Cell for plastic parts.

Three manufacturers--Staubli Robotics (www.staublirobotics.com), BOY, a manufacturer of injection molding machines (www.dr-boy.de), and Ludwig Schleicher GmbH (www.schleicher-gmbh.de), a systems supplier--have gotten together and devised a fully automated standard injection molding cell for small parts production. The cell is based on a BOY 55 VV insert molding machine; it has a clamping force of 550 kN and tie bars that are spaced (360 x 335 mm) such that there is the potential of using a large or a multi-purpose mold. Then there is the TX 60 robot, a six-axis robot that has a 670-mm reach, a [+ or -]0.02-mm repeatability, and a nominal load capacity of 3.5 kg. One of the aspects of the cell is that the mold and the automation module can be quickly swapped out so that a variety of parts can be produced. Says Ludwig Schleicher, CEO of the company with his name, "Of course, we ensure that the automation system is designed so the parts handling cycle times don't exceed the insert molding cycle times. This way, we can ensure maximum output. The same applies to changeover times. To keep them as short as possible, the changeover times for the mold must approximately correspond to those of the automation module."

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