KUKA
The robot takes over the strenuous milling tasks on the oversized plastic pipes
Manufacturer of plastic pipes, Asset International, has installed a new KUKA robot system designed to relieve workers of strenuous milling tasks.
The system was developed by German integrator, Eugen Riexinger GmbH (Riexinger), and is comprised of a KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot, a KL 1500-3 T linear unit, and two KUKA MG 360 servomotors for the external rotational axis and the KUKA CNC controller.
The KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot, part of KUKA’s KR QUANTEC series for payloads of up to 120 kilograms, is designed for high-precision requirements such as milling and laser applications. At Asset International, it machines the large plastic pipe components with a specially designed high-speed milling spindle.
Prior to machining, workers clamp the components to a multi-functional clamping table or a large, self-centering table controlled by the rotational axis. As a result of the barrier-free system, the robot, mounted on the KL 1500-3 T linear unit, can move directly to the plastic pipe to be machined and then flexibly carry out the job on the component as required.
“Thanks to the KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot, our employees are relieved of very strenuous manual work involving strong vibrations and the solution has enabled us to increase productivity by more than 40 percent,” explained Graham Bennett, Operations Manager at Assest International.
“In addition, shorter production times have allowed us to boost capacity by more than 50 percent. At the same time, there has been a significant improvement in quality and precision,” he added.
According to Riexinger, the system has a modular design tailored to Asset’s current requirements, however, it can be adaped at any time. “We are very proud to have designed the first system worldwide that can process such large plastic parts with this precision and speed – all the while increasing occupational safety,” explained Manuel Kratz, head of the project at Riexinger.
The company added that for this reason, it is sure that robot-based automation in the plastics processing sector will be seeing further growth.