higher productivity thanks to automation how the plastics

Higher productivity thanks to automation_How the plastics industry is staying competitive with the KR QUANTEC

From energy management to the automotive industry, from the medical to the packaging industry – plastic is an extremely versatile and popular raw material for many industries. The demand for plastic has risen steadily in recent years. But the industry is also facing major challenges: new and creative solutions are needed in order to remain competitive in a global market while at the same time providing consistently high quality. Higher energy prices and limited access to raw materials demand more productivity and efficiency. What is the solution? Companies must rethink the way they create value and fundamentally revamp their existing processes. One promising approach is the use of even more production automation in both the plastics processing industry and for tool mold making. While it appears to be the obvious answer, it often causes uncertainty, especially for medium-sized companies: Is it financially viable to rethink production methods? What about the return on investment? How quickly can automated solutions be implemented, and are they flexible? The short answer: Automation is definitely worth pursuing. More efficient processes mean lower costs over the long term. And with a tailor-made solution, the investment will quickly pay off.

Higher productivity thanks to automation: How the plastics industry is staying competitive with the KR QUANTEC

Higher productivity thanks to automation | © KUKA AG 2019 02

Market overviewIt is precisely because of their many possible uses that plastics are in demand as a raw material, despite all the public and political controversies. The German Association of the Plastics Processing Industry (GKV) announced earlier this year that the industry’s revenue in 2018 had again grown by 3.1 percent to a new record high of 65.7 billion euro. A total of roughly 14.8 million metric tons of plastics were processed in Germany last year. That is an increase of 2.6%. The number of people employed in the plastics processing industry increased to a record 335,000.

As is the case with many other industries, the plastics industry is facing tremendous change. Smart factories with automated and networked processes and humans merely responsible for their supervision are now becoming the norm in the context of Industrie 4.0. Digitalization is the major trend that is fundamentally driving the way value is created in industry. This offers great opportunities: according to a study commissioned by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and carried out by experts at Roland Berger Consulting, Europe could achieve growth of 1.25 trillion euro in industrial gross value added by 2025.

This poses a particular challenge for the plastics processing industry, which is predominantly made up of small and medium-sized companies for which such a transformation and the associated investments are not an easy feat. Dr. Norbert Malanowski and Dr. Karsten Reuß, together with other experts from VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH and the Technical

University of Dortmund, have been working on a research project on digitalization in various industry sectors sponsored by the Hans Böckler Foundation. They also noted that companies in the plastics industry are “pretty far advanced” in implementing digital solutions, but that many companies are still adopting a wait-and-see approach. However one thing is for certain: the status quo will not lead to success in the long term.

Automation opportunitiesCommon challenges such as shorter product cycles and a greater variety of products, not to mention a shortage of skilled workers, require quick solutions. And increasingly fierce international competition is also putting a squeeze on pricing. Specifically in the plastics industry, there have been noticeable shifts in recent years towards Eastern Europe and Asia. German companies that wish to remain competitive only have two options to distinguish themselves from the low-price competition: high quality and the realization of complex projects or developing greater cost-effectiveness through more efficient production methods. Both can be accomplished through production automation.

This doesn’t mean the production line has to be fully auto-mated right out of the gate. It is important to find a solution that is individually adapted to the specific requirements and needs. Small steps should be taken to restructure the company: starting by strategically focusing on digital processes, expanding new structures, training employees and incorporating new technologies. This enables small and


medium-sized companies to change gradually and benefit from the opportunities offered by digitalization. Automating the production chain creates opportunities for companies to streamline operations, improve efficiency and competitiveness, shorten the time to market and develop new business models. Robotics play a pivotal role in the plastics industry in a variety of ways: in the automated loading and unloading of machine tools in toolmaking and injection molding machines in the processing of materials, in the direct processing of plastics or in complex assembly applications. Robots also demonstrate their superiority when it comes to collation or palletizing. In, on or next to the machine, robots help to increase efficiency with maximum precision, speed up processes and reduce downtime. And they do so in industrial production as well as in confined, germ-free spaces and wherever the highest hygiene standards must be met. Unlike the linear kinematics that are commonly used, robots increase the degree of integration in production because their versatility allows more process steps such as welding, adhesive bonding or assembly to be carried out in a single cell. Value creation thus increases, while the logistical effort for the transfer of materials decreases. At the same time, they offer forward- looking integration into both the production world of today and the smart factory of tomorrow.

