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Synergies in polyurethane foam technology

 
Starting point / Task definition
 

Whether a vision can ever be realized will only become evident when it is tried out. In the present case, this involved the further development of the polyurethane foam technology or the hybrid polyurethane technology. For this technology, for which the basis is a polyurethane foam system with components isocynate and polyol, the injection material is applied directly to the mold from the mixing head in a single process at injection speeds of 0.6 sec. This enables extremely large-area parts of very low wall thickness to be produced. With this technology Dynamit Nobel is able to achieve wall thicknesses for side skirts of 1.6 mm.

The task for the automation was thus to integrate the short cycle times into the subsequent finishing stages in a fully automated solution. For the automation experts at DAT the task was extensive and many-layered. The key points were as follows: application of the parting agent, removal of the blanks from the machine, trimming of the sprue, flame-machining of the outer contours and depositing onto a conveyor.
 
 
Implementation / Solution
 

In order to reach a high degree of automation, DAT implemented one robot for the application of the parting agent, and a second robot for the removal/finishing of the parts.

Robot one is equipped with a spray and cleaning lance in order to spray the parting agent directly into “sticky” corners of the mold, or to blast away particles of dirt from the mold.

Robot two removes the parts from the mold and carries out further processing. First of all it removes the sprue, prior to passing the pairs of parts on to a stamping table. There the end caps are separated and the recesses are stamped. Finally the workpieces are set down on the conveyor system.
 
 
System components / Scope of supply
 

The platform for the automation solution consists of two KUKA robots (KR 60 L30 K, KR 125 L90 K) with different robot options.

The system solution is completed by DAT’s own controller, as well as the complete gripper equipment, such as the gripper with a leather cover and the gripper interface module, the complete enclosure including the extensive safety technology and a further processing station. Also included is the entire system planning, the programming and documentation, plus the instruction and training requirements.
 
 
Results / Success
 

At Dynamit Nobel in Sinntal a high industrial standard can be justifiably claimed. With the high level of automation of the production cells with jointed-arm robots, the company has, in accordance with its own statements, brought this process up to the same high level of automation found in its own thermoplastic applications. The first system, which was implemented in 2001, was followed in 2002 with a sister unit of the same design.
 
 
 
 
 
Number of report
 
R 015
 
Industry
 
Automotive manufacturers
Rubber, plastics
 
Application
 
Handling, loading and unloading
Other handling operations
Painting, surface treatment
Other coating operations
Machining
Machining
Other machining operations
Other applications
 
Product
 
Robots
Medium payloads (30-60 kg)
High payloads (80-270 kg)
Shelf-mounted robots
Controller
KR C (Robot Controller)
 
Customer
 
Dynamit Nobel Kunststoff GmbH, Germany
 

 
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