ATM robots get to grips at Hozelock

ATM robots get to grips at Hozelock

Keywords: Pastics, Robots, ATM

De-moulding and palletising robots designed and manufactured by automated systems specialist ATM Automation are an integral part of a recently installed hose storage moulding line at the Aylesbury plant of Hozelock Limited, the manufacturers of watering systems and aquatics products.

The plant is installed at one of Hozelock's manufacturing sites with 61 injection moulding machines in operation and features a very strong emphasis on un-manned operations and automated processes.

The ATM installation comprises a three axis, fully electronic de-moulding robot along with a custom-designed palletising unit that automatically loads the hose storage mouldings in layers up to 12 high (see Plate 5).

The ATM ES3000 de-moulding robot operates in tandem with a newly purchased Demag ET800 injection moulding machine which manufactures hose storage case halves (handed right and left) in three different design configurations,including the award winning Autoreel. The robot has been built to its maximum size in order to facilitate the stroke movements required for palletising. Mouldings are removed using vacuum cup gripper heads, dedicated to each hose storage design.

Plate 5A demoulding and palletising robot at Hozelock Ltd

After de-moulding, palletising of the mouldings is undertaken onto two individual low level pallets with each pallet layer accepting five mouldings. These are interleaved with a sheet of card, automatically positioned by a separate ATM pick-and-place robot. The de-mould robot is equipped with a programmable rotate unit, which allows precision positioning of mouldings in 1 degree increments up to a maximum of 330 degrees. Movement of empty and fully loaded pallets is also automatic, using a twin conveyor system integrated into the robot operations.

For further information contact Robbie Bartholomew. Tel: +44 (0)116 277 3606;E-mail: ATM.Automation@DIAL.PIPEX.com