As an all-inclusive injection molding supplier, the Wittmann Group will also use the Fakuma to showcase its latest innovations in automation and peripherals. In 2019, the Sonic range of robots replaced the high-speed UHS series robots. Sonic robots now come with a new design and are fitted with the latest R9 robot control system.

The Sonic 108 is optimized for fast parts removal in packaging and “pick & place” applications

Spritzgießen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Messe Fakuma

kunststoffe-international.com

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Automatisierungstechnik

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Extensions to Several Robot Series

Before Covid 19, some 65 % of pipette tips were used without filter, but meanwhile, a majority of pipette tips now has filters. What does this mean for manufacturers?

Filters on the pipette tips protect the pipettes and samples from unintentional and unnoticed contamination – especially with automated laboratory tests

Automatisierungszellen

Montageeinrichtungen

Montagetechnik

Medizinprodukte

Medizintechnik

Filtergewebe

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Filter Assembly System for Pipette Tips

NP Germany’s turnkey system around a vertical Arburg injection molding machine takes up a quarter of the production hall.

Benedikt Niglis, head of project (left), and Plant Manager Mario von der Heyde are more than proud of their complex turnkey system

16:9

NP Germany: Extraordinary Turnkey System for Automotive Products

Inspektionssysteme

Fertigungsautomation

Bildverarbeitung

Knickarmroboter

Industrieroboter

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Qualitätssicherung

Dance of the Robots

The consumables required for In-vitro diagnostics are manufactured in a production process that is subject to high requirements in terms of precision and quality, but also the complex cleanroom manufacturing environment. This has implications for the entire plant technology – especially toolmaking.

64-cavity tool for pipette tips. The hot runner system is balanced across all cavities

Strategic Approach through Classification according to Product Groups

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Dienstleistungen

Werkzeug-, Formen- und Modellbau

Mold Platforms for IVD Consumables

Pipette tips feature a challenging wall thickness/length ratio, an inner geometry that is key for analysis results, and a tip opening just a few tenths of a millimeter wide. They have been in extremely high demand during the coronavirus pandemic, which is why the mold construction and hot runner specialist Männer has developed a mold with an innovative cluster concept.

At the Männer test center in Bahlingen, Germany: an injection mold for manufacturing pipette tips, shown here in operation. Automation of the system is currently being set up

Pipette Tips: Männer Presents a Mold with Replaceable Clusters

Heißkanalsysteme

Komponenten für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Maintenance During (Nearly)  Uninterrupted Production

Space-saving machine concepts for demanding production environments are booming. A real-life example of a slit micro-membrane for pharmaceutical glass vials shows how intelligent machine functions make an important contribution to supporting machine operators and continuous documentation of the production process.

Injection molding and slitting of an LSR membrane for a glass-vial closure for pharmaceutical products make high demands on precision

KraussMaffei Delivers a Customized Solution for LSR Processing

Mikrospritzgießen

Silikonkautschuk

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Transparency in Production

RKT has been manufacturing plastic products for medical and industrial technology for 45 years. Discs for the rapid analysis of multi-resistant hospital germs are a lighthouse project within the sophisticated product portfolio.

 A six-axis robot picks the molded parts out of the mold under an inert gas atmosphere and conveys them into the cleanroom for further processing and packaging

High-Tech Production of Life-Saving Disks for Fast Analysis of Dangerous Germs

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

An All-Round Winner

At Fakuma 2021, Engel is expanding its product range of intelligent assistance systems. The new iQ motion control allows Engel viper series linear robots a reliable early start combined with fully automatically optimized motion planning. Users benefit twofold: from a time-saving in teach-in and shorter production cycles.

iQ motion control operates with automatically optimized motion planning

Folientechnik (IMD, IML, FIM, u.a.)

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Optimized Motion Planning for Shorter Cycle Times

Pharmaceutical crimp caps generally consist of a thin aluminum sheet and a plastic component, and are used to seal medical vials, for example for vaccines. Through a combined deep-drawing and backmolding process with previous inline laser treatment of the thin aluminum sheet, the process can be significantly shortened. The media-proof joining together of the two materials is carried out through a mechanically interlocking connection.

A crimp cap for injection vials is manufactured in a two-step process.

Combined Deep-Drawing and Backmolding Process with Mechanically Interlocking Joint

Hybridtechnik

Aluminiumlegierungen

Metall Werkstoffe

NE-Metalle

Laserbearbeitungen

Oberflächentechnik

Tiefziehen

Verfahren für die spanlose Fertigung

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Simulation Stanzen / Umformen

Software

Simulation

Laserstrukturieren

Process Chain for the Production of Hybrid Medical Products

Injection, holding pressure, cooling phase – injection molding is a sequential process with individual steps that are usually optimized. Therefore, they offer little more potential for improving the cycle time. But what about the automation system?

With the synchronous motion function, the gripper of the robot starts faster, saving valuable cycle time.