Flexible and scalable automation solution: KR QUANTECThe KR QUANTEC from KUKA enables particularly small and medium-sized companies in the plastics industry to take the leap towards automation. More than 100,000 robots have been sold since its launch in 2010, most of them to the automotive industry. But even medium-sized manufacturers from completely different industries are benefiting from the new KR QUANTEC which has been on the market since April 2019. Its low total cost of ownership means that the investment pays for itself in a short amount of time. Similar to its predecessors, the latest KR QUANTEC offers the greatest load-bearing capacity and reach in the high load class: from 120 to 300 kilograms and from 2,700 to 3,900 millimeters. It is especially attractive for small and medium-sized companies because of its flexibility, which enables the mapping of various process steps. Thanks to various optional features and add-ons, the KR QUANTEC is a scalable solution that is adaptable to further automation steps.

There are many different ways the robot can be used in the plastics industry. It can perform handling tasks such as the loading and unloading of injection molding machines as well as machining these components or assembling individual components. Or it can do everything at once. In this case, the console variant of the KR QUANTEC is a particularly good investment. This model is characterized by its lower weight and volume: the lightweight robot can be quickly installed on


machines. And the lower number of moving masses makes it highly dynamic and lowers the cycle time. It is primarily designed for a long downward reach and can optimally access the workspace from above. Thanks to its low height, it requires very little space. It can therefore be used flexibly and handle multiple processing steps. For companies, it means that they get a single robot can handle several tasks. Particularly smaller suppliers benefit from this, as the KR QUANTEC console model provides them with several auto-mation options when they invest in the KR QUANTEC. With minimal effort: the Euromap 67 interface enables the robot to be quickly and easily integrated into the control system of the injection molding machine via plug and play. This simplifies the handling when programming the systems and reduces the effort already during commissioning. For example, the robot can remove injection-molded components from the machine, inspect them, and immediately assemble and weld them. The KR QUANTEC from KUKA can also be used to automatically process high-quality plastic components. By using the milling package, for example, the KR QUANTEC can mill, drill and polish. This means that sculptures can be created from hard foam, among other things.

Additional areas of application can be found in the field of composite materials. The KR QUANTEC is frequently used to wind fibers or set down mats, especially with fiber-reinforced plastics. Apart from production, the robot is also used in logistics. Particularly with high-quality components, careful handling is required when setting goods down, palletizing or packaging – processes that can be executed automatically, reliably and efficiently.

The KR QUANTEC is also versatile in that digital plug-in motion modes can be retrofitted. These are software add-ons that further improve the process quality. Depending on the job at hand, the user can switch back and forth between performance, path or dynamic mode, for example. Performance mode can be regarded as the multitasker among the various modes. It is characterized by its versatility and is suitable for a large number of processes. Whereas path mode is the right add-on for continuous-path motion that requires extreme precision. And dynamic mode is the right choice if you want to reduce the cycle time: this can yield time savings of about 10%.

The KR QUANTEC also helps reduce costs in other ways. At the top of the list is energy consumption. In comparison to similar machines from competitors, the robot uses about 10 percent less power. Moreover, the costs for training are low due to the tried and tested KUKA technology which speeds up commissioning and requires up to 50 percent fewer spare parts. Also worth mentioning is the high technical availability of 99.999% and the extended service life of over 400,000 operating hours. Maintenance and repair times were also reduced. The KR QUANTEC can be used flexibly 24 /7, contributes to optimizing capacity utilization, and

reduces errors and thus rejects. This enables medium-sized companies, for example, to introduce an additional unmanned night shift and thereby increase efficiency.

SummaryWhile digitalization offers great opportunities for the industry, it can also be daunting, especially for small and medium-sized companies. The same is true for the production of plastics and the associated machine tooling sector. This industry must break with old habits and embrace the new reality: high cost pressures, strong demand for individual products and shorter product life cycles, all in the context of increasing international competition. Companies that wish to remain competitive must act and find individual solutions that are tailored to their unique requirements. Process automation plays a key role – at each and every stage of the value chain. KUKA’s KR QUANTEC is a valuable investment for many companies: the robot is versatile and potential applications are scalable. It enables the plastics processing industry, which is characterized by medium-sized companies, and its suppliers to embrace the age of digitalization.


About KUKA

KUKA is a global automation corporation with sales of around EUR 3.2 billion and around 14,200 employees. As a leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions KUKA offers its custo-mers everything from a single source: from robots and cells to fully automated systems and their networking in markets such as auto-motive, electronics, general industry, consumer goods, e-commerce /retail and healthcare. The KUKA Group is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany. (31.12.2018)

AuthorAndreas WalbertBusiness Development ManagerDivision IndustriesBusiness Unit Handling, Machining & ProcessingKUKA Deutschland GmbHZugspitzstrasse 140, 86165 Augsburg /[email protected] +49 821 797 5443

ImprintKUKA AktiengesellschaftZugspitzstraße 14086165 Augsburg

Phone: +49 821 797-50Fax: +49 821 797-5252E-mail: [email protected]

© 2019, KUKA Aktiengesellschaft. All rights reserved.

higher productivity thanks to automation how the plastics

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