Plastics Industry Automation
Automation in the Plastics Industry involves robots, cobots, molding cells, part pickers, and end-of-arm-tooling.
ESSENTIAL READING
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What to Look for in High-Speed Automation for Pipette Production
Automation is a must-have for molders of pipettes. Make sure your supplier provides assurances of throughput and output, manpower utilization, floor space consumption and payback period.
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How to Automate High-Precision ‘Micro’ Insert Molding
What does it take to automate a horizontal injection molding cell to handle micro-sized inserts and molded parts? General-purpose top-entry robots and tooling may not be up to the job.
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How to Plan and Implement Automation in an Injection Molding Plant
There is no “one size fits all” solution in automation. When considering what it would look like in your plant, hone in on the staff, products, space, and goals that are specific to you and the automation system that you will be installing.
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AUTOMATION—PART 2 When to Consider Six-Axis Articulated-Arm Robots
Extraordinary versatility suits articulated-arm robots to a wide variety of operations, from loading inserts and unloading parts to decorating, assembly and testing. They also pair well with Cartesian robots. Many mounting options and improved speed and ease of programming add to their flexibility.
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How to Make Your Pneumatics ‘Smart’
Emerson’s Avantics Smart Pneumatics Analyzer digitizes the analog pneumatic environment and monitors and analyzes key operating data.
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Implementing Automation Systems: How to Do It Right
If you’re thinking of putting a complex automation system for high-volume consumables into your plant, consider these tips on making sure both you and your supplier are ready to give it the best chance of success.
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Latest Automation News And Updates
Collaborative Robot Event Launches in 2025
The Collaborate North America 2025 event will take place in Novi, Michigan, on Jan. 28, 2025.
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Danish End-of-Arm-Tool (EOAT) Supplier Adds North American Distribution
Globeius is now distributing Roborex EOAT parts for the North American plastics industry, with online purchasing available.
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Record Number of Industrial Robots in Use on US Factory Floors
More than 380,000 industrial robots were in action in U.S. factories in 2023, according to the new World Robotics report from the International Federation of Robotics.
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Lower Compressed Air Consumption, Compact Servo-Driven Rotary Axes and Easier Camera Integration
At Fakuma 2024, Wittmann automation displays show high performance and efficiency via less compressed air and energy consumption, compact integration, light-weight construction, easy operation and fast teach-in processes.
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Yaskawa Opens Expanded Headquarters
Yaskawa America’s Motoman robotics division opened the completed 185,000-ft.2 expansion of its headquarters in Miamisburg, Ohio.
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Transforming Laser Marking Operations With Collaborative Robotic Automation
FOBA partners with Flexxbotics and Universal Robots.
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Featured Posts
AMRs and Cobots Target Inspection, Palletizing and Movement of Finished Goods
The same year it marked its 70th year in business, custom injection molder Hoffer Plastics (South Elgin, Illinois) — which routinely reinvests more than 10% of its annual revenue back into new equipment — prioritized automation in that CapEx with some stunning results.
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Open Automation Enables Flexibility in Chemical Recycling
Software-defined equipment control systems can be duplicated, transferred and scaled with ease.
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Injection Molder Amplifies Automation for Optimized Production
AIM Processing has parlayed small part molding expertise and aggressive automation, even for short run production, into a highly successful custom molding business.
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Ensuring Repeatability: The Key to Effective Injection Molding Automation
One of automation’s key promises is repeatability: the same movement to the same location, time and time again. But to achieve that, all elements involved — robot, machine, EOAT, mold — must be in and stay in alignment.
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Five Places Where Automation Can Help...the Front Office
Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.
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What to Look for in High-Speed Automation for Pipette Production
Automation is a must-have for molders of pipettes. Make sure your supplier provides assurances of throughput and output, manpower utilization, floor space consumption and payback period.
Read More
FAQ: Automation
How to add automation to injection molding?
There is no “one size fits all” solution in automation. When considering what it would look like in your plant, hone in on the staff, products, space, and goals that are specific to you and the automation system that you will be installing.
Automation Supplier Categories
- Rebuilt Screws or Barrels
- Other Testing/Analysis Equipment
- Automation/Systems Integration
- Speed, Drive Controls
- Recording Instruments
- Troubleshooting, Problem Solving Systems
- Technical and Trade Associations
- Machining, Routing Software
- Materials Formulating Systems
- SPC, SQC Systems
- Product & Tool Design, Analysis Software (CAD/CAM/CAE)
- Assembly Robots and EOAT
- Flow Monitoring/Control Devices (for Liquids)
- Training Programs in Plastics
- Maintenance Management Systems
- Timers
- Rebuilt Motors and Drives
- ISO 9000 Software
- Job Quoting, Cost Estimating and Accounting Systems
- Dewpoint Monitors/Moisture Analyzers
- Parison Programmers
- Spray Painting Robots and EOAT
- Scheduling, MRP, Production and Inventory Management Systems
- Pressure Controllers, Monitors
- Temperature Controllers, Monitors
- Computer and Automation Testing Auxiliaries
- Color Matching/Formulating Systems
- Temperature Pyrometers, Sensors, Thermocouples
- Design of Experiments (DOE) Software
- Motion or Position Controls
- Part or Sprue Removal Robots and EOAT
- Screw Design/Analysis Software
- Sequence Logic Controls
- Level Sensors and Controls
- Used Molds
- Closed-loop Process Control Systems
- Used Machinery
- Machine Monitoring/Alarm Systems
- Pressure Sensors, Transducers
- General Purpose Robots and EOAT