Lucrative Early Start

Multiaxialroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Synchronous Motion Shortens Demolding Time up to 35 %

The diverse nature of industries and their requirements is something that suppliers of automation solutions also have to take into account. ''Adapted automation'' is the magic word, because widely ranging batch sizes, an increasing number of product variants and short product lifecycles typify many markets today. Plans for attractive, innovative universal solutions are hidden away in many drawers. Now is the time to pull these plans out and make them a reality. 

Automatisierungskomponenten

Handhabungsroboter

Industry in a State of Flux: Batch Size Is Everything 

Compared with 2010, the year of the last K fair, sales of robot systems doubled. By the end of 2013 the French supplier of robots and automation systems for plastics injection molding expects to sell more than 1,500 units. 

Sepro Robotique: Automation with Growth Spurt 

Beck Automation invented a new system to label plastics parts that is pending patent approval. Its special twist is the option of using a reduced opening stroke on the injection molding machine. For this purpose, the parts are rearranged in the mold after demolding. The process was introduced to the public at the U.S. plastics trade show NPE at the end of March, reducing the cycle times and costs of the production process, and stepping up output quantities for the packaging industry.  

Sophisticated Solution from Beck Automation Reduces Opening Stroke for IML Applications 

Rearrangement in the Mold 

At present, two automation trends are in evidence among plastics processing companies: On the one hand, the complexity of systems is increasing, while on the other, customers are seeking flexible solutions owing to ever faster product changes, increasing version diversity and, consequently, ever smaller unit volumes per order, down to one-off parts. This means, for example, that high-volume products can be individualized as one-off parts in a flexibly automated, digitally integrated production system by combining injection molding, generative production and "Industry 4.0" technologies. 

Automated Production Makes It Possible to Increase Part Quality, Process Reliability and the Productivity and the Flexibility of the Production Processes 

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Mensch-Maschine-Interface

Greifer

Additive Fertigung

Systemperipherie

Optische Mess- und Prüftechnik

Digital Integration – Flexibly Automated Plastics Processing 

Hörl Kunststofftechnik sees its core business in the production of small and micro parts made from technical plastics for the automotive and electronics industry. In operating and expanding its fully automated injection molding production, the supplier works closely together with Arburg. The machine manufacturer supplies turnkey systems that are precisely matched to manufacturing requirements. 

Automation in Injection Molding: More Control and Flexibility in Production 

Error-Free Coupling 

Automated High Volume Consumables Production

Pipette tips are small and relatively simple components that are now in high demand. One might think  producing large quantities of these products is a simple task. It is not. The requested high quality can only be reached by using complex automation. To meet these challenging requirements, MA micro automation has developed a modular solution: Centauri IVD.

With the onset and spread of the coronavirus, pipette tips were suddenly seen in print media and on television news shows. To combat the pandemic, routine sample testing increased to an incredible scale. Mandates for in-vitro diagnostic testing increased demand for these disposable components with new production plants being brought online globally. Total pipette tip manufacturing requirements are significantly greater than before. What makes pipette tip manufacturing so challenging? Wall thicknesses of these molded parts are about 0.3 mm and tip bores are sometimes only tenths of a millimeter in diameter. Aspirated liquid fill volumes must be exact and repeatable as they are critical to the accuracy of test analysis results. Internal geometries and other critical to quality features of these parts must be tightly controlled to support reliable testing.

This is why high-quality injection molding machines, tools and process controls are required for manufacturing. What happens after a mold cycle is complete and the mold opens is decisive. MA micro automation developed the modular Centauri IVD automation solution to enable all post molding process automation including packaging. With an installed base of many systems in Europe, several more of these high-performance production systems will soon be delivered to customers in the USA and Asia.

The pipette tip manufacturing process begins with component removal from the molding tool. A side takeout robotic actuator is located adjacent to an injection molding machine. The actuator, driven by linear servo motor technology, is used to rapidly advance a custom end of arm tool (EOAT) into and out of open mold halves (Fig. 1). The EOAT is configured to receive pipette tips from a horizontal array of delicate core pins in the mold. Part tips face toward the gripper, instrument bore ends face out. MA micro automation is the only supplier in Europe to produce these high-speed robotic units in-house.

Centauri IVD equipment provides automated handling of parts transferred from the mold. Post molding operations include a variety of non-contact quality inspections, re-pitching of parts to different arrays and management of rejects prior to loading of racks and packaging. Immediately after the pipette tips have been transferred from the mold to the EOAT, the process begins. Through-beam laser sensors are used to monitor successful part transfers. Additional sensors are used to monitor the gap between parts and gripper sleeves to ensure complete transfers. Any missing part would be considered a critical fault and the system stopped to prevent damage to mold cores.

The side takeout actuator and loaded EOAT retracts away from the injection molding machine and then rapidly travels to position parts adjacent to a tilting station. This station is designed to perform two tasks. One is to receive parts with axes horizontal and transfer them down through an optical inspection station. The second is to pivot all parts from horizontal to vertical orientation with tips pointing down.

