Automation for the Plastics Industry: Where Efficiency Meets Precision

Published on in Industry, Logistics of the future, Production logistics
8 minutes reading time

Polymer processing companies are under constant pressure to be as efficient as possible – especially when it comes to injection molding. Fixed takt times, high quality standards and changing flexibility requirements make automation solutions a decisive factor for success. In this article, we’ll outline current challenges facing the industry and show how cutting-edge automation technology can revolutionize manufacturing processes in the plastics industry.

Contents

1 I Challenges facing the plastics industry

2 I Requirements for automation solutions

3 I Automation technologies

4 I Digital integration

5 I Real-life example

6 I Key advantages

Key takeaways

  • Fixed takt times, high standards for quality and cleanliness and changing product variants are all hallmarks of the plastics industry.
  • Manual processes quickly reach their limits. Automation increases efficiency, reduces errors and ensures competitiveness.
  • Automation solutions have to be reliable, scalable, economical and save space.
  • Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated storage and retrieval systems and robotics seamlessly connect the material flow and optimize the use of space.
  • A mini case study of an injection molding manufacturer shows how KNAPP solutions interconnect automatically and efficiently, from goods-in to goods-out.

Challenges facing the plastics industry

Whether for medical equipment, electronics components or packaging material, the plastics industry is characterized by highly precise manufacturing processes and constantly growing quality standards. In particular, injection-molded parts have tight tolerances and complex geometries – and often need to be manufactured in high quantity and on a tight schedule. Let’s take a closer look at these challenges:

Precision, quality and traceability
Tight tolerances and constant quality are a must. Any deviations can mean defective products, so having end-to-end quality assurance and traceability is paramount.
Fixed takt times and reliable processes
Since production has fixed takt times, materials must be brought to and from the machines just in time. Any standstills generate expenses and can endanger the manufacturer’s ability to deliver.
Many products, complex material flows
Many manufacturers don’t just make one product, but rather switch regularly between different ones. Because different machines have different takt times, processes need to be flexible, with adaptable technologies to match.
Strict cleanliness requirements
Certain fields, such as medical technology, have exceptionally high hygiene standards. Requirements here include transport with covered load carriers under closely monitored conditions.
Personnel shortages
Manufacturers need a lot of qualified personnel because plants usually operate with multiple shifts, and the skilled labor shortage is making it increasingly difficult to find the right staff.
Tight spaces in manufacturing
Injection molding machines are placed very closely to each other to economize the use of the machines. Space around them is scarce and needs to be used efficiently.
Cost pressure and price sensitivity
The plastics industry is driven by numbers. Investments have to pay off as quickly as possible, and any interruption to manufacturing has an immediate effect on the bottom line.

Requirements for automation solutions

The challenges facing the plastics industry are increasing as manual processes quickly reach their limits in terms of both efficiency and errors. Automating intralogistics processes is a major step companies can take to increase their competitiveness over the long term. When choosing to automate, potential technologies have to meet the following requirements:

  • Reliability: Maximum reliability is essential to prevent interruptions to the supply of materials and the associated standstills.
  • Flexibility: Systems must be able to adapt to changing products and processes dynamically.
  • Scalability: Solutions should grow with the company and be easy to expand without any fuss.
  • Space-effectiveness: Compact, space-saving designs allow companies to make the best use of existing transport and warehousing space.
  • Cost efficiency: In an industry highly sensitive to costs, every investment has to deliver a measurable return on investment – quickly.

Automation for the plastics industry: Technological solutions

To keep up with the demands of the plastics industry, different solutions come into play, which can be combined flexibly based on company size, production volume and available space.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)

Automated guided vehicles automatically transport empty containers, raw materials, semi-finished and finished products between the warehouse, the production area and shipping. Modern AGVs are equipped with sensors, navigation technology and safety functions that ensure they remain a perfectly safe and reliable link in your facility’s goods flow. AMRs such as our Open Shuttles are especially flexible and are ideal for transporting containers, cartons, trays and pallets around the warehouse.

Learn more about the advantages of our AMRs in our blog post, What are Autonomous Mobile Robots? A Guide.

One of KNAPP’s autonomous mobile robots moving along a path in a warehouse.
KNAPP’s Open Shuttles are perfect for use in the plastics industry. They offer maximum efficiency and scalability even as processes change.

Automated storage and retrieval systems

Highly dynamic storage solutions such as automated small parts warehouses, shuttle systems or warehouse robotics systems allow companies to store and retrieve containers and components quickly and while saving space. These solutions ensure high availability of materials and support just-in-time production processes. The Evo Shuttle, along with the AeroBot robotic warehouse system, presents the plastics industry with exciting opportunities to efficiently store materials and empty containers. For larger loads, our pallet stacker cranes store and retrieve pallets automatically and efficiently.

Find out more about our AS/RS >

Three shuttles with the KNAPP logo in a storage system, glowing with blue light.
For the plastics industry, the Evo Shuttle automated small parts warehouse offers maximum storage density and quick access to materials, maximizing efficiency in supplying production lines.

Robotics and gripper systems

Industrial robots palletize, sort and pack items directly at the machines or at goods-out. Combining them with AI-powered image processing systems and AMRs that automatically transport goods makes it easy to automate quality control, making employees’ lives easier while reducing error rates. There are plenty of opportunities to fully automate palletizing and depalletizing as well as stacking and destacking both cartons and standard load carriers.

