FANUC celebrates the 40th anniversary of the powerful all-electric injection molding machine ROBOSHOT. The continuing appeal of ROBOSHOT, as well as FANUC’s long-standing experience and continuous innovation in the field of injection molding, will be comprehensively presented at FAKUMA 2024 (October 15-19) in Friedrichshafen. At booth B3-3211, FANUC will exhibit its latest solutions in injection molding technology and automation, with a particular focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, compact design, reliability and the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in the industry.
One of the many highlights is a fully automated production cell that demonstrates the efficient and precise processing of sustainable biopolymers. This example of seamless cell integration, consisting of a ROBOSHOT a-S150iB with 150 tonnes of clamping force and a small 6-axis robot LR-10iA, shows how injection molding companies can significantly increase their production output. Vertical mounting on an additional linear axis minimizes the overall space requirements of the exhibit.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the core of the latest Roboshot series, “a-iB.” For example, the injection unit includes an AI metering function that uses torque control (rather than speed) to compensate for changes in material viscosity, such as drying conditions or mill stock variations. In addition, FANUC AI mold and ejector protection prevents mold damage and costly repairs/downtime in the event of an event during the opening and closing cycle. It also indicates when lubrication is required and if the mold is showing signs of wear. The same technology also protects the forward and backward movement of the ejector.
Another featured exhibit at FAKUMA is the FANUC ROBOSHOT a-S100iB, which will be displayed together with the SEPRO Success 11 robot. This combination demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of FANUC injection molding solutions, allowing precise and fast handling of plastic parts with seamless integration with third-party robots.
The most competitive total cost of ownership on the market is backed by a sustainable all-electric operating platform, making FANUC a future-proof technology partner for the injection molding process. Thanks to advanced servo technology and an intelligent energy recovery system, ROBOSHOT users can reduce power consumption by up to 70% compared to hydraulic injection molding machines (5-10% reduction compared to other electric injection molding machines). In addition, tasks such as oil treatment and disposal are now a thing of the past.
To help users maximize savings, ROBOSHOT machines are equipped as standard with a power consumption screen. This includes an energy analysis page that identifies where energy consumption occurs during the cycle, supporting optimization. Other features that contribute to a low total cost of ownership include best-in-class reliability and machine availability. Also among the many favorable factors are the simple mechanism with less wear and fewer components, as well as the high availability of spare parts.
Elsewhere at FAKUMA’s stand, visitors will experience how quickly steps in the injection molding process can be automated with FANUC’s lightweight collaborative robot (cobot) CRX-iA. The CRX-iA can be easily integrated using a tablet PC and offers drag-and-drop functionality. It can be programmed. The CRX is user-friendly, flexible and can be operated safely without the need for guards or barriers, making it ideal for integration into a wide range of manufacturing environments.