Plastics & Polymers

As plastics manufacturers expand into additive processes such as 3D printing, collaborative robots provide additional advantages. Cobots can work around the clock to keep printer farms humming. Lightweight cobots can be mounted on mobile carts and still have long enough reach to load and unload plates from multiple printers.

Collaborative robots in plastics and polymers

Collaborative robots in Plastics & Polymers

Injection and blow molding operations don’t make money unless the mold is closed. But loading and unloading machines is dull, repetitive, and injury-prone work that is challenging to staff. That makes it ideal for automation. UR robot arms are available in a range of reach and payload capabilities. They can be integrated into existing facilities with high-mix, low-volume production that can’t be cost-effectively automated with traditional, larger robots.

Flexible cobots can also be redeployed throughout a plastics manufacturing facility to automate many other processes. Those include secondary processes such as degating, grinding, sprue removal, and polishing, as well as applying labels or decals to plastic parts. Cobots can also handle assembly and packaging and palletizing processes, working safely alongside operators after a risk assessment.

Case stories

Kal Plastics

Parts come straight from the mold, to rough cut, to finish trimming without needing to be moved and stacked up waiting for different processes throughout the facility. That helps cut production time and reduces the chance of parts being damaged or workers being injured.

AIM Processing

Since the company’s first cobot deployment, AIM Processing has launched more than a dozen specific applications, having the UR5e tend injection molding machines, stack trays, and pick parts off conveyors.

Pentik Oy

Pentik wanted to find a solution that enabled production automation while utilizing experienced employees’ skills for tasks of higher added value, such as quality control.

Cobot automation in injection molding

Cobots are transforming injection molding in plastics manufacturing by automating tedious tasks such as machine tending, part placement, and quality checks. Cobots like the UR5e and UR10 ensure consistent cycle times, reduce scrap rates, and enhance efficiency. Their flexibility allows manufacturers to switch between high-mix, low-volume production lines without downtime, significantly boosting throughput.

Automating finishing tasks in ceramics and glass manufacturing

Cobots in ceramics and glass manufacturing handle repetitive finishing tasks like glazing and forming with precision. UR cobots automate ergonomic-challenging tasks, ensuring consistent quality while preserving the craft of ceramics production. They help manufacturers like Pentik Oy improve workplace ergonomics and streamline production without compromising craftsmanship.

Mobile cobots for flexible production in plastics

Mobile cobots, such as the UR5 and UR10, are revolutionizing plastics manufacturing at companies like EVCO Plastics. By handling tasks like assembly, packaging, and machine tending, cobots enable 24/7 production. Their mobility allows for flexible deployment across various processes, improving production efficiency.

Precision automation for high-mix, low-volume production

For companies with high-mix, low-volume production needs, cobots are ideal for handling repetitive tasks such as picking parts off conveyors and assembling components. Their ability to be easily reprogrammed makes them perfect for applications requiring frequent changeovers, boosting productivity in operations like injection molding at AIM Processing.

Ergonomic automation for heavy-duty manufacturing

In industries like plastics, polymers, ceramics, and glass, where workers often face physically demanding tasks, cobots provide ergonomic relief. Cobots automate the handling of large, delicate items like glass sheets or molded plastics, improving worker safety and increasing productivity by operating continuously without fatigue.

Choose the right collaborative robot for your applications

A range of Universal Robots models are available to address automation needs from precision tasks to long reach and high payload requirements.

UR10e

Flexible cobot designed for seamless integration into a wide range of applications.

Universal Robots

UR16e

Designed for bigger tasks where precision and reliability are most important.

Universal Robots

UR20

Built for heavier payloads, faster speeds, and superior motion control.

Why Universal Robots?

Tried. Tested. Trusted.

Universal Robots has deployed over 90,000 cobots into every manufacturing industry. Companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 giants to local contract machine shops, are leveraging our 6th generation cobots to increase productivity and quality and improve job satisfaction for their manufacturing teams.

Flexible

UR cobots meet the demands for flexibility head-on with industry-leading ease-of-use, intuitive programming, and a powerful back-end for OEMs and developers to add value and meet specific needs. UR cobot-based systems generate ROI that is usually measured in months, not years.

Worker-safe, worker-friendly

Universal Robots has developed the most complete set of safety tools and functions in the industry. Our 17 safety protocols can be configured to meet the varied safety requirements of your plant or facilities and your application risk assessment, letting your manufacturing team work safely side-by-side with UR cobots.

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Thousands of businesses rely on UR collaborative robots to...

· Increase productivity
· Adapt to changing product demand
· Improve employee well-being and retention
· Staff through labor shortages