Exploring the future of robotic automation of injection moulding

As part of our Pre-K pull-out special in the latest edition of British Plastics & Rubber, Charles de Forges, CEO of Sepro Group, discusses how robotics for injection moulding will be a huge attraction to visitors to K 2022 - and beyond. 

Injection moulders today face more serious challenges to success than ever in recent memory. There is heightened pressure to ramp up production levels to meet rising demand even as the resources to do so are limited. The shortage of even non-skilled workers, not to mention those with technical knowledge and experience, became especially acute during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has not improved much since. Supply-chain issues have made it difficult and/or expensive for moulders to increase production capacity even as plant-floor space constraints limit their potential to expand. All this, while profitability concerns place a premium on increased quality and efficiency.

If there is a bright side to this situation, it is almost certainly this: not since the Industrial Revolution – the so-called Industry 3.0 – has technology brought to bear such a large arsenal of weapons to overcome these challenges. The automation weapons of today (Industry 4.0) are digital and they allow moulders an unprecedented level of control over their equipment, their process and their operational efficiency. Best of all, this same technology is getting much easier to implement, meaning that the lack of skilled technicians need not be an impediment.

Automation, a word that was coined by Ford Motor Company in 1948, will a major theme when K 2022 opens its doors in Dusseldorf in October. For injection moulders, the industrial robot, the icon of automation, will be front and center. They won’t look much different than they did at the global plastics trade show three years ago, or even ten years ago, but what they can do and how they can interface with moulding machines and peripheral equipment of all kinds will be wonderful to behold.

Why is robotic automation so important today?

Think about the current labour issues. For moulders having difficulty finding skilled operators, process engineers, or maintenance technicians, automation can almost certainly help increase productivity, efficiency and quality. Automation almost always works faster and occupies less floor space than a manual operation. Robotic systems also can operate 24/7 and can offer a consistency that manual operation cannot. The added consistency in cycle time not only improves product quality, but also can help more accurately identify operating costs and forecast production output. Automation can help moulders become more competitive in almost any market.

Robotic automation is also important in the production of parts that have delicate surface features, are comprised of softer materials, and/or have critical dimensions that must be maintained during the moulding process. Any uncontrolled interaction with humans can damage a part or decrease its quality. Many medical or high-end electronic parts are particularly susceptible to contamination through human interaction, so automation is essential.

A robot (or more than one) makes it possible to do more value-additive operations right at the moulding machine, placing inserts before moulding, enabling efficient overmoulding and retaining control of parts through post-mould operations and even into final packaging. With everything done in one manufacturing cell, there is no need to ship parts to and from warehouses for secondary processing. Automation limits processing variables and decreases errors and defects too.

Where is robotic technology headed?

Sepro Group, a leader in injection moulding automation for over 40 years, is again breaking new ground in the area of robot and automation control. Their work in recent years and their vision for the future of robotics focus, in particular, on two areas that have the potential to help moulders meet their current challenges. They are:

Simplifying operations;

• Maximising overall equipment effectiveness.

For all of the benefits that robotic automation offers injection moulders – including, but not limited to, those delineated above -- there have been some impediments that have limited more widespread implementation. Chief among these is the fact that programming and operating a robot can be technically complicated. Some 20 years ago, Sepro pioneered easier robot programming with its Visual controller, which includes a Simple Pick & Place feature. Even a relatively new employee with limited training could use this system to set up a basic mould-release cycle.

Today, Sepro engineers are working toward what they call “no-code” programming, with the robot controller using artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise process details and help fill in the blanks to complete a final operational sequence. The controller will be able to communicate with all the equipment in a production cell including the IMM, robot(s) and peripherals that perform secondary functions like assembly, marking, packaging, and so on.

The human-machine interface will be getting simpler too, borrowing from smartphones, video-game controllers and other devices that the current generation of operators and technicians are already familiar and comfortable with.

Connectivity supports efficiency

Sepro began connecting its controls with other systems more than ten years ago, when it started partnering with major injection-machine makers to allow virtually seamless integration of the robot and IMM. This connectivity has been improved and extended so that, today, Sepro Visual controls readily communicate with moulding machines and also manage the operation of all the other peripheral equipment (mentioned above) that comprise a truly integrated moulding cell.

Process data gathered through these connections can be used support the machine learning that is necessary for simplified no-code programming discussed previously. But there’s more to it than that. Collecting and analysing huge amounts of process and performance data from all components in the cell – including IMMs – regardless of the type of device or its manufacturer.  This makes it possible to recognise patterns and predict equipment and process events and outcomes. Eventually, this will enable robots to actually adjust themselves and optimise process behavior and outcomes automatically. These kinds of capabilities will prove essential as moulders work to maximise equipment and plant effectiveness, leading to increased productivity and profitability.

Winning the robot automation challenge

The Sepro stand (Hall 12, stand A36) at Messe Dusseldorf will feature three operating moulding machines, five robots and a range of other peripheral equipment, all operating in cells that highlight advances that injection moulders can use to overcome today’s toughest challenges. The moulding cells will employ a new modular software architecture that enables the control of multiple pieces of robotic and auxiliary equipment via a single central control system. They will be interactive and visitors will be encouraged to take control of Sepro robots and see for themselves how easy-to-use these systems can be. At the same time, Sepro engineers will be watching carefully to see how people respond and react to these technical novelties so that this feedback can be used to help focus development efforts as they continue in the years to come.