Article in "PLASTIKS" magazine No. 10 (139), 2014: Smart Plastic: smart processing technologies

September 19-20, 2014 in the beautiful surroundings of the Italian town of Macerata-based headquarters Campetella Robotic Center hosted a meeting of the main manufacturers and peripheral equipment with its dealers, partners, clients and automation specialists from all over the world. A trip of Russian visitors to the event - the company's clients and a representative of the "Plastics" magazine was organized by IBC Systems Group, a dealer of Campetella equipment in Russia and CIS countries.

The two-day event called Smart Plastic @ CRC 14 representatives of companies from more than 10 countries of the world experts in the field of automation and robotics, labeling form and markings, die casting, visual inspection of product quality, work with peripheral devices, as well as plastics processors. The organizers of the meeting were such companies as Campetella, Frigofluid, SHINI, TOYO, Verstraete, MAIP, EGICON, Plastomeccanica. The task of the equipment suppliers was to introduce industry representatives to the latest solutions in the field of injection molding technology.

In the welcome press release of the event it was noted: "In the conditions of rapid evolution of the market and acceleration of innovative processes, the possibility of inter-industry cooperation becomes incredibly important. The usual scheme of interaction "client-supplier" is outdated, the option of cooperation becomes a win-win, when the sides are equal experts and partners - only in this way can the final goal be achieved as efficiently and quickly as possible. "

Robots for all applications

During the meeting, guests were able to visit the well-equipped Campetella Robotic Center and see in operation two production cells:

a robotic complex based on the SM2 robot with a side entrance and a TOYO SI 180 series injection molding machine with a 2-cavity form of SCS Stampi for the release of a margarine container using IML technology;

a robotic complex based on the MC2 robot with a vertical stroke and 5 electric axes, TOYO SI 450 series 6 thermoplastic automatic machine with a visual quality control system, a printing machine and a device for labeling labels.

The owners of the exposition - employees of Campetella Robotic Center - told about the peculiarities of the appointment of various models of robots.

Gunshot - a linear robot for high-speed molding: it allows you to shorten the working cycle to 2.5 seconds.

The MC2 robot with 5 electric axes and CNC, capable of withstanding 15 kg of payload, is Campetella's solution for molding technical products requiring precision precise movements.

Model Concept + Spin is completely "sharpened" for the production of disposable dishes and cups, and the time of finding the robot in the open form is only 0.5 seconds. The solution applied in the production line is a real innovation. Spin - a modern SCARA robot - fully developed in Campetella.

SM2 is a flexible IML system based on the SM2 robot and a 2-cavity mold for the production of food containers, demonstrating the ideal balance between performance and flexibility.

The guests of the event noted that all Campetella robots are decorated with an Italian love for a beautiful design. Design haute couture impressed those present and installed in the show room racing car and motorcycle: the company Campetella is a regular sponsor of the Italian team of racers.

Conference on molding question

Within the framework of the event, a small conference dedicated to the issues of injection molding, automation of processes, concepts of modern robotics, features of molds for complex tasks, for example, such as IML-decoration, was held.

The owners of the event presented an overview of the Campetella equipment and told about the advantages of the robots of this brand. When using Campetella robots in conjunction with a thermoplastic automatic machine, the timing diagram and the trajectory of the robot's working body are perfectly designed. So, for example, the robot grip begins to enter the mold to remove the casting, without waiting for the complete opening of the tooling, which in some cases significantly reduces the cycle time of the closing-opening cycle, and, accordingly, increases the productivity. As already mentioned above, the show room was demonstrated a number of similar technical solutions, when robots allow you to improve the quality of products and significantly save resources. Although most of these decisions concern injection molding, but also for extrusion, Campetella also has interesting solutions. Thus, in particular, Campetella produces automatic winders of flexible pipes with two coils and a function of binding and fixing the finished bay, this solution is used in extrusion lines.

Over the past 20 years, Campetella Robotic Center has been implementing complexes for transportation / packaging, assembly, installation of parts for pallets, gluing, welding and painting. Complex systems based on injection molding machines, metal casting machines, and machine tools were also implemented. Today, Campetella is able to provide robotic production cells "turnkey", appropriate training after the sale, technical assistance, spare parts.

A story about the possibilities of thermoplastic automatic machines of the 6th generation was made by the representative of TOYO. The manager of the Belgian company Verstraete acquainted the audience with the subtleties of the labeling technology in the mold. The representative of the Italian manufacturer of molds for large-scale casting SCS in his report highlighted the possibilities of molds for creating competitive packaging and packaging. The engineer of the company EGICON presented advanced visual control systems integrated into the robotic complexes.

According to the participants of Smart Plastic @ CRC 14, the event was perfectly organized, saturated with useful and relevant information and fruitful communication of specialists.

The best peripheral solutions.

The report of the event would be incomplete without a story about the company IBC Systems, which enabled Russian specialists to visit the days of Smart Plastic @ CRC 14. The field of activity of the company operating in the markets of Russia and CIS countries since 1998 is the design and engineering of enterprises for the production of products from plastics, development of production turnkey schemes, delivery and installation of a wide range of equipment, warranty and after-sales service, spare parts supply. Becoming a client of IBC Systems, the processor can get the best world equipment in the following areas:

• transportation, distribution, drying and storage of raw materials: single- and three-phase vacuum loaders, dryers (including hot or compressed air, desiccant or vacuum dryers, PET crystallizers, bulk and gravimetric dosers, raw material dispensing systems, silos, containers for storage of raw materials, resident bins, vertical hopper mixers, proportional valves, magnetic separators (magnetic grids), control and management systems, centralized supply, distribution and loading systems;
• cooling and thermal control systems: chillers with air and water cooled condensers, with remote condensers, thermal chillers, dry coolers (cooling towers, free cooling), cooling systems for products, pumping groups, energy-saving cooling systems, centralized cooling systems, water and oil thermostats, thermocontrollers special execution;
• industrial robots and automation: linear robots for injection molding machines, articulated robots, labeling systems in the form of (IML), robots palletizers, winding pipes and hoses, systems for automation and centralization of production processes, grippers for robots Gimatic;
• grinding equipment: universal rotor crushers, thermoforming rotary crushers, edge crushers and films, plastic belt crushers, single-roll shredders, aspiration and dust removal systems, crushers and shredders for special applications;
• conveyors, separators, storage systems: linear horizontal and inclined conveyors, conveyor belts with plane transfer, special conveyors, plastic product separators, rotary tables, storage systems, conveyors for PETF preforms (Softdrop), conveyor belts; air conditioners of molds;
• equipment for the construction of "clean rooms".

Priority direction of the IBC Systems Group's work is traditionally high quality of service, a wide range of services provided for technical support and equipment maintenance.