Abstract In today’s plastics industry industrial robots have been used across all areas of plastic production, including injection moulding related processes. From loading components into the injection moulding machine to finishing and assembling injection moulded parts, the use of robotics provides plastics manufacturers with a competitive advantage with marked increases in productivity and high quality. Besides this, robots are more frequently used in post processing outside of the moulding process, such as welding, assembly and packaging tasks, driven by an increasing demand for more flexible solutions. Introduction Plastic injection moulding is a commonly used manufacturing process for producing plastic parts. The injection moulding process requires the use of an injection moulding machine, raw plastic material, and a mould. Raw plastic material is fed into a heated barrel, melted, mixed and then injected into a mould cavity, where it cools and hardens into the shape of the mould. moun caviry = BAN Zs | VA Nessa EE. |_ ee ootcumuawe IDepending on the operations’ complexity and the desired flexibility, there are cases where automation is considered the best solution, especially for large series of the same type of product, whereas robotics is employed when greater flexibility is required. The literature is vast in examples in which either one solution or the other, or a combination of both, have led to excellent results in terms of increased productivity, improved levels of between the different resources existing in a workstation, trying to establish methodologies that help Process Engineers in the design of these workstations. developed an automatic solution for inserting previously shaped wires into a mould, where plastic over- injection was performed on the ends of these wires. In this case, the authors opted for automation without robotics, as the setup time needed to change produetion from one reference to another was small, and changes in the product to be manufactured were infrequent. Considering these factors, the authors argued that a solution based on automation was significantly more economical and perfectly sufficient to make the process much more productive and competitive. Taking into account the previous process of this same product, ie., the bent wire developed an innovative system based solely on automation in order to guide, inspect, and prepare the product for the next phase, In this case, the developed system could be manufactured at a significantly lower cost than an industrial robot. Furthermore, the system occupied less space, allowed for a faster cycle time than a robot, could be perfectly adjustable to the cycle time of the equipment responsible for forming the wire, and sorted the bent wires, placing them in the supply position for the next process, developed in What Are the Different Types of Molding Machines? Injection molding machines (also known as injection presses) are generally categorized based on their drive system, or based on what powers their major components. The three basic types of drive systems are electrical, hydraulic, and hybrid drives, each of which is suited to unique ijection molding applications, Below is a brief explanation of each of these drive types, their main advantages/disadvantages, cost, and general applications. 1. Hydraulic Injection Molding Machines Hydraulic injection molding machines are considered the first "modern" injection molding machine and were developed in the early 1900s , Hydraulics also offer unparalleled clamping forces in their clamping unit (3-4 tons per square inch!), making them ideal for larger molds. However, hydraulic injection molding machines are energy inefficient and require higher temperatures for molding which can ruin some heat-sensitive plastics. Both hydraulic pumps and coolant need continuous power input and require additional infrastructure to support them, Also, these types of machines can be problematic as they carry the risk of hydraulic fluid leaks, and they produce more noise than other injection molding machines. These types of drive systems are mainly for larger, thick- walled applications such as those found in the automotive industry.2. Electric Injection Molding Machines Electric injection molding machines (also known as all-electric machines), They implement several digitally controlled servo motors that allow for precise independent control of the four axes of injection molding: injection, extruding, clamping, and ejecting. Servo motors used can idle when not in use, saving users up to 75% on power demands when compared to hydraulic models that need continuous pumping power. Electric injection molding, machines also highly simplify the injection molding process with no necessary consumables, making them easier to run, repair, and scale down for small-to-medium-sized applications. All-electric machines are ideal for cleanroom applications needing high accuracy and a clean, quiet, and energy- efficient machine. Electric injection molding machines do have some disadvantages,clamping power compared to hydraulic injection molding machines, electric injection molding machines tend to be more expensive and difficult to repair compared with hydraulic versions. 3. Hybrid Injection Molding Machine Hybrid injection molding machines are a hybrid version of hydraulic injection molding machines and electric injection molding machines. Hybrid injection molding machines combine the benefits hydraulic and electric machines to create a powerful, accurate, and energy-efficient machine. They implement servo motor pumps for the hydraulic fluid, circulating oil for hydraulic pressure but allowing for power, emission, noise, and energy adjustments. They also have a servo motor-based reciprocating serew that saves energy costs when compared to fully hydraulic models that expend a significant amount of energy on screw recovery. The advantages of hybrid injection molding machines include energy efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, highly controllable, reasonably priced, and require less maintenance and downtime. Because of their efficiencies, they exhibit faster ROIs than other types while still providing great clamping forces and precision. The main disadvantages of hybrid injection molding machines is newness. Hybrid injection molding parts may not be readily available. Repairs to hybrid machines will require technicians to be familiar with both electric and hydraulic injection molding machines. Another disadvantage of hybrid injection molding machines is that the design of the machine will be vary based on the model or manufacturer. For example, some hybrid models use a hydraulic serew drive instead of an electric screw drive will not be as efficient as electric models and will experience many of the same downsides as hydraulic injection molding machines despite having some servo control.Hybrid models vary in price based on size and application but generally somewhere between electric and hydraulic injection molding machine prices. Also, there will be lower maintenance costs associated with these machines, leading to a faster ROI than either all-electric or hydraulic machines. Hybrid injection molding machines