ATM cut it for Hozelock

Citation

(1999), "ATM cut it for Hozelock", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926eaf.006

ATM cut it for Hozelock

ATM cut it for Hozelock

Keywords Robots, Plastics

ATM Automation Limited recently completed the installation of an automated system in a new moulding cell at Hozelock's production facility at Aylesbury, Buckingham-shire (see Plate 5).

Plate 5 ATM Automation Limited recently completed the installation of an automated system in a new moulding cell at Hozelock's production facility at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Hozelock Limited, the UK's leading manufacturer of garden watering and pond equipment, invested in a Demag ET 650 - 8000 injection moulding machine to produce large hose reel case side mouldings. The machine, rated at 650 tonnes, is Hozelock's biggest and its specification included an ATM ES2000HS, three-axis, servo motor driven robot to remove the cases from the mould and place them on an indexing belt conveyor, also supplied by ATM.

The components are for a new and unique hose storage system which incorporates "thru flow" and "auto rewind" facilities.

ATM was awarded the design and build contract for the robot following the successful operation and high reliability of earlier installations of three ATM NC robots and eight Apex sprue pickers. The ATM systems are all of British manufacture and Hozelock were satisfied with ATM's after sales service and technical support.

The ATM robot is fitted with a gripper plate comprising two sets of vacuum pads. Vacuum sensors automatically detect any failure to grip a component. One side of the case is fed by six submarine gates and the ATM robot holds the sprue in a Jaw gripper and deposits it into a granulator for recycling.

The moulding for the second component is fed by using a diaphragm gate positioned inside a 21mm diameter bore. The diaphragm gate has to be cut from the moulding to leave a clean bore to allow the central spindle of the hose reel to be fitted. This operation would normally be carried out at Hozelock's assembly plant in Birmingham. However, it was recognised that, if this could be done at the moulding plant, assembly would be simplified and overall production costs reduced.

Hozelock's Processing Manager, Simon Rooke, asked ATM's technical team to investigate the possibility of achieving the removal of the diaphragm gate during the moulding cycle. In close liaison with Hozelock's engineering team, ATM devised a system that comprised a fixed location table that accepts the moulding while it is still held by the robot head. Four pneumatic cone locks, built into the location table, are activated by a signal from the robot's NC control system and lock the robot head to the table. As soon as all four cone locks are in position, a second signal operates a pneumatic cylinder that has an elliptical cutter fitted into it. This cuts the diaphragm neatly from within the 21mm bore and it falls into a granulator for recycling. The moulding is then placed onto the conveyor, using a stacking routine programmed by Hozelock's technicians. This optimises the use of labour who are free to operate several other machines simultaneously.

For further information please contact: Robert Hopper, ATM Automation Limited. Tel: +44 (0)116 277 3607.