Showcasing itself as a ‘one-stop’ supplier of advanced and sustainable all-electric injection moulding systems, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will release its machine status systems to the Italian market. Connected to both the compact IntElect automotive exhibit, as well as the multi-component IntElect Multi machine, the modular myConnect platform provides the tools to constantly monitor machine parameters and production data, from anywhere.

Designed to minimise disruptions and maintain production schedules, the wide variety of different functionalities will be demonstrated at company’s dedicated digitisation terminal. Visitors will be able to see live data being captured from both IntElect production cells.

With the four-day event expected to attract over 60,000 visitors, general manager Paolo Zirondoli highlights the importance of the Italian market and sector opportunities. “Packaging and medical are continuing to perform strongly and consumer goods remains as important as ever. All of these industries are catered for by our all-electric IntElect machine series. Demand for these efficient machines remains high.”

Zirondoli adds that customers are increasingly seeking complete production packages including machines and integrated robotics, citing that they want “everything from a single source”. Corroborating the value of being able to now source robotics designed specifically for injection moulding machines, he adds: “The SAM is our in-house robot series. Fully integrated into the production cell, customers now benefit from a small injection moulding footprint comprising robot and material handling technology.” This will be the first presentation of SAM Automation to the Italian market.

With the industrial standardised IO-Link communication system, intelligent sensors and actuators can be connected to the automation system. This means the SAM series fully meets future Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing requirements. Additionally, the robots all incorporate the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s myConnect web-based software solution. Giving customers direct access to a wide range of fully networked support services to help better manage inefficiencies, reduce costs, optimise total cost of ownership, troubleshoot errors and minimise downtime.

Featured on the PLAST booth is an IntElect 130/520-560 equipped with a SAM-C5 ‘handle and place’ robot. Manufacturing an automotive gear stick cover, the cell features a synchronised conveyor belt. Every element of the injection moulding process is enclosed within the low height production cell that is up to 50 percent smaller than conventional fully-enclosed cells.

“Coupled with total machine control, full mechanical and software integration, a protective flap to safeguard operators, plus extendable doors, the result is a compact production cell that is delivered fully CE-certified,” reports Zirondoli.

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Offering fully-integrated deployment from a single supplier, the new SAM-C (Sumitomo. Automation. Machine) proprietary robot series succeeds in delivering the smallest injection moulding footprint comprising robot and material handling technology. Enabling plastic manufacturers to deploy UKCA conforming automation solutions into production lines faster, more intelligently, ready to perform the application specific tasks and address labour shortages without any time-consuming customisations.

Responding to increasing demands from the medical, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, electronics and packaging sectors, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has intentionally focused its efforts on developing scalable units with more automation functional elements. Already available in four payload sizes – three, five, ten and 20 kg – the ‘handle and place’ SAM-C robots are designed specifically for injection moulding machines with clamping force sizes between 50 and 500 tons, and for standard applications with cycle times of 10 seconds and higher. Further robot kinematics and functional elements will roll out in the next couple of years.

Customers benefit from process and system technology from a single supplier source, complete with hardware and software control integration of robot technology into the injection moulding unit and production-optimised robotic mechanics fully customised to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machines. All at a very attractive price to performance ratio.

Aside from robotics, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has paid specific attention to the conveyor belts and safety features. What’s more, the company has applied pragmatic manufacturing solutions tailored to the injection moulding process, including handling, storage and buffer systems.

Robots to relieve workforce pressures

Highlighting the importance of value, managing director Nigel Flowers expands: “For many of our customers, automation is helping them to address the skills and recruitment challenges. Acute staffing shortages continues to be a real pain point. Even smaller UK firms are now recognising the possibilities and how robots can help keep the wheels of the sector turning, with minimal human intervention.”

As a scalable solution, the new SAM series fills an important gap offering a good return on investment through increased output, enhanced quality, repeatable precision and reduced waste.

With the industrial standardised IO-Link communication system, intelligent sensors and actuators can be connected to the automation system. This means the SAM series fully meets future Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing requirements. Additionally, the robots all incorporate the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s ‘myConnect’ web-based software solution. Giving customers direct access to a wide range of fully networked support services to help better manage inefficiencies, reduce costs, optimise total cost of ownership, troubleshoot errors and minimise downtime.

