What are the general application scenarios of single-axis injection molding manipulator? For which products?

Single-axis injection manipulator is an entry-level equipment with simple structure, low cost and convenient operation in injection automation. The core realizes the linear movement of taking up and down parts through a single servo/pneumatic shaft, and some parts can be matched with rotating and side posture mechanisms to complete simple product demoulding and placing. It is suitable for the scene of pursuing cost-effective automation without multi-dimensional complex actions in injection production. It is mainly used for quick taking and simple blanking of small injection parts, and the adapted products are small parts, regular parts and single cavities.

First, the core application scenario of single-axis injection molding manipulator (core action: picking up and down parts vertically, which can expand 90 rotation/lateral posture)

The motion dimension of a single-axis manipulator is only Z axis (vertical direction), and some models can be equipped with a rotating mechanism (C axis) to realize 90/180 turnover of the product, or the posture adjustment of the side posture cylinder after the product is demoulded, so there is no multi-axis movement back and forth, left and right, so all application scenarios are developed around * * "After the injection molding machine opens the mold, the parts are taken in the vertical direction and directly discharged/simply placed" without complexity.

Rapid demoulding and picking of injection parts (the core scene)

Adapting to the working condition of product sticking/ejector pin ejection after the injection molding machine opens the mold, the manipulator goes down vertically to the mold cavity to pick up the parts, and then directly discharges the materials after going up vertically, instead of taking the parts manually, which solves the problems of slow manual taking, easy scalding and missing, and improves the connection efficiency of mold opening and closing. It is mainly used for batch continuous production of small injection molding parts, and the locking force of injection molding machines is mostly 100-500T (small injection molding machines).

Simple blanking/conveyor belt connection

After taking the parts, the products are rotated by 90 degrees through the rotating mechanism, and directly placed in the simple conveyor belt/material frame next to the injection molding machine, thus completing the automatic closed loop of "taking the parts-discharging", without manual transfer, adapting to the production requirements that the products do not need to be accurately placed and only need to be collected centrally, and being suitable for the primary automation transformation of the assembly line.

Simple water outlet for small products (simple matching)

In view of the small injection molded parts whose nozzle is connected with the product and the nozzle is easy to break, the manipulator can match the simple nozzle cutting tool (such as a fixed cutter) next to the mold after taking the part, and complete the nozzle breaking/shearing in the process of taking the part up, so as to realize the integration of "taking the part-removing the nozzle-blanking" instead of manual nozzle removal, which is suitable for the production of small parts with simple nozzle structure.

Small batch production of single cavity/few cavity mold

It is suitable for a small mold with 1 cavity/2 cavity/4 cavity, with few mold cavities and single picking point. Without the complex positioning of multi-axis manipulator, the vertical picking of single-axis manipulator can meet the demand. When changing the mold and changing production, it only needs to adjust the picking height of the manipulator, which is convenient for debugging, and is suitable for the production of small injection parts with multiple varieties and small batches.

Primary automation of auxiliary equipment of injection molding machine

Cooperate with the auxiliary machines around the injection molding machine (such as suction machine, mold temperature machine and water cooler) to realize the primary automatic production line of * * "feeding-injection-taking-discharging", without manual intervention in the core production links, reducing labor costs, which is suitable for low-cost automatic transformation of small and medium-sized injection molding plants, taking into account both cost performance and production efficiency.

Second, the core adaptation products of single-axis injection molding manipulator (small parts, regular parts, simple nozzle, 100-500T injection molding machine)

The core features of the adapted products are: small size, light weight (generally ≤500g), regular structure, no complex buckle/irregular surface, no need to adjust the posture in multiple dimensions when taking the parts, and the products are mostly civil small parts, electronic small parts, packaging small parts, etc. The specific classification is as follows, covering 90% of the single-axis manipulator application categories:

1. Electronic appliances (the most mainstream adaptation category)

Small accessories: mobile phone charging head shell, data cable plug, earphone shell, U disk shell, card reader shell;

Electrical gadgets: switch button, socket spring base, small relay shell, home appliance remote control button;

Precision small parts: electronic connector needle holder, small sensor housing, capacitor/resistor outer packaging housing.

Core fitting points: small volume (generally ≤10cm), light weight (≤200g), regular structure, few cavities for most molds, and single picking point.

2. Daily necessities

Small plastic parts: toothbrush handle, comb handle, cosmetic brush handle, small plastic spoon/fork, toothpick tube shell;

Storage widgets: plastic storage box buckles, small hooks, plastic accessories for clothes hangers, and small handles for trash cans;

Bathroom accessories: shower accessories, faucet decorative cover, toilet plastic buckle.

