Automation expert Sepro will be demonstrating the potential power of its Smart Automation Systems in Friedrichshafen this year with a complex fully automated production cell built around a 110-ton Milacron IMM that is producing toy sailboat components. The moulding machine is supported by a Sepro 5X-15 Cartesian robot with servo-driven wrist, and a 6X-140.2 articulated-arm robot and a range of peripheral equipment.
The 5X-15 removes the two components (boat hull and sail) from the mould. Successful gripping is confirmed by a vacuum switch. The 6X unit then grips the boat hull, while the 5X-15 maintains control of the sail, and the two robots work together to assemble the sail to the hull in mid-air. The 6X then regrips the boat, which the 5X has been holding by the sail, and moves it, without stopping, past an inkjet printer. The QR code printed on the hull connects to data from the IMM related to the production for that particular boat, which is stored on a cloud server. Next, the 6X robot presents the boat for quality assessment by two pneumatic probes. Measurement data is stored on the server, and the boat is placed on a handling tray. Once the tray is full, the 6X pushes it onto a conveyor which transfers it out of the guarded moulding cell.
Throughout this sequence of operations, the availability and stack height of empty trays is monitored. A warning is issued automatically to operators when trays need to be restocked or moved. All the operations and production data are available through Sepro’s Industrial Robot Dashboard. Data is collected from all the equipment operating in the cell and displayed in a dashboard proving key indicators for OEE, maintenance of the overall process and also a detailed view per device.
At the Fakuma, the Robot Dashboard will be used to capture and present operational data from all Sepro robots at the fair, not just those operating on the Sepro stand, but also data from at least six other robots operating on the stands of various injection moulding manufacturers.