ATM robots improve quality and throughput for major Danish custom moulder

Citation

(1998), "ATM robots improve quality and throughput for major Danish custom moulder", Industrial Robot, Vol. 25 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1998.04925aaf.005

ATM robots improve quality and throughput for major Danish custom moulder

ATM robots improve quality and throughput for major Danish custom moulder

The Danish Rosti Group, manufacturers of bottles and containers, technical plastics, EPs and flowerpots, has recently expanded into the UK with the purchase of Morning Plastics and Peter Tilling Plastics, has installed four ATM all-electric drive "S" series robots at its main plant in Denmark.

The result of a two-year development programme carried out in-house by UK robot manufacturer ATM, the "S" series robots provide very high levels of speed and acceleration/deceleration to reduce mould open times. They also feature an advanced and easy-to-use control system which dispenses with the need for bulky, floor-mounted cabinets.

Rosti has installed four "ES2000" models having electric drive on all three axes and NC control system with inverter drives. Three are fitted to conventional injection machines of 420 tonne, 560 tonne and 750 tonne lock; the fourth operates on another large machine which is designed specifically for structural foam moulding.

An important feature of the ATM "S" series robots is the "beam forward design" for the demould. This positions the beam over the free mould area. A further design feature is use of state-of-the-art technology in materials and construction techniques to give an extremely rigid structure.

Extensive use of aluminium alloys has reduced carriage masses and inertia loads. The resulting very high speeds and acceleration/deceleration rates on the Z and X axes are benefiting Rosti which reports cycle reductions of between 10 and 20 seconds as a result of automation.

Further advantages have been improved quality, through stabilisation of the moulding cycle, the elimination of scuff marks on mouldings where a high surface finish has to be maintained and a general increase in moulding shop efficiency.

Mouldings which are now de-moulded by the ATM robots include loudspeaker housings and the wall housings for domestic electricity meters. In designing some of the grippers, ATM has incorporated automatic sprue removal which takes place at an intermediate station, enabling the cut sprues to be returned for re-grinding.

The robot on the structural foam moulding machine, which operates on a longer cycle, is employed for de-moulding a component for a ventilation system and, as with the other parts, placing it onto a conveyor at the side of the machine.

Rosti's future intentions in the field of automation include palletisation. The programming capability of the ATM "ES" robots incorporates the facility for positioning mouldings in rows and in layers on a pallet or in a carton.