Archive for category: Case History

Challenge:
A very famous automotive manufacturer needed a single gripper solution for their production line.
They required the gripper to perform two distinct tasks:
* High-precision extraction and cutting of delicate products: This involved carefully extracting products from molds without damaging them and precisely cutting attached sprues.
* Cutting of high-hardness products: This demanded a robust and powerful cutting system for tougher materials.
Traditional limitations:
Typically, achieving both delicate handling and forceful cutting would require separate grippers, disrupting production flow and increasing costs.

Gimatic’s Solution:
Leveraging our expertise in product innovation and customized gripper design, Gimatic devised a unique solution.
A single, versatile EOAT gripper: This innovative gripper could be seamlessly switched between two operating modes:
* Delicate mode: This mode used specialized fingers to gently extract and cut sprues on fragile products.
* Powerful mode: This mode activated a stronger cutting mechanism for handling high-hardness materials.
The actual application is that after the product is removed by the EOAT, the collaborative robots will cut the less precise sprue while EOAT still holding the product. After the EOAT released the product at the cutting station, the sprue that needs more precise requirements will be cut at the station.
* Collaborative robots for sprue cutting: For the delicate mode, the gripper worked in tandem with two robots in corporation, ensuring precise control and maneuverability during the cutting process.
* Cutting stations for high-hardness products: For the powerful mode, the gripper seamlessly integrated with cutting stations, providing the necessary force for handling tougher materials.

Benefits:
* Increased efficiency: By eliminating the need for separate grippers, Gimatic’s solution streamlined production and reduced changeover times.
* Enhanced flexibility: The single gripper could adapt to various product types, offering greater production versatility.
* Reduced costs: The need for additional grippers and their associated maintenance was eliminated, leading to significant cost savings.
* Unwavering production stability: Gimatic’s reliable design and support ensured consistent performance throughout the production cycle.
Gimatic’s innovation demonstrates the power of a “same gripper, two different product” approach. By combining expertise in product innovation and customized design, Gimatic provides solutions that empower manufacturers to achieve new levels of efficiency and flexibility.
– GIMATIC AUTOMATION ENGINEERING (Changshu) CO., LTD.

We got the opportunity to show Gimatic solutions in a collaboration with Jaka cobot. Cobot can make a quick change between tools with Gimatic EQC electric driven automatic tool changer.

There are six different tools to present six different applications.

MFD/MFU Expansion grippers for Packaging Industry Application
PB small grippers for 3C Industry Application
SGP mini parallel grippers for Inserting Application
PT Needle gripper for Textile Application
OFP One finger grippers
MPTM Electric gripper for Food Industry Application

– GIMATIC CHINA, S.L.

Gimatic delivers many sprue cutting stations every year as well as EOATs, all over the world.

Sprue cutting process can be on the EOAT before placing parts on the conveyor, or sprue cutters can be placed on the conveyor and parts can be carried to the cutters by the same robot which is used for picking parts from injection machine. Sometimes it may not be possible with these two methods. In this case it is necessary to add another process for sprue cutting by creating a dedicated cutting station.

Gimatic Romania has designed a special cutting station for Novares which is a manufacturer of plastic parts for automotive.

It is important to realize supports with precise machining to fix parts correctly and to guarantee staying inside tolerances. Creating soft touch and non marking surfaces help us not to damage plastic parts. Detecting parts and sensors to monitor system, safety barriers to get operators work safe and many other factors let us reach the success.

– GIMATIC SISTEME RO SRL

The customer was looking for a gripper with a “collaborative” aspect , easy to install and use. They also wanted to be able to manipulate different objects with the same fingers.
They found our gripper MPLM2535P interesting, but they wanted to have a different exterior design and customize the finger design as well.

We offer the customer the possibility to manipulate objects with different morphologies with the same finger designed in 3D.
Simplicity of installation and control, within 5 minutes the Costumer had it installed and working.

– GIMATIC IBERIA, S.L.

Customer needed to insert in the mold two big labels to decorate by IML process of a conical bucket. The 2 labels of 180º each are covering together the 360º of the bucket external side. At the same time the EOAT has to take off the finished part from the opposite side of the mold.
End customer has a trust in project members by his previous experience.
Together with CAROTEX, Gimatic Spain designed the plastic jig with the necessary number of electrodes to leave the labels fixed inside the mold without wrinkles as well as the vacuum circuit to hold the labels on the Jig. The EOAT include a rotary actuator so that the operator can load each label from the upper side.
Gimatic RT-35 rotary actuator, MFI profiles & brackets and suction cups are used on this project.
End customer already knew Gimatic Plastic components and has very good opinion of the brand. Carotex valued in Gimatic Iberia the know how about how to design Plastic Injection mold extraction EOATs & integrate IML solution in it. The excellent cooperation between Gimatic, expert in Plastic EOAT, and Carotex, expert in IML solutions, led to a joint offer which convinced the customer.
-GIMATIC IBERIA S.L