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How AI is Revolutionizing Quality Control

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Quality control in manufacturing is very important. It helps ensure the components produced will meet consumer requirements and international standards. This helps in saving costs since reverse logistics can be pretty expensive in some cases.

The arrival of Artificial Intelligence is changing quality control for good. For example, AI makes possible smart quality control systems that better inspection procedures for any defects in manufactured goods.

AI relieves quality control off traditional means, often labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error.

[Read more…] about How AI is Revolutionizing Quality Control

ICON sees 20 percent production boost and 40 percent cost reduction through Formic robotics

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Formic, a provider of automation across American manufacturing, says its automation partnership with ICON Injection Molding, which involved the deployment of Formic’s Tend solution, has been “successful”.

Arizona-based ICON Injection Molding, which produces plastic parts for laboratory use and defense equipment for clients like Axon, recognized the need to automate but was unable to overcome the barriers of upfront capital, risk, and expertise.

The family-owned business sought to reduce risk to its employees from dangerous, repetitive activities that could potentially lead to injury, staff turnover, operational inefficiencies, and higher prices for end customers. [Read more…] about ICON sees 20 percent production boost and 40 percent cost reduction through Formic robotics

Machine Vision: Pick and place with FLIR thermal imaging cameras

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Machine vision inspections using visual cameras can occasionally cause recognition problems if the product and background have too little color contrast. In such cases, thermal imaging cameras can be a practical solution – especially if the product has a different temperature than the transport medium.

In many cases such temperature differences are caused by the production process. Injection molding applications are ideal for this, for example, because the produced parts come out of the machine here at a relatively high temperature.

A few years ago, at the German Rubber Conference DKT in Nuremberg, two Austrian companies presented a possible solution in this area. [Read more…] about Machine Vision: Pick and place with FLIR thermal imaging cameras

Plastic Injection Molding Machines: Types and Benefits

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Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermoset materials.

Injection molding machines are used to inject molten plastic into a mold cavity, where it cools and hardens to the shape of the cavity.

There are many different types of injection molding machines, each with its own set of benefits. In this blog post, we will discuss the three most common types of injection molding machines: hydraulic, electric, and servo-electric. We will also discuss the benefits of each type of machine.

Plastic Injection Molding provides a versatile manufacturing process that can be used to produce parts from a wide variety of materials. Injection molding machines are available in a variety of different types, each with its own set of benefits. [Read more…] about Plastic Injection Molding Machines: Types and Benefits

Different Injection Mold Machines and What They’re Used For

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Manufacturing plastic products requires the use of injection molding machines. These come in a variety of sizes and types, each of which is designed for specific applications.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the more popular types of injection mold machines and what they’re used for.

Injection molding machines are classified by the type of driving system they use. There are four main types of injection molding machines, all of which vary slightly in terms of cost, speed, and size. [Read more…] about Different Injection Mold Machines and What They’re Used For

How Robotics Work in the Plastic Injection Molding Industry

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Driven by the never-ending increasing demand for more flexible solutions, industrial robots are extensively used in today’s plastics industry in all areas of the production process, including injection molding related operations.

Industrial robots can be used to automate the injection molding process by using a pick-and-place robot to load plastic parts into the machine or to place the finished pieces onto a conveyor belt.

And as human-operated injection molding leaves room for variations, the use of robots in the process ensures the production of the highest quality, accurately cut, formed, and measured finished products every single time. [Read more…] about How Robotics Work in the Plastic Injection Molding Industry

New Universal Robots interface enables ‘fast’ implementation of injection molding applications

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Universal Robots has launched a new interface which it says enables faster implementation of injection molding applications.

With the Injection Molding Machine Interface (IMMI), Universal Robots says it has launched a “user-friendly and quick solution” for plastics manufacturers to integrate Universal Robots with injection molding machines.

Plastics manufacturers are increasingly turning to collaborative robots to tend injection molding machines. [Read more…] about New Universal Robots interface enables ‘fast’ implementation of injection molding applications

Kuka shows off its robots working in microelectronics

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Electronics is a fast-growing market for industrial robots, and Kuka has been showing off some of its success in the sector. 

In one example the company highlighted recently, a total of 25 Kuka robots are in operation at Possehl Electronics in Niefern, Germany.

There, they manufacture complex timing cases for electric power steering systems for cars.

At the core of the system, three KR Agilus robots precisely place components into the injection molding machine.

Industrial robots work on three lines with an accuracy to a tenth of a millimeter, says Kuka.  [Read more…] about Kuka shows off its robots working in microelectronics