Sepro Robots automation solutions

Sepro Group, one of the world’s largest makers of robots for injection moulding machines (IMMs), together with its Sepro China daughter company, is demonstrating three robots at CHINAPLAS 2018. =The company is exhibiting in Booth 4.1 S55, and four more Sepro robots are being featured by other exhibitors.

 

“For years we have been saying that robots should be expected to do much more than simply replacing a machine operator for part removal,” says Jean-Michel Renaudeau, CEO of Sepro Group. “At Chinaplas, we are demonstrating the potential of “Solution by Sepro,” a program that provides injection molders with the equipment, engineering expertise and additional services needed to bring new levels of efficiency and quality to the process.” In addition, by moving secondary manufacturing operations out the customer’s plant (reducing their costs and increasing efficiency) and into the molder’s plant, molders can add value and increase profitability.

 

Solution by Sepro encompasses the full range of 3-axis, 5-axis and 6-axis robots; the ergonomic and powerful Sepro Visual control platform that enables advanced automation management; more than 25 years’ experience and know-how that delivers a wide range of proven, competitive automation solutions for insert placement, overmoulding, post-mould assembly, simple or complex palletizing, and more; the ability to employ new or existing Sepro robots, integrate them into a manufacturing cell built around any moulding machines, regardless of brand; and guaranteed successful commissioning of the robot and its peripherals, and an attentive Customer Service team, ready to assist customers whenever they are needed. 

 

Jean-Michel Renaudeau, CEO of Sepro Group

 

Sepro Technology on Display

Sepro’s display offers three robot demonstrations, all showcasing automation capabilities that go well beyond simple part removal.  

 

The first demonstration simulates an injection-moulding quality-control station, where a Sepro 3-axis Success 11 robot retrieves parts, presents them to a camera for visual inspection, moves them to a scale for weighing, and communicates with the inspection system to determine whether the part meets specifications before releasing them to a conveyor.

 

The second one showcases an advanced Sepro 5X-25, which combines Sepro’s 3-axis Cartesian design with the dexterity of a Stäubli 2-axis wrist. The robot’s end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) picks four inserts, one at a time, from a bowl feeder. Then, it moves to a simulated mold and positions the inserts in the mold at a 45° angle before releasing them. 

 

The third demo highlights the tool-change versatility of Sepro’s large 3-axis Strong robots in automotive-related applications. The arm of a Strong 50 automatically connects to EOAT that carries an automobile bumper and moves it to a new station. Then, the robot releases that EOAT and uses its automatic change system to load another set of EOAT, this time carrying a dashboard, to a new location. 

 

Sepro robots are also being demonstrated at the booths of four injection-moulding machine manufacturers: Sumitomo Demag (Booth 4.1 J61) demonstrates a Success 11 robot, a 3-axis, servo-controlled robot designed for IMMs of 80-180 tons; the Milacron (Booth 4.1J23) is also deploying the Sepro Success 11 robot with its precision injection-molding machinery. The Success 11 robot excels in pick-and-place and stacking applications; the FCS Group (Booth 3B61) is showcasing its new FB-280R, a multi-component IMM, working with a Sepro Success 11 robot to automate production of a multi-piece, multi-color collapsible strainer; and the Tederic (Booths 4.1E75, 5.1E81) has equipped one of its advanced IMMs with Sepro’s 3-axis Success 22 robot, which serves IMMs up to 400 tonnes.