Keeping the Robots Busy
Two molding machines, two linear robots, and a seven-axis collaborative robot produced a shaker cup at NPE2018.
Yes, it was a little over the top, but the idea was to show how much robots can accomplish within a single molding cycle if you take advantage of their versatility. To make that point, Yushin America, Cranston, R.I., put together a complex cell that combined two injection presses, each with a servo linear robot, plus a seven-axis collaborative robot (cobot).
The end product was a “shaker cup” for making milk shakes and other mixed beverages. The two presses molded a PP cup and a lid with a flip-top closure attached by a living hinge. The two parts were threaded; the robots each used a servo wrist to unscrew the parts from the molds. The robot that demolded the cup also placed an in-mold label in the mold beforehand and presented the cup to a pad printer after molding. The second robot unscrewed the lid, closed the pour spout, placed information cards inside the cup, and then screwed the cup and lid together. Finally, the cobot placed the assembled product on a conveyor.
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