New ground broken and conquered

Each injection molding machine was transformed into a production cell by adding a linear robot and a revolving pallet transfer system for finished parts photography with integrated parts inspection and handling stations. Of special significance is the vision system for part quality assessment, adapted to the drastically increased production quantities and quality requirements. Now, equipped with 12 cameras and a mirror system and synchronized with the cycle, it takes photos of every one of the 64 finished parts from five directions and passes these on to the downstream analysis system. This system’s software is able to detect 23 different kinds of defects (Figs. 6 and 7). Faulty parts are sorted out by a pick-and-place handling device and replaced by good parts from a parts buffer immediately following their passage through the photo station. This ensures that only 100 per cent good parts are passed on to the automatic packaging station (Figs 8 and 9). Within the peripheral parts handling system, all finishing stations communicate with each other according to a specially developed logistics algorithm to compensate fluctuations in capacity.

On the whole, the performance level achieved at the new plant is something to be proud of. Not only was the output per injection molding cell increased by more than 400% within eight years, but the scrap rate was reduced from originally 15 per cent to now less than 3 per cent as well.

Evolutionary stage IV in view

Now all fully automatic production cells at the new plant are once again utilized to 100%. The next evolutionary step is replacing the older equipment on the in-house production floor by additional production cells at the new plant. Again this not only involves another increase in capacity, but also another rise in efficiency. Thanks to latest innovative design adjustments which will enable a further reduction in product weight, there are realistic prospects of another 300 per cent increase in productivity.