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Flexible hopper conveyor in 3 different sizes
<ul>
<li>For spreading and distributing bulk material</li>
<li>Compatible with the Flexmaster series</li>
<li>Filling capacity 5L to 15L</li></ul>

Hopper conveyor JE series | 5-15L

Material Feeding

User manual

Enlace al proveedor

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The hopper conveyors from Jäger-engineering are 100% compatible with the feeding systems from the Flexmaster series.

Suitable for a wide range of (complex) parts.

Automated insertion into injection molding machine

Automatisiertes Einlegen in Spritzgussmaschine

Spritzguss

Injection molding

注塑成型

injection-molding

In this video, we demonstrate the use of an automated system for inserting components into an injection molding machine. This innovative solution optimizes the production process and significantly increases efficiency.

The operation of the insertion process is shown step by step, demonstrating the precise positioning and handling of the components. The seamless integration of the insertion system into the existing injection molding machine will then be demonstrated, including the communication interfaces and control logic.

The benefits of this solution include increasing production speed and accuracy, reducing scrap and material waste, and improving worker safety by minimizing manual intervention.

An important aspect here is maintaining a low footprint.

Produktion

Manufacturing

Production

製造業

Fabricação

Productie

Produkcja

การผลิต

制造业

Üretim

제조

Produzione

manufacturing

機械人&射出成型機

Robolink & Injection Molding Machine

Robolink & Máquina de moldagem por injeção

Robolink和注塑机

Robolink & spuitgietmachine

Automatisiertes Teilehandling für effiziente Spritzgießautomaten

Robolink e macchina per lo stampaggio ad iniezione

Bestückung

Machine tending

Obsługa maszyn

機械加工

Machine bedienen

机器操作

기계 관리

機器維護

Équipement

machine-tending

Mantenimiento de máquinas

Plastics industry: Automated parts handling for efficient injection molding machines

Whereas employees used to have to place ice scrapers in an injection molding machine hundreds of times per shift, this monotonous task is now performed by a low-cost robot. It is so cost-effective and easy to operate that the investment in automated parts handling pays for itself after just four months.

Monday morning, start of shift at a manufacturer of ice scrapers. An employee places twenty blanks in a magazine and starts the BOY 35 EVV, an injection molding machine that overmolds the scrapers with a lip made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). What follows is an example of part handling automation in the plastics industry. robolink, a four-axis robotic arm from Cologne-based plastics specialist igus, grips a blank with a vacuum end effector. The arm then moves to the overmolding machine. The highlight: there are also suction cups on the back of the end effector. This allows the arm to pick up a finished overmolded ice scraper, then turn 180 degrees and place the next blank - with a repeat accuracy of 0.8 millimeters. Removal and loading thus take place in a single motion cycle. And that saves time. The robot arm then places the finished ice scraper on a conveyor belt.

The solution for automated parts handling on an injection molding machine was on display for the first time at Fakuma 2018, the International Trade Fair for Plastics Processing in Friedrichshafen. "The topic of automation is growing strongly in the plastics industry," says Bernd Fischer, division manager for application technology and service at Dr. BOY, a company based in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, specializing in the development of injection molding machines since 1968. "Unlike a few years ago, more and more machines are leaving our factory automated today." Before this automation phase, workers had to insert blanks into the machine by hand. Hundreds of times per shift. A monotonous job that is inefficient, tiring and error-prone.

Automated parts handling: payback after approx. four months

Packaging, technical parts, semi-finished products and consumer goods: The plastics processing industry is one of the most important sectors of the German economy. According to the German Plastics Processing Industry Association (Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie - GKV), more than 330,000 employees, mainly from small and medium-sized enterprises, generate annual sales of over 65 billion euros. However, this balance sheet is no reason to rest on one's laurels. After all, the sector is going through a transformation phase - just like most other industries. Cost pressure is increasing. And topics such as automation and Industry 4.0 are becoming a competitive factor.

"However, many companies shy away from the topic of automation because they fear investment costs of several hundred thousand euros," says Norman Franke, Head of Automation Injection Molding at igus. "Yet today, thanks to low-cost robotics, it is easily possible to automate monotonous and dangerous processes at low cost and low risk. For example, the robolink robot arm with 5-DOF costs from 3,845 euros - a fraction of the price of conventional industrial robots." The reason for the low cost: Many components of the robotic arm, such as bearings and gears, are not made of metal but of high-performance plastic.