Customers that may have previously ruled out robots in the past, Nigel’s advice is to re-examine the value to performance benefits afresh. “The addition of SAM into the Sumitomo Robotics portfolio offers customers an altogether different proposition. And now within the UK we have Richard on hand to provide local engineering guidance and on-site support.”

Visit the Sumitomo Demag website for more information

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Offering fully-integrated deployment from a single supplier, the new SAM-C (Sumitomo Automation Machine) proprietary robot series succeeds in delivering the smallest injection moulding footprint comprising robot and material handling technology. Enabling plastic manufacturers to deploy UKCA conforming automation solutions into production lines faster, more intelligently, ready to perform the application specific tasks and address labour shortages without any time-consuming customisations.

Responding to increasing demands from the medical, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, electronics and packaging sectors, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has intentionally focused its efforts on developing scalable units with more automation functional elements. Already available in four payload sizes – 3, 5, 10 and 20 kg – the ‘handle and place’ SAM-C robots are designed specifically for injection moulding machines with clamping force sizes between 50 and 500 tons, and for standard applications with cycle times of 10 seconds and higher. Further robot kinematics and functional elements will roll out in the next couple of years.

Customers benefit from process and system technology from a single supplier source, complete with hardware and software control integration of robot technology into the injection moulding unit and production-optimised robotic mechanics fully customised to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machines – all at what the company says is a very attractive price to performance ratio.

Aside from robotics, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has paid specific attention to the conveyor belts and safety features. And the company has applied pragmatic manufacturing solutions tailored to the injection moulding process, including handling, storage and buffer systems.

Highlighting the importance of value, managing director Nigel Flowers says: “For many of our customers, automation is helping them to address the skills and recruitment challenges. Acute staffing shortages continues to be a real pain point. Even smaller UK firms are now recognising the possibilities and how robots can help keep the wheels of the sector turning, with minimal human intervention.”

As a scalable solution, the new SAM series fills an important gap offering a good return on investment through increased output, enhanced quality, repeatable precision and reduced waste.

With the industrial standardised IO-Link communication system, intelligent sensors and actuators can be connected to the automation system. This means the SAM series fully meets future Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing requirements. Additionally, the robots all incorporate the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s myConnect web-based software solution. Giving customers direct access to a wide range of fully networked support services to help better manage inefficiencies, reduce costs, optimise total cost of ownership, troubleshoot errors and minimise downtime.

Customers that may have previously ruled out robots in the past, Nigel’s advice is to re-examine the value to performance benefits afresh. “The addition of SAM into the Sumitomo Robotics portfolio offers customers an altogether different proposition. And now within the UK we have Richard on hand to provide local engineering guidance and on-site support.”

Visit the Sumitomo Demag website for more information

As part of the inaugural unveiling, two of the new scalable robots from the SAM series were showcased at the trade fair in Friedrichshafen. The SAM-C10 integrated on an IntElect2 130/520-450 demonstrated the value and flexibility of deploying robotics on an LSR application. In another automotive IMD showcase featuring an IntElect2 220/660-1100, height optimisation was accomplished using a compact telescopic axis.

“The SAM-C series focuses on addressing standard injection moulding applications with moderate complexity, yet offers the option to adapt our handle and place solutions to market requirements as required,” reports Schulze. “Designed specifically to optimise production on a Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machine, our proprietary SAM-C robots can significantly reduce the overall footprint of a self-contained cell, while simultaneously improving user-friendliness of the machine controls.”

Redefining the SDG automation platform, SAM stands for ‘Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Automation Machine’ and comprises both the robotics components as well as the company’s complementary strategic and pragmatic support. The debut Cartesian “C” kinematics are currently available in four payload sizes. The company anticipates rolling out additional robot kinematics and adapted options as early as K-2022 and further expanding the SAM platform within this short timeframe.

