Page 29 - Plastics News August 2019

FEATURES

DXWRPDWLRQ SURFHVV NQRZKRZ :LWKRXW WKLV JUDGXDOO\ the molder. It is the molder’s strongest tool to address all
buildup of skills, the best automation in the world would requirements, concerns and limitations. Better make good
QRW EH XWLOL]HG WR WKH EHVW HIIHFW VLQFH VHOI VXIÀFLHQW use of it. It will allow all suppliers to provide a complete
WURXEOHVKRRWLQJ DQG SURFHVV RSWLPL]DWLRQ LV YHU\ GLIÀFXOW and reliable quote that addresses your requirements. For
ZLWKRXW WKRVH VNLOOV 3ODQW SHUVRQQHO VKRXOG IHHO FRQÀGHQW the suppliers, it is the guidebook to create the system.
and motivated to work with the automation and not be Therefore, the URS is very important and requires a decent
scared of it. amount of attention and detail. It will have a huge impact
on whether timelines can be met and on the cooperative
See the value. It is important that not only the plant
management see the value of automation, but even more ´FOLPDWHµ RI WKH SURMHFW
so the people who will have to deal with it on a daily basis. :+$7·6 5(48,5(' 2) <285 $8720$7,21 683-
This culture needs to be developed and does not just come PLIER
by itself. Everybody must be involved in the project from
the beginning and must understand the importance of ,W LV HVVHQWLDO WKDW WKH DXWRPDWLRQ VXSSOLHU KDYH VLJQLÀFDQW
knowledge about the injection molding process, as well
getting everybody on the same page about expectations as injection molds and the quality defects typical for
for this project and the performance of the automation.
injection molding. The supplier should have knowledge
Those last three points seem logical, but they are still the about different plastic materials and their specific
biggest reasons for an unsuccessful automation project behaviors (MFI, soft vs. brittle, static charge behavior,
on the Molder side. surface sensitivity, tendency to show marks from silicone
suction cups, etc.). If they do not have such knowledge,
:LOOLQJQHVV RI WKH WHDP WR JURZ DQG HYROYH +LJKO\
complex automation is not something for everyone in the you will pay the price in delays, additional costs, and
company. Usually, the employees who want to develop more.
their skills and knowledge will grow with the project. In In addition, it is important to know the machine-
fact, these projects are a great way to expose the hidden to-machine interfaces—SPI, electrical/Euromap 67,
talents in your employees. Find the talent and help them mechanical/Euromap 12, data protocols/Euromap 63 or
(and therefore yourself) to grow and evolve. 77—to name just a few.

Early synchronization of the workcell partners. It is Specialized in IMM automation. A knowledgeable supplier
essential to align expectations and strategies between knows that the most important thing is keeping the cycle
all project partners—molding machine, mold, and
automation—early in the project. This must be done
early in the project to utilize their different knowledge
DQG VNLOOV WR DYRLG PLVWDNHV DQG FUHDWH DQ HIÀFLHQW ZRUN
environment. Many times, the automation supplier can
address obstacles in the mold that make automation
GLIÀFXOW DQG YLFH YHUVD (OLPLQDWLQJ WKRVH PLVWDNHV ODWHU
costs extra money that was not approved in the budget
and delays the time plan. Another drawback to avoid is
the resulting poor climate of trust and cooperation, which
does nothing to help the project’s progress.
'HÀQH FOHDU LQWHUIDFH UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV $QRWKHU LPSRUWDQW time as low as possible. The knowledgeable partner
SDUW RI WKH SURMHFW LV WR GHÀQH FOHDU LQWHUIDFHV EHWZHHQ knows that his only chance to reduce the cycle time is
the team members (process responsibility, mechanical,
electrical, software) so that everybody works together to reduce the mold-open time. Reducing the cycle by 0.5
HIÀFLHQWO\ DQG WKHLU DUHDV RI UHVSRQVLELOLW\ LQ WKH SURMHFW sec of mold-open time does not sound a lot. However,
on a 5-sec overall cycle, it gives you 10% more output,
are clearly framed.
which would translate to 570,000 more cycles (shots) per
&OHDU 856 XVHU UHTXLUHPHQW VSHFLÀFDWLRQV 7KH 856 LV year. Multiplied by the number of cavities, let’s say 64,
WKH KHDUW RI WKH SURMHFW DQG GHÀQHV WKH H[SHFWDWLRQV RI this would be roughly 36,800,000 parts more per year.

29 August 2019 Plastics News