How a low cost automation solution solved the problems faced by an enterprise engaged in packaging and handling of food grade plastic containers.

More and more companies, especially in the SME segment, are now seeking low cost automation solutions and adopting lean manufacturing concepts in order to stay competitive. Between highly sophisticated and often over engineered, and expensive state-of-the-art machines, and the basic workshop machines with manual operation and controls, there is room for low cost, practical automation and vendor providing such services. Hyderabad based Fibonacci Automation Consultancy is one such enterprise that has made it a mission to understand, design, engineer and provide innovative solutions to all types of industries and enterprises to help achieve their super goals via innovation, design and automation. This is a case study from its archives.

Brief summary

The customer had faced challenges from Food & Drug department about the way in which food grade plastic containers were being handled and packaged; in addition the customer had also imported a high volume injection moulding system, and was having challenges in handling the output by existing conventional labour.

The challenges & constraints

The plastic containers are produced by a special technique called ‘In-Mould Labelling’. This technique requires the label (as per end customer branding requirements) to be placed inside the mould and be induced by a static charge that enables it to stick to the inner surface of the mould after which the actual injection moulding takes place. This technique ensures the label is affixed permanently to the outer diameter/surface of the component.

The machine is capable of producing 4 finished components every 10 seconds, which requires the operator to static-charge 4 labels and place them carefully inside the mould cavity, and all this needs to happen in 2-3 seconds before the molten plastic is injected. This speed, accuracy and precision are not possible over an 8-hour shift.

The production was terribly slow, and the investment on the machine was proving to be non- viable, and the workers were under fatigue and demanded compensation which was not feasible.

Industry                               –  Plastic Moulding Industry (in-mould labelling process)

Product                               –  Food Grade Plastic Containers

Customer                            –  Under NDA

Average annual turnover    –              USD 4 million

The solution

The Fibonacci Automation team observed and studied all aspects of the production cycle and the specifics of the injection moulding machine, space, dimensions and allied processes. After a thorough study, the team arrived at a special fully automated solution that was designed and developed in-house.

The team customised a special 3-axis servo controlled manipulator that was fitted with high precision suction apparatus that would pick up labels from a stack and place them on special static activated foam mould cups, which were housed on a servo controlled linear sliding base (LSB), which is equipped with two servo controlled arms.

The servo-controlled arms were mounted with four static foam activation moulds, onto which the manipulator would pick & place the labels (each label on each on the four moulds).

The LSB would then slide inside the plastic moulding system, place the labels inside the moulds with the help of the first servo arm, while the second servo arm would them remove/de-mould the finished components and place it on a stacking conveyer/bay.

The complete operations were programmed in the central controller with a HMI and PLC interface that would communicate to all the drives, sensors and other components throughout the operation.

The customer was extremely happy as the system did the following:

1. Completely un-manned operation so the FDI (Food & Drug department) were convinced of the handling of the components, and so were all the end customers, all reputed companies.
2. The production now runs 24/7 fully automatically, only with the occasional need to stack the labels, and the speed of operations was increased manifold, allowing the realisation of decent return on investment and also acquire many big customers.
3. This enabled the customer to plan up a production agenda for many days ahead, as the production was completely automatic and non-dependant on any manpower.

Fibonacci Automation Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad. Mobile: 093906-49752, 098850-09602. Email: mitraengineering@gmail.com, bandaruabhishek@yahoo.com