fertigung unter Reinraum-bedingungen gefragt. Eine Spritzgießzelle von Engel mit voll integriertem Reinraum-Roboter von Stäubli erfüllt diese Anforderungen mit Bravour. Bild: Engel / Reliable production processes are necessary for the manufacture of medical devices under cleanroom conditions. An injection moulding cell produced by Engel with fully integrated Stäubli cleanroom robot readily complies with all the relevant requirements. Photo: Engel

Bei den Einlege- und Entnahmeoperationen an Spritzgießwerkzeugen punktet ein Stäubli RX160 mit höchster Präzision. Gleichzeitig sind schnelle Bewegungsabläufe gefragt, um die Werkzeug-offenzeiten so kurz wie möglich zu halten. / A Stäubli RX160 scores in terms of maximum precision whilst carrying out insertion / removal operations on injection moulds. Yet at the same time, movement sequences must be extremely rapid in order to keep tool-open times as short as possible.

Der Automobilzulieferer Key Plastics setzt auf eine Engel Spritzgießzelle mit Stäubli Roboter. Die Besonderheit dabei: Die Programmierung des Sechsachsers ließ sich dank dessen offener Schnittstelle komplett in die Engel Anlagen-steuerung integrieren. Bild: Engel / Automotive supplier Key Plastics uses an Engel injection moulding cell with Stäubli robot. The special feature here is that, thanks to its open interface, programming of the six-axis robot is fully integrated into the Engel plant control system. Photo: Engel

Bei Bürkert Fluid Control Systems bewährt sich ein kompakter Stäubli Sechsachser seit vielen Jahren. Hier wird eine Kunststoff-Komponente für einen Prozessantrieb gespritzt und voll automatisiert unter Roboterregie montiert. / For many years now, a compact Stäubli six-axis robot has performed sterling work at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems. Plastic drive components are injection-moulded and assembled in a fully automated process controlled by a robot.

Bei einer vollautomatisierten Standard-Spritzgießzelle für Kleinteile übernimmt ein Stäubli TX60 nicht nur einfache Handlingaufgaben, sondern auch alle nachgeschalteten Bearbeitungsvorgänge. / In this fully automated standard injection moulding cell for small parts, a Stäubli TX60 undertakes not only simple handling tasks but also all associated machining processes.

At the Düsseldorf trade fair, Stäubli Robotics will be showcasing advanced automation solutions for the plastics processing industry. At the ­Stäubli exhibition stand, trade visitors will have the opportunity to view a customised range of products featuring innovative robots, state-of-the-art programming and highly straightforward integration.

Many of the robots and software tools due to go on display have been developed in close cooperation with plastic processors and machinery manufacturers. With its series of robots specially developed for plastics, the company offers the perfect solution for the automation of injection moulding plants, whether for use in harsh production environments or in cleanroom scenarios. The special robots for plastics in the TX and RX series are the machines of choice for a variety of operations such as unloading of parts, full machining of injection-moulded parts, in-mould decoration, in-mould labelling, or for use inside the moulding machine and for many more applications besides.

The speedy six-axis robots are increasingly to be found undertaking downstream tasks such as deburring, testing, cutting, gluing, assembling and packaging. Stäubli robots tick all the boxes when carrying out these roles not only on account of their sleek structure and precision, but even more so with their dynamics: when loading and unloading injection moulding machines, tool-open times can be kept to a bare minimum. The

Plastics series of robots can handle loads up to a maximum of 34 kilos. It extends from the compact TX40 plastics via the middleweight TX60 and TX90 classes to the RX160 plastics with its reach of up to two metres.

Three brand new  special kinematics

Stäubli now aims to meet the latest, as yet unsatisfied, needs of customers in the plastics processing sector with three additional special kinematic models, namely the new TX340 SH shelf robot, the ultra-fast four-axis TP80 and the RX170 hsm machining robot. The shelf-mounted robot can handle substantial loads of up to 165 kilos with a reach of 3.7 metres.

The Fast Picker TP80 with well over 200 picks per minute is recommended for all rapid pick-and-place applications in the plastics industry. The RX170 hsm processing robot, however, has been designed for the rapid and straightforward machining of plastic materials. The sixth axis of this special robot has been replaced by a milling spindle and, thanks to its reach, relatively large workpieces can be precisely machined. In combination with a traversing axis, machining of plastic parts that are several metres long is also no problem.

Programming: Everything is possible

As regards programming, the company utilises a three-stage approach that is tailored to meet the most diverse requirements. Seasoned robotics users program with VAL3. This proprietary Stäubli high-level language is very easy to learn and makes programming of robots a highly efficient process.

Software developers have developed VALplast application software so that plant operators and system integrators can benefit from the robot’s many talents without having any special know­ledge. This user-friendly interface facilitates exceptionally fast programming on the basis of predefined building blocks. In addition, Stäubli offers machine manu­facturers the option of operating the robots via the control system of the moulding machine. This is made possible by the ready-to-plug uniVal Drive software solution, a real-time interface for the integration of Scara and six-axis kinematic models under external control.

At their trade stand in Düsseldorf, the company will demonstrate how contemporary automation solutions for the plastics processing industry can be both highly productive and cost-effective to run. Across a broad spectrum of sectors – automotive, aviation, aerospace, food, pharmaceutical, medical and the like – wherever the job involves automated applications for plastics processing, Stäubli Robotics will have the right solution in its portfolio.