Robot cells bring injection molding production up to speed

The exploding demand for Covid-19 rapid tests had only one answer: automate as many process steps as possible in order to produce cost-effectively and with high quality. In record time, we developed two robot cells for the GEMÜ Group that remove, test and pack injection molded parts fully automatically. 

The challenge 

The GEMÜ Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of valves and automation components. GEMÜs production site in Emmen produced a total of seven different plastic parts on two injection molding machines for its medical technology division. These were to be automatically removed from the machines, subjected to a quality inspection and then packed and stacked in trays. For each injection molding cycle, 2 or 16 finished parts had to be removed together and processed further - with a cycle time of less than 12 seconds.

Another challenge was to make optimum use of the limited space in the clean room and accommodate all the required processes. As a result of Covid-19, the required quantities also increased many times over during the development of the systems. This was cushioned during the development phase by the addition of an injection molding machine and two further robots, which were implemented within a very short period.

The solution

The result was two robot cells with three and five robots respectively in the final configuration. Standardized gripper changing systems, high-resolution camera inspections, an electric rotary indexing table, cleanroom-compatible conveyor belts, label printers and a sophisticated Industry 4.0 safety system were combined. 

Both systems can be operated via a central HMI with a large touchscreen and can be changed over from one product to the next in less than ten minutes. The changeover parts are mechanically and color-coded and are queried by a Robotec Solutions software. This has reduced the risk of operating errors to an absolute minimum. At the end of line automatic tray handling contributes to the system's high level of autonomy.

“Robotec Solutions was awarded the contract for this challenging project thanks to its many years of experience in the automation of injection molding machines.” 

The project

The complex specifications were successfully implemented despite constantly increasing requirements. Thanks to the short communication channels at Robotec Solutions and the high flexibility of its employees, the changes were implemented quickly and pragmatically. The Robotec team members involved included Samuel Bürkli (project management, design) and Sven Schmid (software programming).