"The investment can pay for itself after just four months," Fischer emphasizes. This is because employees now only have to spend ten percent of their working time on parts handling - namely refilling ice scraper blanks into a magazine from which the robot arm serves itself.

Low-cost robotics is not only comparatively inexpensive to purchase, but also to operate. That starts with operation. "Many companies fear that they will have to spend a lot of money on IT experts to program the robotic arm," says Fischer. "But in fact, after a training period of just a few hours, it's possible even for IT laypeople to define motion sequences." This is made possible by software from Commonplace Robotics, whose origins go back to adult education.

At its heart: a 3D simulation of the robot arm. A Digital Twin of the real robot. Instead of programming, employees define the start and target positions of the arm with mouse clicks. The software calculates the motion paths automatically. It is also possible to insert your own 3D objects. The matching robot controller, integrated in a control cabinet as a DIN rail version, takes care of controlling the stepper motors - and communicates with the controller of the connective injection molding machine via EUROMAP interface. "We have designed the operation of the system so intuitively that the need for IT specialists is reduced to a minimum," emphasizes Fischer. "This saves costs and counteracts the problem of a shortage of skilled workers, which also affects the plastics processing industry."

Since the bearings of the robot arm are made of high-performance plastic and not metal, dry running is possible without lubricants. The lightweight plastic components also reduce energy consumption - another savings factor in times of rising energy costs. Last but not least, the automation does not even require additional space. "The automation of parts handling takes place within the 1.67 square meter footprint of the compact insert molding machine. The company does not have to provide additional space. The low-cost robot, the parts magazine and the conveyor belt are positioned on the free machine table of the injection molding machine to save space."

Low-cost automation of injection molding machines faces a hungry market, Fischer is convinced. He says the solution is particularly suitable for machines with longer cycles. "For cycle times of more than 30 seconds, it makes economic sense for companies to automate part handling with low-cost robotics." For faster machines, on the other hand, robolink is too slow, he said. The robotic arm moves at a maximum speed of 0.25 meters per second and manages seven picks per minute.

Driving automation forward: Online platform RBTX bundles expertise of several manufacturers

If companies like the automated parts handling, they have the option of expanding the automation. This is where RBTX comes in, an online marketplace where manufacturers of low-cost robotics pool their products and expertise. Companies put together automation solutions with the help of a configurator. Robots from igus, for example, provide the basic electro-mechanical framework - including Cartesian robots, jointed-arm robots and delta robots. They can be combined with components from various manufacturers, including vision systems, grippers, interactive software, power electronics, motors, sensors and control systems. Nasty surprises regarding compatibility are ruled out. "To ensure that even small medium-sized companies can make the low-risk leap into the automation age, engineers have already combined and tested all the components," says Franke. "This ensures smooth interaction. Companies can conveniently put together solutions and get started right away."

Automated ball bearing assembly

Automatisierte Kugellagermontage

In this video, we present an advanced solution for the automated assembly of ball bearings in production. The setup of the gantry system and the integration of the Epson Scara are shown, as well as the operation of the rotary conveyor and the Variobotic shaker cameras for precise detection and positioning of the ball bearing components. The Schunk and Schmalz grippers are demonstrated in action, handling the ball bearings safely and efficiently. The step feeder supports the process with its precise conveying technique, ensuring that the entire system operates smoothly and efficiently thanks to reliable power and data transmission. The benefits of this solution include increased production speed, reduced scrap, and improved workplace safety. Additionally, a low footprint is ensured, facilitating integration into various production environments.