“With our SAM-C robots, we offer our customers an attractive price to performance ratio, enabling plastic manufacturers to deploy CE conforming automation solutions into production lines faster and more intelligently to help address current labour and skills challenges,” states the automation director. Responding to increasing demands from customers for flexible automated solutions that requires minimal human intervention and low maintenance costs, Automation SDG has helped to fill a critical gap in standardised production. “By minimising the footprint, manufacturers are able to increase their machine estate. This in turn enables them to boost their capacity, repeatable precision, component quality and efficiency and consequently reduce defects and waste.”

Having used robot technology to automate the company’s injection moulding machines since the middle of the 1990s, Schulze regards the launch of the Automation SDG platform as a natural extension of its processing expertise. He confirms: “Applications like the standard SDR Sepro robots used since 2009 will continue to form an essential part of our new automation platform. However, the addition of our own-branded SAM robots reasserts our strategic vision and ambitions – optimised system technology engineered specifically for SDG injection moulding machines.”

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Robotic automation in the IM process is no longer the preserve of a few operators with specialist needs. The latest statistics released by the European plastics machinery organisation EUROMAP shows that the number of IM machines sold equipped with robots rose from 18% in 2010 to almost a third (32%) in 2015.

There has been a significant upwards trend. I think part of this has been driven by demand for more flexible solutions, so the use of 6-axis industrial robots is certainly more commonplace today. The price gap between Cartesian and industrial robots has closed markedly, while at the same time, they’ve become easier to programme and simpler to integrate.

For packaging, robotics is primarily used to make customer applications run faster and more cost-effectively. With take-out times of 0.5 seconds or less, it can sometimes be faster to use a robot to remove parts than to let them fall under gravity.

Despite growth both in the number of IM machines fitted with robots and of broader acceptance of their value, questions remain for many in the plastics industry. Let’s address some of those lingering doubts.

1. How do I know the return on investment (ROI) adds up?

The fact that larger numbers of smaller businesses are finding the capital cost of robot-equipped IM machinery more affordable is helping to make ROI calculations easier. Of course, these calculations will be different for every business, but should take into account benefits such as quality improvements, repeatability and extended working hours.

Being able to operate around the clock inevitably increases productivity and consequently profitability. Also, there is greater awareness that with today’s industrial robots, you’re not just specifying for a single application.

Whether it’s three months or three years, whatever the product lifecycle turns out to be, a robot can be reprogrammed to support a different product. Some customers are beginning to switch from Cartesian robots to industrial 6-axis systems, which evidence suggests is connected in part to future-proofing investments.

Applying this thinking to packaging applications, although packaging robots represent a larger investment than robots for slower, more everyday applications, when calculated out, payback is often sooner due to the typical shorter cycle times.

2. Robotics is a ‘black-box’ technology that we will have no control over? 

Robotic IM technology has moved on significantly, particularly in relation to adjusting settings and switching between programmes. You no longer need to call in an absolute expert to carry out reprogramming. Control systems have evolved. Although the individual IM operative responsible will still require some form of training, the entire skill set is now within a customer’s own capabilities. However, at a national level, there remains a pressing need to ensure that the next generation of IM engineers are equipped with the necessary skills to fill these in-house roles.

Thanks to computer graphics, at the design stage, it too is easier for customers to be directly involved in scoping out the different options with regard to layout and robot specification. In order to minimise the number of compromises later down the line, we ideally bring the customer and all other partners together at the earliest stage of each project. The earlier decisions about robotics are taken, the better the solution.

3. As a small company is robotic automation appropriate?

For many, the strongest associations when it comes to sophisticated robotics are with large and already highly-automated operations, such as automotive plants. In fact, robotic development is just as rife among smaller-scale manufacturers.

Even packaging converters with just three or four IM machines are seeing the benefits of being able to extend their working hours. If they want to move to longer shifts, they may be looking at the simplest solutions such as Cartesian robots.

As those companies grow, plan for the longer-term and put more emphasis on in-built flexibility, there is always the option of moving to a 6-axis alternative.

4. In mass packaging production, what’s the benefit of incorporating vision systems? 

There is a widespread misunderstanding that robots are inseparable from vision systems, and that vision adds another major layer of cost and complexity to the IM operation.

