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Open to innovative processes
 
Starting point / Task definition
 

In close contact with the customer the company’s enthusiasm for innovation becomes most apparent, and this is further reflected by the high number of patents. Great importance is attached to quality management in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9002 and VDA 6.1/6.4. All sites operated by the group are making use of an autonomous QA system with 3D measuring devices. “At our sites we want to form small efficient units that are streamlined and autonomous enough to be able to offer our customers the necessary flexibility,” explains Ulf Sauerwald, plant manager in Nauen, outlining the company philosophy. Flexibility and innovative drive were also required for the automation of the production of a counterweight for washing machines. In order to achieve cost and handling advantages, it had been decided to manufacture the weight from a plastic compound.
 
 
Implementation / Solution
 
Open to innovative processes
Open to innovative processes

As one of the first producers in Germany to do so, Wirthwein invested in a KM1000-6200 IMC injection molding compounder, which is capable of achieving a mixture with glass fibers and other components when producing large plastic parts. For the production of the counterweight, which had previously been manufactured from concrete, the necessary compactness of the part, with its high weight of around 13 kg, had to be ensured through the mixing of the additives. The benefits of this kind innovative technology couldn’t be clearer: when compared with concrete the parts are cleaner, there are no dust emissions, their material properties make them easier to secure, they are recyclable and, unlike concrete, they do not have a tendency to crumble or break. Other applications are also conceivable for the company. The increase in added value is the primary concern when considering this kind of technology.

For the full automation of the process, the Kraus-Maffei injection molding compounder was combined with a six-axis robot standing at its side, which removes the manufactured article, weighing almost 13 kg, from the machine within a cycle and places it in a cold-water bath. During this activity, the robot and the gripper operate under demanding conditions in view of the high handling weight and the requirement to carry out some of the tasks (those in the cooling bath) under water.

The robot makes use of the machine’s non-productive times to pick up and palletize the cooled washing machine counterweight.
 
 
System components / Scope of supply
 

The system implemented by Wittmann consists of a Kraus-Maffei KM1000-6100 IMC injection molding compounder with a KUKA KR 125 L 90 installed at its side. The synchronization with the injection molding machine is ensured by a KR C2 controller, which offers user-friendly operation through its familiar Windows interface. Further components of the system include the pedestal for the robot, the extractor gripper, the cold-water bath and the protective enclosure.
 
 
Results / Success
 

The system fulfills all the demands and offers a very high availability in a difficult environment. The compound technology has proved itself with flying colors at Wirthwein. Through the further use of compounding in injection molding technology, Ulf Sauerwald, plant manager at Nauen, confidently predicts a significant expansion in the future activities of the company.
 
 
 
 
 
Number of report
 
R 021
 
Industry
 
Rubber, plastics
Household appliances (white goods)
 
Application
 
Handling, loading and unloading
Palletizing
Packaging and order picking
Other handling operations
 
Product
 
Robots
High payloads (80-270 kg)
Controller
KR C (Robot Controller)
 
Customer
 
Wirthwein AG, Germany
 

 
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