Unattended Lights Out Production

2006

UPM has created a specialist division to deal with product handling equipment incorporating box fillers; product counting by weight; product conveying controlled through bar code reading and complete systems to transfer product through all stages of manufacture.

UPM will exhibit belt conveyors and box filling equipment at PDM demonstrating unattended lights out production capability together with systems for automatic assembly via a custom engineered belt conveyor arrangement.

Mann & Hummel (UK) who make air filtration system and fuel filtration components in Wolverhampton using Demag and Engel machines have installed this system to co-ordinate injection moulded filter bases and lids from two machines.

Individual belt speeds are regulated and interfaced to photo electric cells via a PLC control to alternate the filter base to a lid and to ensure the correct alignment of the base to the lid at the assembly cell.

UPM and Arrowquint have recently joined forces to eliminate the problems caused by static which attracts contamination to mouldings as they are discharged from the injection moulding machine and particularly for healthcare; electronics and clean room applications.

Neutral airborne particles are attracted to charged surfaces but with the addition of an Eltex air ioniser to the discharge point on the UPM belt conveyor a simple low cost solution is achieved ensuring all product is treated prior to any post moulding operations such as printing and also preventing a static charge to the operator.

One control can operate up to five separate de-ioniser bars that may be fitted at different locations offering value for money and a short pay back time.

Spotlights Materials Handling

2006

Sharp Interpack was established in 2002 with the focus to be the number one choice for rigid plastic packaging throughout the UK and Europe and in order to achieve this Douglas and Geoffrey de Jager have invested in excess of £60 million over the past four years in new thermoforming / extrusion equipment as well as a new factory; extrusion hall and two warehouses.

In conjunction with this expansion program it was decided to implement the latest technology based on infrared (IRD) for crystallising and drying blends of virgin CPET with in-house generated edge trim / skeletal waste APET regrind which traditionally took 6 hours in a conventional crystalliser / dryer but with IRD excellent results were achieved in 30 minutes with a final moisture contents down to 50ppm (0.0055).

Frank Coleman, Site Director reports IRD offers significant technical and economic advantages particularly on energy usage where savings of some 40 to 50% are being achieved compared to conventional drying equipment plus the initial investment cost is reduced as PET can be crystallised and dried in one pass through the IRD either as 100% regrind or as a blend with virgin eliminating the need for a separate crystalliser and a separate desiccant dryer.

UPM have also been awarded the total turn key project for a material handling system based on 8 external silos each having a capacity of 100 tons conveying any material to any extrusion line at a total throughout rate of 8000 kilos per hour involving approximately two kilometres of stainless steel pipework and all functions are controlled via a user friendly Siemens PLC incorporating real time graphics with full reporting functions.
 

Automation

2006

Floplast Limited was founded in 1991 as a manufacturer of building products specialising in rain water systems; window and cladding; soil and waste together with underground drainage systems which are widely used by major house builders and are specified both locally and nationally to provide the Building Industry with innovative and cost effective solutions for domestic, new build and refurbishment projects. A new green field manufacturing facility was completed in Sittingbourne Kent specialising in extrusion and injection moulding occupying a total area of 200,000 square feet and UPM were selected to install the central material feed and material handling systems having a total project value of circa £400,000.00.

Brian Lynch, Managing Director of Floplast states that automation is the key to the ongoing success of the company with continual investment in new technology and product development to both update and renew their existing systems and to produce new innovative products in a cost efficient manner.

The automatic product handling system designed and installed by UPM concentrated on handling output from some 20 injection moulding machines. Empty tote bins are automatically assigned to each machine to permit unattended production over a 12 hour shift.

A UPM double stacking box loader is located at each machine and each bin has an identifying bar coded label.

Mouldings are counted into each bin, which is then transported to a designated area via a QC station.

The complete system is controlled by an Omron PLC with touch screen and all software was written in-house by UPM to integrate with Datalinx Warehouse Management and Scala Business systems.

Security levels for operators to access the control entail the use of swipe cards bar coded for personal identity recognition.