As a perfect substitution to human workers to handle the parts picking form an injection molding machine, the robotic arm is now an indispensible part of an injection molding system. But with so many different types of robotic arms available in the market, how to choose the right robotic arm for your injection molding machine? Below we have a summary of the general principle of the robotic arms selection for an injection molding automation system.

Universal Parameters

• Payload Capacity

  In an injection molding system, the key function of an injection robotic arm is to pick the parts from the injection molding machine, or to pick a part from outsde of the injection molding machine and insert it into the mould, of which will request that the robotic arm has sufficinet payload capacity to load the parts with the EOAT installed for the parts picking and carray them stably in a proper speed safely. A tolerance of the robotic arms payload capacity will help to prolong the life of the robotic arm itself and the repeatability.

• Precision

  The precision of the robotic is of critical importance to a successful injection molding automation such as in mold insertion, the IML labeling, the assembly and parts polishing etc. The SWITEK robotic arms designed for the PVC/PPR pipe fittings injection molding system which are handling the brass in mold insertion are custom made with extra sliding unit to ensure a repeatability up to +0.1mm.

• Cycle Time

  The cycle time of the injection robotic arms will promise the throughput of the injection molding system. For example, the SWITEK high speed 3 axis servo injection robotic arm designed for the production of thin-wall containers has a perfect dry cycle time around 3.3s and in mold time <0.8s, which will make now waste of the capacity of the injection molding machine.

• Integration

  With the advancement of the information technology, more and more plastic plants introduced the MES system in their production management which will request that the robotic arm can not only communicate with the injection molding machine via the traditional EU12/EU67 or JIS interface but also suitable the suitable protocol of data exchange with the MES system to make it easier to be integrated into a modern injection automation system.

• Reach and Range

  When selecting an injection robotic arm for an injection molding machine or an injection automation system, the key is to ensure that the robotic arm will reach the mold center for the parts picking and have them delivered to the right position of the conveyor or the automation system to be further processed, below link for your better understanding of the definitation of injection robotic arms reach and range according to the injection molding machine:

  How is the reach and range of an injection molding machine defined according to the injection molding machine?

• End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT)

  The EOAT is a minimized automation system assembled from the suction cups and/or grippers with supporting parts to work with the robotic arms to pick have the parts picked out from the mold after injection molding for further processing. Below link you can find a detailed introduction of how are a modern EOAT assembled and the standard parts from which a complex end of arm tooling to be assembled from.

  What's an end of arm tooling and how is it assembled?

• Tonage Range

  Although some difference, but the size of the injection molding machine would not be much different, that's why the robotic arms designed for the injection molding machines can be fast selected according to the injection molding machine tonage range with the considerations of the parameters mentioned above and the height of the crane. For example the 3 axis servo injection robotica arm SW6710DS is suitable for the injection molding machine with a tonage range from 20,00kN ~ 40,00kN with a payload up to 8kg.

• Production Volume

  The production volume of the injection molding system will decide how fast will you have the cost of your investment reccovered. For example to choose an injection robot for the snack box picking a 2kg payload high speed robotic arm SW7112DS would be far more better than an 8kg payload standard robot SW6710DS because it'll catch the injection speed of the high speed injection molding machine with a maximize production volume.

• Material and Part Characteristics

  Some of the plastic parts are made from special material with a sophisticated injection mold, a suitable variation would be done to the robotic arms or end of arm tooling to ensure that the parts would be picked out successfully.

• Robot Type

  For most of the parts picking a 3 axis servo injection robotic arm will be perfect to handle the job, but for stack mold or 3 plates mold design injection molding system a double arms robotic arm would be important for the parts picking. And for some project with in mold insertion or IML a double arms robotic arms would be aslo make the system design easier. With some special situation say insufficient heigh of the workshop roof a custom made side entry robotic arm or 6 axis industrial robotic arm would be an optional choice.

• Cost and Maintenance

  Yes, for any boss the cost of the robotic arm is sensitive, but is it truely a low price robotic arm is a low cost robotic arm? Unfortunately, in most of the projects it's not, while an easy maintenance robotic arms with higher cost will have a much better cost-effectiveness. Especially the robotic arms for a sophisticated injection molding automation system.

• Supplier Experience

  You're not only choosing a supplier of an injection robotic arms, but also looking for a partner who will continually help you to improve the productivity of your injection molding system while choosing a robotic brand for your project. An experienced supplier of robotic arm for injection automation system will analyze the sophistication of the parts production, the environment of your workshop, and the injection molding machine before any recommendation made. Only with experienced robotic arms supplier you'll get your production cost down with a continually improved productivity of your injection molding system.

Above is a brief summary of how to choose an injection robotic arm for your injection molding automation project, if you still have any question about injection robotic arms selection, please feel free to contact me via wechat/whatsapp below, I'm a sales guy of robotic arms and automation system for injection molding since Sept. 04, 2017 in GuangDong SWITEK Technology Co., Ltd. the Chinese integrator of injection molding automation solutions.