Packaging
ABB robots save time and energy on the plastics production line
Monday 11. May 2009 - As businesses tighten their belts to survive the economic downturn with a raft of cost cutting and waste reduction measures, robots have a lot to offer. Already popular for their ability to work in harsh environments and to take on heavy-duty work on production lines, the unerring accuracy of robots provides another benefit: consistent quality, saving raw materials, time and energy.
The idea of improving productivity by using raw materials and energy more efficiently is not a new one. It has been the aim of manufacturers for generations. But with rising concern for the environment and the earths dwindling resources, the need to do more using less has increased. The current business climate has compounded this need as businesses strive to compete in increasingly difficult markets.
In the plastics industry, ABB robots, drives and computer software are helping to raise productivity and reduce energy costs. They are improving quality, reducing cycle time and unnecessary periods of downtime and making energy savings.
In recent years, plastics manufacturers have been replacing hydraulic-powered injection mold machines with electric machines. Comparisons show that the electric machines consume less than half the power needed to drive the hydraulics. Further savings can be made by fitting the motors used on extrusion machines with ABB variable-speed drives.
ABBs software technology can also improve the effectiveness of plastics manufacturing by shortening the cycle time of the extrusion process and, though better coordination of robots and molding machinery, reducing wear and tear on equipment.
ABBs Machine Sync software was developed in collaboration with Peguform, a leading European manufacturer of plastic moldings. The aim was to automate the removal of completed products from injection molds to speed manufacturing. During the process, plastic is injected into the closed mold and allowed to set. The mold is then opened, the product retrieved, and the mold reclosed to begin the cycle again.
An ABB robot extracts a plastic product from an injection moldBy using robots to extract products from the molds, the process is made considerably safer and much faster. By incorporating the Machine Sync software into the robots programming, additional benefits are delivered.
The software synchronizes the robots movement with that of the mold. As the mold begins to open, a signal is sent to the robot, which then retrieves the product as quickly as possible. This avoids collisions with the opening mold and ensures that the robot is well out of the way when the mold recloses.
The easy-to-program software can reduce the product extraction times by up to 10 percent. While each full cycle may last only 30 seconds, for a machine running three shifts, all year round, a 10 percent improvement in extraction time would deliver an additional 35,000 cycles per year. Thats 35,000 more product units using the same equipment, which will now last longer thanks to the reduced wear and tear.
Robots can deliver benefits at many stages of plastics manufacturing, from molding to cutting, painting and finishing. Each improvement delivers time and energy savings, raising productivity and maintaining competitiveness for the manufacturer.