Automation of the plastics industry with industrial robots

In almost all industries, work is now partially or fully automated. This is only understandable since customers expect maximum efficiency and flexibility, short delivery times, and the highest quality from producers. At the same time, global competition and the competitive labor market are increasing the pressure.

Support from prototypes to parts inspection: digital robots in the plastics industry

In Industry 4.0, a new generation of robots is assisting in plastic processing to achieve the best results. The industry, with over 320,000 employees and an annual turnover of around 70 billion euros, benefits significantly from these Digital Robots, which combine hardware with user-friendly software and the capabilities of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

In plastic processing, it is crucial for companies to be able to adjust their processes in a targeted and rapid manner. This is because application cases change frequently in hardly any other industry. It is precisely this flexibility that distinguishes digital robots.

Polymers are used as the base material in plastic processing, delivered as granules or powder in the form of films or sheets, and then processed in various ways. Typical processes include molding techniques such as injection molding, extrusion, or rotational molding.

Approximately 15 million tons of plastic are processed annually in Germany alone. A growing share of this, now nearly 20 percent, comes from recycled material. Plastics are used to manufacture items such as packaging, construction materials, or vehicle parts, as well as toys, furniture, and much more.

Why are Digital Robots particularly helpful for small batch sizes?

In this versatile industry, the ability to quickly and flexibly adapt to changing conditions is extremely important for achieving short delivery times. Automation should not mean that a company has to spend a long time reconfiguring a robot before a new application. Complex programming or complicated integration into the existing production process should also be avoided.

This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with low batch sizes, which tend to switch between applications more frequently than large-scale producers. These SMEs also need to deliver quickly and efficiently. Therefore, Digital Robots meet the demands of SMEs to be able to individually adapt specific process steps from production to delivery. This is made possible primarily through user-friendly control software.

As a leading German provider of Digital Robots, fruitcore robotics has succeeded in ensuring that for many applications, no additional PLC control is needed to operate the robot.

No orders without quality assurance!

In the plastics processing industry, products are manufactured either partially or fully automated. Another important application area for robots is material testing. The factor of quality assurance is gaining significance across industries. Many companies in the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector now only place orders if the supplier adheres to specific certifications. Even private customers nowadays are quicker than ever to turn to alternatives if they are not satisfied with a product. Or, they may not even make a purchase from the respective company in the first place, especially if it receives poor online reviews regarding its quality and delivery time.

A reliable quality management system with fixed standards also allows manufacturers to quickly respond to small or larger adjustments in the production line. This factor is also of high importance in plastics processing due to its versatility and the changing processes involved.

How can industrial robots relieve workers in production?

As important as maintaining a consistently high quality is, this task can be monotonous for us humans. Day in and day out, measuring, sorting, inspecting, and examining plastic parts in a uniform manner can be tiring for employees. This can lead to concentration problems and errors. And yet, it is in quality assurance that these errors should be corrected, not added.

Here, robots have a decisive advantage over us humans: They never get bored and never tire! Even when they do the same thing continuously, shift after shift after shift. Moreover, they do not need to be laboriously and often unsuccessfully searched for in the job market, but can be delivered by manufacturers like fruitcore robotics within a few weeks, even in times of crisis.

In quality management, robots can, for example...

• conduct simple pass/fail inspections.
• perform contactless inspections.
• carry out complex surface inspections.
• measure and gauge.
• precisely sort.
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Depending on the company's needs and the capabilities of a robot, they can be equipped with various tools and components (such as sensors, cameras, or grippers). A benefit of Digital Robots, as they operate with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is that, thanks to open interfaces, programs can be transferred to the IIoT platform, external devices in the shop floor can be controlled, or the robot can be connected to the IT system outside the factory floor.

How does automation impact the work environment?

But how does the daily work routine change after the introduction of a robot compared to before? Experience shows: It leads to a win-win situation for employees and companies. Industrial robots take over tasks that were previously considered laborious, monotonous, or concentration-draining. This allows workers to engage in more challenging and diverse tasks. At the same time, companies that already operate with automation and digitalization present themselves as future-oriented and attractive for skilled professionals in the competitive job market.