We talk about vision as one of the options with our most sophisticated, quality-conscious installations. Yet, probably under 2% of the systems we sell include vision. Like part weight-checking, vision is only usually required by those very specialist sectors such as automotive components and medical devices where product dimensions and overall specifications have to be precise.

5. I see the benefits for precision markets, but remain unconvinced about robotics in a packaging context 

A large percentage of IM containers are destined for the food and beverage sector, and robots can help to minimise the likelihood of contaminants. A robot arm eliminates human contact with the product prior to packing. It also prevents parts picking up any contaminants from the faces of the machine as they fall through.

The ability to stack parts at the side of the machine means that you have the correct number of components ready to be packed in the box, which in turn speeds up packing and increases output. What’s more, robotics greatly reduce the labour needed to keep the system running 24/7.

Packaging converters may consider investing in robotics to extend their customer offering to in-mould labelling (IML). This adds a whole range of high-quality decorative options, as well as barrier and shelf-life improvements for food, while also handling increasingly thin label materials.

It is also important for customers to realise that the theoretical benefits of a system can be maximised and tailored to suit specific needs at the installation stage.

Commercial advantage is not just about installing this IM machine or that robot. At Sumitomo (SHI) Demag we are focused on optimising customer investments, and continue to develop our application engineering team in order to ensure that ROI is maximised in specific environments such as packaging.

6. How will a robot boost my already flexible plastics workforce?

‘Flexibility’ is an attractive idea, yet for most manufacturers in the packaging arena, consistent performance and consistent quality are the most important criteria. Both can be provided by robotics.

At the same time, the UK cost of labour continues to rise. One operator can look after, say, 10 machines equipped with industrial automation. You can achieve more consistent output while reducing manufacturing costs. Rather than being a jobs taker, there’s strong evidence that adoption of robots across all manufacturing sectors is driving the need for more advanced engineering skills.

There’s little doubt that in terms of flexibility and dexterity, integrating robotics and automation into IM set-ups can increase manufacturing competitiveness. Plastic processors today are rarely considering the injection moulding machine in isolation. There is a definite shift towards integrated production cells, with a need for robotics and peripheral equipment to work seamlessly together.

Until recently, much of the resistance has been tied to cost, expertise and lack of understanding on how a packaging moulder or converter could produce an attractive return on their investment. However, the ability to adapt quickly to the production of new products or variants of existing ones, combined with lower capital costs, makes the business case for investment in robotics stronger than ever.

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A growing number of injection moulders are embracing automation with BARA reporting a 75% rise in robotic integration within the plastics industry between 2013 and 2014. This increase is reflected in our own figures: in 2012 around 25% of IM machines we sold had a robot feature and by 2014 this figure had risen to almost 32%.

The main reasons for this rise, in my view, are twofold. Firstly, the cash injection into the automotive industry at the start of the year has led to an increase in large machinery investment within this sector. Secondly industrial (6 axis) robots, which were historically deemed too expensive and complicated, are becoming easier to implement and have lower investment costs. Manufacturers are realising the potential these systems offer – the flexible, long term solutions coupled with the capability of handling new products and increasingly complex operations.

Packaging industry applications

In-mould labelling (IML) is a key element of the packaging sector and a prime area for automation which has really taken off across the UK and Europe as it offers clear operational efficiencies and improved graphics to maximise the on-shelf impact of consumer brands. Speed is all-important in this role, and IMM suppliers can integrate high-speed side-entry robots, incorporating label dispensing and placing technology.

For hygiene sensitive markets, such as medical and healthcare, it is possible to attach a robot to the frame of the IM machine, enabling manufacturers to automate functions like handling and packing within a compact and enclosed cleanroom-standard cell. Once you have the filter and laminar airflow, the robot is sitting in a cell that’s cleaner than the average operating theatre.

While in the long term I do not expect to see this growing trend continuing – largely due to the investment cycle within the automotive industry coming to a close – there are growing arguments that speed, yield, repeatability, reliability, multi-tasking and long-term cost saving are reasons why end users might opt for a robotic injection moulding solution. The latest robots are easier to integrate, and today’s improved designs often have fewer parts, making them easier to maintain. These include the new breed of collaborative robots (cobots) which are designed to work alongside the human workforce without fences around them.

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