Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1 - 8

Cobots: The New Option for Injection Molders

BY JOE CAMPBELL, SENIOR MANAGER OF APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

Take all the versatility of an articulated-arm
robot, and add the ability to work safely in
proximity to humans without guarding, and
you have a new option for freeing workers
from repetitive operations.

* Post-mold processes.
Customers are requiring molders to deliver
more complete parts and assemblies, and
molders are glad to increase their value.
Degating, trimming, polishing, decorating,
assembly, wrapping and packaging are now
common tasks that are perfect candidates
for automation.
* Improved surface finish.
Customers are setting very high standards
for surface finishes, which require parts to be
carefully handled from the mold to the final
package or shipping container.

Thirty years ago, full servo-controlled robots
of any kinematic configuration were rarely
deployed in injection molding applications.
The most common approach was to deploy a
simple three-axis, point-to-point Cartesian
robot that was machine mounted. With
enough Z (vertical) stroke to reach the
centerline of the platen, these very simple
robots quickly extracted parts from the mold
and delivered them to totes or conveyors.

* Shorter product life cycles.
The pace of product updates and new
introductions requires constant change in
manufacturing processes.
* High mix/low volume.
Product customization, small lot sizes and
on-demand production to reduce inventory
are driving short runs, making setup even
more demanding.

Twenty years ago, full servo-controlled
Cartesian robots became common,
providing greater precision and control of
the end-of-arm tools. Fifteen years ago,
molders began applying six-axis robots in
increasing numbers.
This evolution was driven by several
technical and business drivers that continue
today:
C A N A D I A N A U TO M AT I O N

At 2K Trend in the Czech Republic, a UR10 cobot picks
up inserts to be placed in the injection mold.

VISIT UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

In the last 10 years, and with increasing
frequency of late, plastics processors have
begun adopting a new level of automation,
called collaborative robots, or "cobots."
Generally based on articulated-arm
technology, these cobots add a layer of
safety, user-programmability, and mobility to
standard six-axis robots. To understand the
cobots' attraction, it helps to start with a
review of what makes articulated-arm robots
popular in the first place.
The positioning flexibility and overall work
envelope of six-axis robots are key to their
success in injection molding. The additional
degrees of freedom translate into more
choices and options in all phases of the
material handling, assembly, and other
applications which translate into real process
advantages:
* Flexibility to execute pre- and
post-mold processes.
Placing inserts into the mold and moving
parts through post-mold processes means
complex motions and demanding angles
and positions.
* Reduced tooling costs.
Four-axis Cartesian robots often require
complex tooling to make up for their
kinematic limitations. The range of motion
and flexibility of six-axis articulated robots
simplify tooling and gripper costs and
complexity.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

8
https://blog.universal-robots.com/ https://blog.universal-robots.com/cobots-the-new-option-for-injection-molders
Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automation Canada Quarterly Volume 1 Issue 1
