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| Automated Mold HandlingNew systems from Persico SpA (www.persico.com) pave the way for easier mold servicing and improved productivity. Two approaches have been used to date:
Both systems have been installed in molding operations in Italy. Development work has been underway for the last couple of years and is on-going with more new approaches. The photograph below shows a robotic system used to provide a complete exchange of spiders from the machine to two operator servicing stations.
The system uses a three point lifting mechanism to engage the spider and convey it to the operator station. This system is in use at Rototech Srl near Turin and will be used to produce automotive components. The machine was supplied by Alan Yorke Engineering and incorporates special controls for alignment with the robotic system.
The spiders are delivered to an automated conveyor that brings them to one of two servicing stations where operators remove the parts and recharge the molds for the next cycle. When a spider is ready to move, the operator presses a ready indicator and the system automatically exchanges the molds at the machine.
The objective of the system is to smooth production at the machine by ensuring that molds are delivered in a steady fashion to the arms. If a problem occurs with a mold, a new spider can be quickly introduced into the system, bypassing the delay. The system also allows for the possibility of enclosing the operator station to make it more comfortable to work in. Another style of automation focuses on a single complex mold. Individual mold automation has been developed for a complex gas tank that uses multiple mold pieces, inserts and cores. A semi-automated manipulator assists the operator in opening and closing the mold and in removing the part from the mold. The system has doubled the amount of production possible for this product by reducing mold servicing time. |
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