• The Plastic processing industry in India has a very bright prospects, as the demand for Automotive, EMS, Consumer goods, EV Vehicles, Electricals, and Infrastructure and Telecommunication being increased, As the anti-China movement increased further demand for plastic processing, tool manufacturing and product manufacturing in India.
  • The 90% of plastic processing industries are small and medium sized industries. Some of the industries offer excellent potential in terms of capacity, infrastructure, and skilled manpower, but most of the industries strive to meet the demand basically because of dependency on manpower, Hiring skilled manpower is expensive. And meeting customer requirement is very very challenging.

To the very recent days, Indian processing industries are considered to be competitive as they could offer most economical prices, as they all taking advantage of low manpower cost in India. But at present the Scenario and the competition, manpower cost is too expensive, at present the Indian Plastic processing industry is operating at average capacity of 50 – 60%, of their installed capacity. To meet further demand either Industry has to invest on capital equipment and also on resource the meet the demand, therefore struggling to be competitive. Unless until industries uses the capacity and find better efficiency and automating the process only helps industries to remain competitive in the face of global competition

Automation in plastic processing and its application

  • Change over and Setup: Changeover process is the biggest capacity opportunity industry can have. Industry can take advantage of using low-cost automation solution, or robots to make efficient way to load and unload the tools with automated options.
  • Handling of Moulded part: Most of the time even the good moulded parts get  rejects on account of improper handling.  The material handling component after the mould opens. Newly moulded parts are weak and vulnerable to deforming from the way of handling stocking etc., Robotic systems with pneumatic grippers or vacuum-based collection systems can collect the parts without damaging and can stock uniformly.
  • Over moulding/Insert moulding: This process depends on skilled manual process. The big challenge to get the uniform and consistent cycles to component to component the delay which leads to overheating of material, and quality issues, Inconsistency in placing the insert/over moulding part, leads to higher rate of rejections, and also inconsistent cycle make the process inefficient and expensive. Now a day’s lot of solutions have come in place, the 3 axis robot, or a 4 axis robot with customized with pneumatic grippers or vacuum-based collection systems can take up this job, and can get consistent and uniform products with efficient utilization.
  • Quality Control: Most of the automotive industries and EMS industries imposes 100% Visual inspection as a part of Quality control, it’s a non-value added activity and a laborious process, and this either a productive job.

Automation in this area using low-cost and effective automated inspection through sensors, and with high resolution memory cameras which can detect and segregates determines dimensional issues and also to the cosmetic problems.

  • Secondary process: In Plastic moulding industry secondary operation and machining operation, Post moulding operation, post moulding insert fixing of moulded part to meet the customer requirement become one of the laborious process. Most of the time it’s an unaccounted, and target less process, unwantedly increases the cost of a product or the part.

Robotic or low-cost automation solutions to perform post moulding operations quickly, accurately and consistently with calculated output.

Advantages of Automations in plastic processing

Advantage of automation over convention process, Automation can take on a consistent, reliable, and repeatable process without or minimum operator or manual introversion, one can find a very good ROI;

Reduced factory lead times:

Automation can keep the process consistent, improve process control and significantly reduce lead times. This allows industry to be a competitive and increased the margin, with reduced lead times and increased output.

  • Utilization of the machines. Automated systems are easily interfaced, with the machine that generate analytics that allows users to identify opportunities for improvement and alert or identify when parts malfunction or need inspection. Robots easily make to learn, the new process, and new sequences, easy adoptability increased the utilization.

Cost Reduction: Reduces operating cost, by increasing efficiency and reduces the quality threats and reduces maintenance cost and labour cost.

Human and tool safety: It reduces a lot of risks of manual process of accidents, tool damage because of negligence/ or by pass of system or setup process.

Increase productivity and efficiency:

More uptime with a good efficiency figures, increased secondary operation capabilities, quick change for multiple parts will increase the availability of the machine or equipment. The Equipment can be used 24 hours a day continuously which will give you increased productivity.

Increased Reliability and Quality:
The automated control and monitoring systems by installing automation eliminates human error, and thus improve the quality and reliability of the parts and product manufactured and reduces risk of customer complaints and filed complaints.