Find out more about efficient pallet handling and quality assurance with vision technology >

An industrial robot grips a carton and stacks it on a pallet.
From stacker cranes to conveyor systems and automated palletizing for store delivery, KNAPP offers plenty of options for pallet handling.

Conveyor systems

Belt conveyors and roller conveyors connect different production areas. They can be customized to the system and are particularly useful when the material flow is generally constant, though it’s important to make sure that the conveyors don’t block access to the production machines. The Streamline conveyor system can be either mounted on the floor as a bridge construction or suspended from the ceiling – whichever option makes the best use of space.

A conveyor line carrying blue Digmesa containers in front of injection molding machines. An AMR is placing a container on the conveyor.
At Digmesa, the conveyor is a drop-off point for empty containers for supplying the production machine.

Learn more about the automation solution for Digmesa >

Digital integration: The key to success

Automated physical processes only reach their full potential when they are digitally integrated as well. Intelligently connecting machines, logistics systems and software creates an efficient overall system and integrating it all into existing IT systems, such as warehouse management systems (WMS) or SAP® EWM, keeps things between production and logistics running smoothly. IoT sensors and digital twins round out the concept to allow for predictive maintenance and optimized route planning. Transparent, real-time data flow provides a solid basis for decisions and continuously improving processes in warehouse and production logistics.

Find out more in our blog post, “Digital Twins in Logistics”.

Example: Optimal automation solution for manufacturer of injection molded parts

To get a closer look at what a clever automation solution looks like in real life, check out this mini case study of a manufacturer of injection molded parts for the medical sector.

The solution at a glance

Sector:
Plastics industry
Company:
Injection molded parts manufacturer
Storage system:
Clad-rack warehouse for pallets with a stacker crane in goods-in
Evo Shuttle automated small parts warehouse as a buffer warehouse for injection molded parts and empty containers
Automated guided vehicle systems:
Open Shuttle Fork robots in goods-in, goods-out and the production area
Open Shuttles for transporting containers to supply production
Robots:
Palletizing robot for automatic pallet stacking at goods-out
Software:
KiSoft One with online interface to customer host system
KiSoft FCS generates orders for the Open Shuttle fleet

Central automation processes

1) Goods-in
The raw materials and consumable goods are put away into the clad-rack warehouse on pallets right at goods-in using a pallet conveyor system and a stacker crane. This warehouse is for storing plastic pellets for the injection molding machines. Whenever it’s needed for production, the raw material stored on pallets is retrieved and sent back to the pallet conveyor. At a defined transfer point, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), the Open Shuttle Fork, picks up the pallet and automatically transports it to the transfer location.
2) Transfer location between warehouse and production
The transfer location separates the warehouse area from the production area, which is subject to strict cleanliness and safety standards. Pallets are separated at the transfer location. From there, a second Open Shuttle Fork fleet that only travels to the production area brings the pallets with raw material and consumable goods into the system. For maximum efficiency, the AMRs also take empty pallets back with them.
3) Automatic storage in production
The Evo Shuttle automated small parts warehouse is a buffer for empty containers and injection molded parts. Containers are stored and retrieved on a conveyor. They’re lidded before being put away to provide optimal protection from dust and dirt and then de-lidded after retrieval. Before being put away, the empty containers go through an automated cleaning process where the static electricity is discharged from them so no plastic parts stick to the walls of the container. Finally, the containers are automatically tilted to completely remove all parts. The connected conveyor system is built as a bridge structure so the space under it can be used for transports as well. It’s also completely covered to ensure maximum protection from dust.
4) Just-in-time production supply
The Open Shuttles perform the following automated transport tasks between the production area, the Evo Shuttle and the transfer location:
  • Supplying injection molding machines with empty containers from the Evo Shuttle
  • Returning containers filled with injection molded parts to the Evo Shuttle
  • Transporting injection molded parts to the assembly area and bringing empty containers back to the Evo Shuttle
  • Transporting finished parts ready for palletizing to the transfer location and bringing them to the conveyor for packing
Both the Open Shuttles for transporting containers and the Open Shuttle Fork for transporting pallets move on the same paths to make optimal use of space. An integrated covering on the Open Shuttles protects open containers during transport and ensures that cleanliness requirements are met.
5) Quality check
For quality control, the Open Shuttle automatically transports one lot of injection molded parts to quality control so the parts’ cavities can be inspected. The corresponding lot stays locked in the system until it is approved, and the lots are kept separate so they do not get mixed up.
6) Goods-out
After the Open Shuttle Fork has brought finished parts to the transfer station, they are fully automatically packed onto a pallet, which is then labeled. The Open Shuttle Fork fleet in the warehouse area brings the pallets back to the high-bay pallet racking for temporary storage. A machine that automatically stacks pallets helps optimize the use of space in the truck.

Intralogistics automation: Advantages for the plastics industry

  • Continuous goods flow, without manual intervention
  • High system availability, even in three shifts
  • Just-in-time supply to injection molding machines
  • Maximum use of space thanks to shared paths for AMRs, bridge construction for conveyors and compact construction of the Evo Shuttle
  • High storage density and fast access to injection molded parts and empty containers
  • Cleanliness in sensitive production areas
  • Flexibility and scalability for changes to processes or products
  • Transparent stock management with system integration
Are you interested in automation solutions for the plastics industry? We would love to help you learn more!
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8 minutes reading time
Stefanie Terler
Stefanie Terler
Communications & PR
Industry Solutions
What trends and challenges are shaping the manufacturing industry? What are the smart ways to automate this industry? Stefanie blogs about and researches these topics for you.

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