Plastics & polymers

As plastics manufacturers expand into additive processes such as 3D printing, collaborative robots provide additional advantages. Cobots can work around the clock to keep printer farms humming. Lightweight cobots can be mounted on mobile carts and still have long enough reach to load and unload plates from multiple printers.

Collaborative robots in plastics & polymers

Injection and blow molding operations don’t make money unless the mold is closed. But loading and unloading machines is dull, repetitive, and injury-prone work that is challenging to staff. That makes it ideal for automation. UR robot arms are available in a range of reach and payload capabilities. They can be integrated into existing facilities with high-mix, low-volume production that can’t be cost-effectively automated with traditional robots.

Flexible cobots can also be redeployed throughout a plastics manufacturing facility to automate many other processes. Those include secondary processes such as degating, grinding, spru removal, and polishing, as well as applying labels or decals to plastic parts. Cobots can be deployed for assembly and packaging and palletizing processes, working safely alongside operators after a risk assessment.

Flexibility

Cobots’ easy programming lets manufacturers quickly adapt to changing customer demands. Collaborative robot arms can be reprogrammed redeployed to support multiple product lines or to switch from production to assembly to packaging and palletizing.

Productivity

Cobots in plastic and polymer applications can work around the clock to meet demand, without the struggle to staff undesirable tasks. Quality isn’t sacrificed for productivity, with accurate, repeatable automation that can also help reduce waste.

Traditionally it would take up to several weeks or more to automate a new project; whereas now, you roll the cobot out to the floor, you do some programming, and it can be up and running in two days

Jason Glanzer, Automation Engineer, EVCO Plastics

Precision

Increase quality and consistency in repetitive tasks where human workers struggle. Cobots can reliably perform delicate assembly operations, precise dispensing and machine tending, as well as packaging and labeling in a wide range of processes

Choose the right collaborative robot for your applications

A range of Universal Robots models are available to address automation needs from precision tasks to long reach and high payload requirements. The UR10e model is widely used in automotive applications to address diverse processes.