can easily last as long (or longer) than other injection molding machine designs with proper care. Their applications involve high volume parts for the medical industry, heavy industrial products, varying wall-thickness parts, and other applications both small and large. Robotics in Post Processing Robotic technology plays a significant role for plastic injection moulding post processing. A robotic trimming cell provides superior repeatability when compared with a human performing the same task, and it increases flexibility by performing multiple operations. A robot will consistently dispense the same amount of sealant or adhesives following a highly repeatable pattern, offering greater shot accuracy, improving cycle times and reducing waste. With or without vision, robots can pick and place plastic moulded parts for further operations such as inspection, testing and hot stamping. In the assembly of injection moulded parts, robots can perform complex welding operations using laser, ultrasonic and infrared, increasing precision and driving down cycle times. Robots also meet the needs of automated finishing, ranging from PAD printing to polishing, Further, automating the end of plastic production line can make a big difference to production rates and cost effectiveness. Robots can liberate workers from strenuous and repetitive manual work such as wrapping, labelling, palletising, and provide flexibility for quality packing, storage and logistics.Primary tasks Post processing ulsie ofthe ‘ould machine end of une Operations INJECTION MOULDING RELATED PROCESS ROBOT TASK Machine Tending Load a Unload estraction Pree & Pace Insert moulding Load a Unload over moulding Pact picking & handling In-moul Labeling/dacorating Labelling work Recycling Pick race Material Handing, Trimming/Deburring, Cutting, PAD Printing, Pokening, Dspenzing, weiding assembly wrapping, Labeling, Sorting ang ‘Stocking, Palletising, Packaging Options ‘cartesian robot Geax rabot 6-aniscolborative robot CARA obet "Manipulator ean robot Geass collaborative robot SCARA robot Cartesian robot ean robot Geass collaborative robot SCARA robot ‘ans robot Geass collaborative robot Cartesian robot ‘ants robot G-anscolnborative robot Side entry robot Sprue Picker ‘cartesian robot ‘ants robot Geass collaborative robot ue arm Robot ‘asi robot CARA robot Cartesian robot ans robot ‘ani collaborative robot CARA robotInjection molding Process Cycle The process cycle for injection molding is very short, typically between 2 seconds and 2 minutes, and consists of the following four stages: 1. Clamping - Prior to the injection of the material into the mold, the two halves of the mold must first be securely closed by the clamping unit, Each half of the mold is attached to the injection molding machine and one half is allowed to slide. The hydraulically powered clamping unit pushes the mold halves together and exerts sufficient force to keep the mold securely closed while the material is injected, The time required to close and clamp the mold is dependent upon the machine - larger machines (those with greater clamping forces) will require more time. This time can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine. 2. Injection - The raw plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, is fed into the injection molding machine, and advanced towards the mold by the injection unit. During this process, the material is melted by heat and pressure. The molten plastic is then injected into the mold very quickly and the buildup of pressure packs and holds the material, The amount of material that is injected is referred to as the shot. The injection time is difficult to calculate accurately due to the complex and changing flow of the molten plastic into the mold. However, the injection time can be estimated by the shot volume, injection pressure, and injection power. 3. Cooling - The molten plastic that is inside the mold begins to cool as soon as it makes contact with the interior mold surfaces. As the plastic cools, it will solidify into the shape of the desired part. However, during cooling some shrinkage of the part may occur. The packing of material in the injection stage allows additional material to flow into the mold and reduce the amount of visible shrinkage. The mold can not be opened until the required cooling time has elapsed. The cooling time can be estimated from several thermodynamic properties of the plastic and the maximum wall thickness of the part, 4, jection - Afier sufficient time has passed, the cooled part may be ejected from the mold by the ejection system, which is attached to the rear half of the mold. When the mold is opened, a mechanism is used to push the part out of the mold. Force must be applied to eject the part because during cooling the part shrinks and adheres to the mold. In order to facilitate the ejection of the part, a mold release agent can be sprayed onto the surfaces of the mold cavity prior to injection of the material. The time that is required to open the mold and eject the part can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine and should include time for the part to fall free of the mold. Once the part is ejected, the mold can be clamped shut for the next shot to be injected.Afier the injection molding cycle, some post processing is typically required. During cooling, the material in the channels of the mold will solidify attached to the part. This excess material, along with any flash that has occurred, must be trimmed from the part, typically by using cutters. For some types of material, such as thermoplastics, the scrap material that results from this trimming can be recycled by being placed into a plastic grinder, also called regrind machines or granulators, which regrinds the scrap material into pellets. Due to some degradation of the material properties, the regrind must be mixed with raw material in the proper regrind ratio to be reused in the injection molding process. Summary Nevertheless, robotization is also no longer seen as an automation free from human work around it, instead starting to consider the integration of manual labour with the robotization of some tasks. called this trend hybridization; however, it is necessary to ensure the safety of employees who need to work within the volumetry defined for each robot, or for a set of robots. defended the use of collaborative robots when production is based on a high diversity of products produced in relatively low quantities, duc to a high degree of customization. A similar situation has been presented Notwithstanding, there has still been a relatively low rate of application of this type of robots, with safety reasons being those that are most often cited as the cause for this reduced use, This problem is currently the subject of several studies and publications thus revealing its importance. In spite of this, there are already studies on the implementation of collaborative robotic systems in SMEs (small and medium enterprises), hence demonstrating that their adoption may be slow, but will certainly reach higher proportions in the relatively near future However, the successive evolution of robots becomes worrying in industrial terms, as companies