Multiple cameras, optics and light sources are positioned within a protective enclosure. Using a sophisticated array of first surface mirrors, lighting and high-definition cameras are used to capture images of all 64 pipette tip geometries. The entire inspection process is performed on-the-fly with all parts entering and exiting the inspection station without stopping. Full 360 ° inspection enables detection of burrs, short shots, and other defects. Test results for each part passing through the station are used to coordinate downline QC station NOK removal and replacement with OK parts. Data from these inspections are also tied to injection molding machine controls for continuous adjustment of parameters required to maintain optimal performance.

Inspected parts are reoriented to present axes vertical, tips down. The array of parts can be unloaded directly into product carrier fixtures or into repitch tooling. The initial transfer of parts coming from QC inspection requires re-pitching from injection mold cavity positions to an array suitable for subsequent reject part refill operations. Parts are loaded into precision pockets of an array of rails. Populated rails are then moved to compress the array before another transfer gripper acquires parts for transfer to workpiece carriers. While being transferred to each workpiece carrier, individual grippers are compressed in another axis to create a tight array of parts matching centers of racks to be loaded downline.

A Ten Minutes Buffer Prevents  Production Downtimes

A modular and scalable production system provides NOK and OK part management to separate stations within a larger manufacturing system. For end-to-end production within a single system, a decoupling buffer is required. The buffer is used to “decouple” serial process of the injection molding machine from the parallel processes of inspection and refill operations downline. With an injection mold machine cycling at 5.8 seconds, the Centauri IVD system is configured to provide a buffer capacity of ten minutes. Delays due to load faults or other throughput issues downline will not require the molding machine to stop. A first in first out (FIFO) methodology is used to maintain the good parts queue.

A programmable servo driven circuit of workpiece carriers is used to transfer oriented parts between stations. Carriers, configured to hold an 8 x 8 array of pipette tips, are used to transport parts through QC check and refill stations.

RFID tags on each carrier enable local data management for each set of fixtured parts. Molded parts can also be unloaded for manual quality inspection at dedicated collection stations. This portion of the Centauri IVD line can also include filter loading and insertion. Filters are sometimes used to prevent aerosols in sample collection that may affect test results. If included, a height adjustable servo actuated tool is used to press and seat previously loaded filters.

100 percent inline checking of all parts follows. A filter presence check if required, presence of particulate, measurement of overall length (OAL), check of tip and hub bore dimensions are all processed. These critical to quality vision inspection tasks require expertise with lighting, camera selection, optics, and image processing. MA micro automation has in-house capability with high precision vision inspection work. Opto-engineers and software development specialists are constantly workin g on developping new and better systems to meet customer inspection requirements.

NOK Parts Are Replaced by NO Parts Before the Packaging Starts

A Scara robot mounted vacuum gripper is used to transfer a single component from the array of parts within a stationary carrier. The sample part is moved to a test fixture where it is pressed over a receptacle with force monitoring used to confirm concentricity with respect to the injection gate feature. Outputs from this analysis allow injection molding equipment to be adjusted to maintain optimal performance. The robot can also transfer sample parts to a drawer for manual retrieval and further analysis.

Carriers with parts advance to a blow-off reject removal station. NOK parts are blown up and out of carrier nests and discharged to an offline receptacle. Carriers then advance to a refill station where known OK parts from a previously populated queue of good parts have been loaded. Those parts were loaded at the start of the batch production run. Known OK parts are retrieved from the good parts buffer and loaded into any open positions of the carrier to replace previously removed NOK parts.

Last Steps to the Final Packaging  and Delivery

The carrier then advances to an unload station where the full complement of pipette tips is removed and transferred to plastic Racks. A thermal transfer printer is used to mark and apply a barcode label to each Rack. Vision inspection of the label verifies data accuracy, correct color coding and presence of all pipette tips. Any faulty rack is flagged and removed at an unload station. Good racks advance to a blister packaging module where covers can be added. Finished racks with covers can also be marked with lot number, expiry date and other variable data using inkjet printers. Finally, racks of pipette tips with covers are loaded into blisters, heat stake sealed and discharged to final packaging operations.

The modular design of Centauri IVD equipment makes it possible to customize elements of the system to meet the unique requirements of different manufacturers. MA micro automation has established a growing installed base of these machines and demonstrated their reliability and high performance.

MA micro automation GmbH  

https://www.micro-automation.de/

Ausgabenartikel

The Centauri IVD production system can be adapted to meet specific pipette tip manufacturing requirements.

Fig. 1. A high-speed single axis robotic handler utilizes a linear servo motor to deliver unparalleled speed and positioning accuracy. 

Name - Hauptartikel

<b>Dr. Sabine Kob</b> is a freelance trade journalist in the field of mechanical engineering/toolmaking and plastics processing.

MA micro automation GmbH<br/>  <a href="http://www.micro-automation.de" target="_blank">www.micro-automation.de</a>