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ENGEL Automation at K 2016

SCARA robot and sprue picker expand automation range

Schwertberg, Austria – June 2016

Productivity and efficiency depend in no small part on having the ideal automation concept. ENGEL is expanding its range of robots for K 2016 to ensure integrated system solutions for injection moulding and standalone robot cells can be adapted even more precisely to specific requirements. The ENGEL easix series will include a SCARA version, while a new servo sprue picker will be added in the lower requirements range.

ENGEL easix SCARA model offers faster pick-and-place

In terms of pick-and-place, the loading of grippers, conveyor tracking, stacking and palletising, four-axis SCARA robots are frequently superior to the larger six-axis robots: they perform more picks per minute and are also cheaper to purchase. Expansion of the ENGEL easix range of industrial robots to include a four-axis version means even more accurately tailored automation concepts.

In common with the six-axis robots in the ENGEL easix series, SCARA robots, which are based on Stäubli technology, can be integrated fully into the CC300 control unit for ENGEL injection moulding machines. This significantly simplifies programming and control for the robots as there is no need for machine operators to familiarise themselves with two different operating scenarios; they can also control automation with commands familiar from the injection moulding machine.

Another advantage is that rather than communicate with an injection moulding machine, a robot directly accesses its database as an integral system component. Since the machine and robot automatically coordinate their movements, overall efficiency is raised; the downtime that normally results from communication interfaces is also avoided. Even where process flows are highly complex, movements of the injection moulding machine and robot within the CC300 environment can be synchronised via the machine’s display. Several multi-axis and linear robots can be integrated in one machine control unit simultaneously. The barrier rooms of the robots are graphically visualised; operators can identify at a glance where they are, which restricted areas are active and which have been damaged for example by manual operation.

ENGEL robots can be connected not only via the CC300 control unit of an injection moulding machine, but also with each other. This has been the case for many years with ENGEL viper double robots, which share a Z-axis. For K 2016, ENGEL has integrated one ENGEL easix four-axis robot and one ENGEL easix six-axis robot into a standalone solution. Both robots can be controlled by means of a common operating element. For maximum ease of use, a 21" full HD display will be installed in Düsseldorf; previously reserved for injection moulding machines, this is now offered as an option for standalone robot cells. With its ability to network multiple robots into a standalone solution, ENGEL is a pioneer in the plastics industry.

ENGEL easix four-axis robots are available in three configurations with maximum operating ranges of 400, 600 and 800 mm. For all three models, the maximum load-carrying capacity is 7.15 kg.

Servo sprue picker for greater dynamism and cost-effectiveness

The new servo sprue picker from ENGEL is based on the technology of the ENGEL e-pic pick-and-place robot introduced in 2014. To couple high dynamism with compact design and low energy consumption, ENGEL has developed a brand new kinematic system that combines linear movements with a swivel arm. Also the new sprue picker has a swivel arm but operates without a Z-axis: it can instead be rotated by as much as 110° on the actual pedestal, which means it requires very little space. Another advantage is the reduction in maintenance costs in the absence of an axis. As in the case of the ENGEL e-pic, the swivel arm of the servo sprue picker is made of an innovative composite material that minimises the mass moved while raising dynamism and energy efficiency.

The servo sprue picker was designed to manipulate weights of up to 1 kg and work with injection moulding machines with clamping forces of 600 to 2,200 kN. This range ensures ease of assembly, with no need to carry out machine-specific adaptations (such as the installation of a separate base for height adjustment). The user-programmable RC16 control unit introduced with the ENGEL e-pic also ensures ample flexibility for the servo sprue picker; it can be integrated into the CC300 control unit of ENGEL injection moulding machines. The servo sprue picker also has a EUROMAP 67 interface as standard, making it compatible with every injection moulding machine on the market with no additional adaptation.

The new servo sprue picker represents a highly cost-effective choice wherever sprue needs to be removed very quickly and injection moulded parts either fall freely from the machine or are removed manually.

Tailored automation solutions from a single source

ENGEL was quick to pick up on the trend towards individually tailored solutions, developing progressively from an injection moulding machine manufacturer into a systems expert. The company’s range of robots is a key element in this strategy. As early as 1980, ENGEL started developing and constructing linear robots, integrating these into the control unit of its injection moulding machines. Since 2011, the company has also offered easy-to-integrate multi-axis robots through the ENGEL easix series. The smaller ENGEL easix models, which were available from the start, are based on the Stäubli technology platform; Kuka joined last year as a partner for the larger models.

Close collaboration with partners ensures ENGEL has access to the intensive research and development activities undertaken by the producers of industrial robots. By combining this know-how with its expertise in the sector, ENGEL is able to develop products individually customised to the needs of the injection moulding industry. Thanks to this latest expansion, the ENGEL Automation product range now comprises ENGEL e-pic pick-and-place robots, ENGEL viper linear robots, ENGEL easix robots with six and four axes and the new servo sprue picker alongside specialist automation solutions. In its capacity as a general contractor, ENGEL also integrates robots and other peripheral components from third-party suppliers into the overall concept.

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ENGEL easix, now with four axes: SCARA robots frequently achieve greater dynamism in pick-and-place, loading of grippers, conveyor tracking, stacking and palletising.

Thanks to a swivel arm and innovative lightweight construction technology, ENGEL’s new servo sprue picker combines high dynamism with low energy consumption and even lower maintenance costs.

Pictures: ENGEL

ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH

ENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers together with automation, with individual components competitive and successful on the market in their own right. With nine production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China and Korea), and subsidiaries and representatives in more than 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the excellent global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems.

Contact for journalists:
Martin Streicher, Group Marketing Director, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH,
Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria,
tel.: +43 (0)50 620 3800, fax: -3009, e-mail:

Susanne Zinckgraf, Public Relations Manager, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH,
Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria
PR Office: Theodor-Heuss-Strasse 85, D-67435 Neustadt, Germany,
tel.: +49 (0)6327 97699-02, fax: -03, e-mail:

Contact for readers:
ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria,
tel.: +43 (0)50 620-0, fax: -3009, e-mail:

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