Pick and Place customer application with RBTX vibratory feeder and ReBeL cobot

Pick and Place Anwendung mit RBTX Bauteilervereinzelner und ReBeL Cobot

Customer Tests

Testen door klanten

Tests clients

Müşteri Testleri

客户测试

Tes Pelanggan

Testes de clientes

Testy klienta

การทดสอบของลูกค้า

客戶測試

Kundentests

Test dei clienti

customer-tests

Süper düşük maliyetli

Superlage kosten

Superlowcost

Superniskikoszt

超低成本

Coût très faible

Super low cost

ซุปเปอร์โลว์คอส

Custo superbaixo

초저가

经济型

superlowcost

Pick & Place

Pick-and-Place

Al ve yerleştir

拾取&放置

픽 앤 플레이스

ピック&プレース

Pick &amp: Place

取放 (揀選 & 放置)

Pick and place

หยิบและวาง

pick-n-place

In this customer application, plastic parts needed to be sorted correctly using vibration so that they could be recognized by a camera and picked up by a robot through coordinate transmission. This was necessary to ensure precise and efficient handling of the parts. The RBTX Varioshaker lite, a cost-effective product designed for simple applications from the RBTX range, was used in this example.

The Varioshaker lite was combined with a Rebel robot, an ifm 2D camera, and a Schunk EGP 25 gripper. The ifm 2D camera captured the position of the sorted plastic parts and transmitted the coordinates to the Rebel robot. The robot then used the Schunk EGP 25 gripper to precisely pick up and process the parts. This combination provided an efficient and cost-effective solution for the automated handling of plastic parts.

Separação de componentes baseada em câmera com sistema de câmera 2D e placa vibratória 

Camera-based component separation with 2D camera system and vibration plate 

Op camera gebaseerde componentenscheiding met 2D-camerasysteem en trilplaat 

Separazione dei componenti tramite visione impiegando telecamere 2D e tavola vibrante 

Kamerabasierte Bauteilevereinzelung mit 2D Kamerasystem und Vibrationsplatte 

Handhabung

Material handling

Manuseio de materiais

Malzeme taşıma

Przeładunek materiałów

倉儲物流

物料搬运

Materiaal handling

ระบบจัดการสินค้า

물류 산업

Movimentazione dei materiali

マテリアルハンドリング

Manipulation

material-handling

Manipulación de materiales

This video highlights a customer test conducted in the igus Customer Testing Area (CTA), where metal parts are isolated using a Varioshaker. Subsequently, the contours of the parts are teched into an ifm 2D camera for precise detection and analysis.

 The test demonstrates the efficiency of the Varioshaker in isolating individual parts and the capability of the ifm 2D camera to identify these parts for quality control or automated processes.

The video impressively showcases how modern technologies are applied in automation technology to optimize processes and ensure product quality.

Feeding solution of metal components with the RBTX spiral bowl conveyor

Toevoeroplossing van metalen onderdelen met de RBTX spiraalvormige schalenbaan

Soluzione di alimentazione di componenti metallici con il vibratore a spirale RBTX

Zuführungslösung von Metall Komponenten mit dem RBTX Wendeltopfförderer

Solução de alimentação de componentes metálicos com o transportador de cuba espiral RBTX

RBTX螺旋碗式振动进料器用于金属部件的进料

In the video, igus/RBTX, a marketplace for low-cost robotics, conducts a customer test with a low-cost spiral bowl feeder. The bowl feeder is used to ensure reliable feeding of small metal components to the robot. This is an important aspect of automation in manufacturing as it improves the efficiency and accuracy of robotic applications. The components used in this test are part of the wide range of robotic components offered by igus/RBTX. These components are known for their high quality and compatibility. The test serves to demonstrate the performance and reliability of the bowl feeder under real conditions.

Component feed with cost-effective spiral bowl feeder

Komponenten Zuführung mit kostengünstigem Wendeltopfförderer

Alimentazione dei componenti con un conveniente alimentatore a spirale

Toevoer van componenten met kosteneffectieve spiraalvormige doseerschaal

Alimentação de componentes com alimentador de tigela em espiral econômico

高性价比螺旋送料振动盘

The video shows a test situation in the igus customer testing area. The focus is on the feeding of small parts with a spiral pot vibratory feeder. This device uses vibrations to bring small parts into an orderly alignment and transport them efficiently to their destination. The test is conducted to verify the performance and reliability of the vibratory feeder under real conditions. This is an important step in the process of quality assurance and product development. The test is conducted specifically for a customer, which suggests that the device may be used for a specific application or in a certain production environment.

Hopper conveyor JE series | 5-15L

Variantes: Filling volume 15l

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