NPE 2024:

As the plastics industry continues to evolve with technological advancements and sustainability efforts, the spotlight turns to the eagerly anticipated NPE 2024. This event stands as a pivotal gathering for professionals, innovators, and leaders in plastics manufacturing, offering a unique platform to showcase the latest trends, solutions, and machinery shaping the sector’s future.

Among the distinguished exhibitors, Sepro USA is poised to make a significant impact, bringing its expertise in robotics and automation technology to the forefront. With a reputation for pioneering some of the most advanced robotic systems in the industry, Sepro USA’s participation at NPE 2024 underscores its commitment to driving efficiency, precision, and sustainability in plastics manufacturing.

The Sepro Group will unveil its latest innovation, the S5-25 Speed top-entry robot, this robot is designed for fast-cycling injection-molding applications and features significant enhancements since its 2019 debut, including a more powerful servo motor and gearbox on the X axis for 63% faster acceleration and improved cycle times. Its top-entry design enables a more compact molding-cell footprint, making it perfect for simple packaging tasks such as flowerpots and thin-wall food containers. Additionally, the S5-25 Speed incorporates the new ECO Air feature, cutting vacuum part gripping’s compressed-air requirements by up to 85% by activating vacuum generation only as needed, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

Demonstrating Speed and Agility

In one of three demonstration cells in the Sepro booth, the S5-25 Speed will be paired with a 5X-25 robot to compare performance in side-by-side tests of speed and agility. Both units are based on the same mechanical platform but, while the S5-25 Speed is built for fast acceleration and a short cycle time, the 5X-25 is a 5-axis-servo configuration with a 2-axis-servo wrist, so it excels at complex and precision part manipulation.

Multi-Robot Automation

Another cell in the Sepro booth will feature three robots operating in support of a 125-ton injection-molding machine.  A Success 11X 5-axis Cartesian robot, a 6-axis 6X-170 articulated-arm unit, and a cobot will handle not only part removal but also degating, laser marking, sorting (using 2D & 3D vision), label application and packing. All operations will be integrated by a Sepro Visual 3 control system.

Large-Part-Handling Flexibility

Sepro has always been the leader in large-part automation, and so the third demonstration in their NPE booth features a 7X-55 robot designed to serve injection-molding machines as large as 2500 tons. It will be put through its paces by handling four different big parts: a roll-out garbage can, a large-diameter pipe fitting, an automotive component and a heavy dumbbell. Quick-change end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) will allow the robot to handle each part in succession, demonstrating how automation can support efficient short-run production of large components.

A Record Number of Robots on Display

As detailed above, 6 Sepro robots will be installed in booth W143. A further 13 units will be operating on the stands of other exhibitors serving the injection molding market. That’s 19 Sepro robots in all – the largest number the company has exhibited at any tradeshow ever.