Unloading of an Injection Molding Machine
Dynamit Nobel chose the KUKA KR 150 L110 robot for its' manufacturing of the DaimlerChrysler S-class plastic bumper. Only this type of robot could guarantee that the bumper surfaces would remain damage-free, as any scratches made would prohibit asmooth paint finish being achieved.
Linear robots are continually being replaced by jointed-arm robots such as when it came to automate the handling of bumpers and welding parts for the DaimlerChrysler S-class.
Only this kind of robot could guarantee that the bumper surfaces would remain damagefree, as if any scratches were made, a smooth paint finish would not be possible.
Dynamit Nobel chose the KUKA KR 150 L110 robot, mounted overhead in an inverted position.
The robot empties the injection moulding machine and places the bumper in a transfer station where the Sprue is removed. Used as an intermediate buffer this also allows for the first major shrinkage during cooling. While the bumper remains in the station, the same KR 150 L110 removes a finished bumper weighing 5830 grams from the vibration welding system and places it on a conveyor that transports it out of the cell.
It then takes a lateral and an inner welding component, for the right and left sides of a bumper respectively, from the incoming conveyor system and places the components in the vibration welding device. The robot next takes the bumper which has been trimmed of Sprue and transfers it likewise to the vibration welding system. This welds the bumper by means of the high temperature created by the vibrations, securing the side and inner parts. In parallel with this process, the KR 150 L110 takes another bumper from the injection moulding machine and loads it into the transfer station.
For the handling the robot uses a pneumatic gripper with different vacuum circuits. The robot controller, which communicates with the controller of the injection moulding machine and with the periphery via a standard E12 interface, uses an integrated vacuum monitoring system to verify whether all the circuits are generating sufficient vacuum.
Benefits
Increased productivity
Thanks to this restructuring, Dynamit Nobel now enjoys reduced personnel costs, and at the same time from considerably higher productivity based on the shorter unloading time. Furthermore, the robot offers a high carrying capacity as standard, which in the case of linear units could only be achieved by means of a special design. Jointed-arm robots also have sufficient strength to remove the injection-moulded part from the machine without removal aids, even as the part shrinks in the mould.
High quality
With its excellent repeatability and sensitive handling, the robot achieves high quality.
Remarkable acceleration capacity
Due to its remarkable acceleration capacity, the KR 150 L110 achieves the cycle time required by Dynamit Nobel: 78.7 s for a complete cycle, or a throughput of 45 parts per hour.
Long reach
With its 400 mm arm extension, the robot achieves a reach of 3.5 m. Since it is suspended on a linear unit, which is moved by the robot controller as a seventh axis, its reach is expanded accordingly.
High flexibility
Jointed-arm robots are more flexible than linear units when it comes to different automation tasks, particularly if fundamental changes are involved.
Reduced maintenance requirements
Another of the robot's advantages is that due to the enclosed routing of its supply lines it requires less maintenance work.
Rapid payback
Dynamit Nobel expects that the payback period for the complete new system, including the injection moulding machine, will be two years and three months.
Machinery Automation & Robotics
1/101 Derby Street
Silverwater NSW 2128
Phone: (61) 2 9748 7001
http://www.machineryautomation.com.au