Core adaptation point: large demand for mass production, high repeatability of manual picking, no need for accurate setting, only centralized blanking, suitable for rapid picking of single-axis manipulator.

3. Packaging and printing

Plastic packaging: small buckles for food preservation boxes, caps for beverage bottles, plastic buckles for cosmetic sample bottles/caps, and express bags;

Printing accessories: small oil cartridge housing, printer toner cartridge accessories, labeling machine plastic roller housing.

Core adaptation point: simple structure, mostly round/square regular parts, no posture requirements when grasping, easy to break the nozzle, and can be matched with simple nozzle tooling.

4. Toys and gifts

Toy widgets: building blocks, toy car accessories, doll plastic joints, jigsaw puzzle plastic frames;

Gift gadgets: keychain shell, mobile phone bracket plastic parts, small decoration base, badge plastic shell.

Core adaptation point: multi-variety, small batch production, fast mold change and production change, convenient debugging of single-axis manipulator, suitable for less cavity mold production.

5. Small automobile parts (micro plastic parts only)

Automobile interior accessories: door interior small buckle, seat adjustment plastic button, air outlet small pick;

Automotive electronic components: car charger shell, car charger plug, door sensor shell.

Core fitting point: only suitable for small automobile parts, with a weight of ≤300g, without complicated assembly requirements, and can be directly discharged after taking the parts.

6. Medical consumables (simple primary parts)

Disposable medical small parts: plastic syringe push rod, plastic connector of infusion set, blood collection needle protective sleeve;

Medical consumables accessories: small medicine bottle cap, medical cotton swab box shell, plastic buckle of disinfection box.

Core adaptation point: simple structure, large demand for mass production, need to replace labor to avoid contact pollution, single-axis manipulator to achieve manual picking.

Third, the applicable boundary of single-axis injection molding manipulator (make clear the inapplicable scene to avoid the wrong selection)

Because the single-axis manipulator only moves in one axis, there are obvious functional limitations, and the following scenarios/products are absolutely not applicable, so a double-axis/three-axis/five-axis injection manipulator should be selected:

Product features: weight > 500 g, volume > ＞15cm, abnormal structure (such as multi-buckle, curved surface), and multi-attitude adjustment and picking;

Mould features: multi-cavity mould (≥8 cavities), working conditions that the products need to be taken back and forth/left and right after the mould is opened, and insert implantation/insert injection;

Production requirements: products need to be accurately placed, automatically assembled, multi-process transported, and complicated water removal/polishing;

Injection molding machine: medium and large injection molding machine with clamping force > 500 t, suitable for the production of medium and large injection molded parts;

High-end demand: Ultra-high precision picking of precision injection molded parts (such as optical lenses and precision medical accessories) requires precise positioning of multi-axis manipulator.

Four, single-axis injection molding manipulator selection matching tips (close to the actual production)

According to the product weight, choose the driving mode: ≤200g, choose pneumatic single-axis manipulator (the lowest cost, suitable for small batch); 200-500g servo single-axis manipulator (stable operation, high picking accuracy, suitable for mass production);

Install expanding mechanism as required: the product needs to be turned over after demoulding, and a 90-degree rotating mechanism is installed; The product should be detached from the die, and a side posture cylinder should be installed; Simple nozzle needs to be removed synchronously, and a simple nozzle cutting tool is needed;

Select the effective stroke according to the stroke of the injection molding machine: the vertical effective stroke of the manipulator should be slightly larger than the mold opening stroke of the injection molding machine (generally 5-10cm larger) to ensure that the parts can be taken smoothly;

Modular design is preferred: it is convenient to fine-tune the height/position of the parts when changing the mold and changing production in the later stage, and the debugging time is less than or equal to 10 minutes, which is suitable for multi-variety production.

summary

Single-axis injection manipulator is the first choice for low-cost automation transformation of small and medium-sized injection molding plants, which mainly solves the pain points of manual picking of small injection molding parts, adapts to the production of 100-500T small injection molding machines, few cavities and small regular parts, and focuses on small injection molding parts with high cost performance, simple operation and convenient debugging, covering many industries such as electronics, daily use, packaging and toys. If the product is medium-large, special-shaped parts, or the production needs to be accurately placed and automatically assembled, it needs to be upgraded to a two-axis/three-axis injection manipulator.