What should the plastic turnover box manufacturer pay attention to when installing the injection manipulator?

When installing injection molding manipulator in plastic turnover box manufacturers, it is necessary to focus on three cores: equipment adaptability, safety compliance and production compatibility to avoid installation deviation, safety hazards and subsequent production failures. The following items need to be focused on, which are classified according to the installation process and key dimensions:

First, before installation: preliminary investigation and preparation (to avoid the risk of "mismatch")

Confirm the adaptability of equipment and scene.

The specifications of the manipulator should match the parameters of the injection molding machine: according to the weight (usually 5-20kg) and size (such as conventional specifications such as 600×400mm and 1200×800mm) of the plastic turnover box, select the manipulator with adaptive load, arm length and stroke (such as heavy servo manipulator, it is recommended to reserve 20% redundancy for the load to avoid long-term overload); At the same time, confirm the mold opening stroke and the space in the mold of the injection molding machine, so as to ensure that the paw of the manipulator can smoothly enter the mold cavity to take the parts without colliding with the mold and the pull rod.

Site space reservation: the "safety radius" of manipulator movement (at least 30cm larger than the maximum wingspan) should be reserved around the injection molding machine to avoid collision with conveyor belts, drums, other equipment or operators; The ground should be flat (horizontal error ≤3mm/m). If the manipulator needs to be fixed on the ground, the ground bearing should be confirmed in advance (the bearing capacity of the heavy manipulator foundation is usually ≥500kg/㎡).

Preparation of technical data and tools

Collect complete data: Equipment Manual of injection molding machine (including signal interface of mold opening and parameters of oil circuit/circuit), Installation Manual of manipulator (including wiring diagram and mechanical dimension drawing) and Mold Drawing of plastic turnover box (confirming picking point and avoiding vacancy) to avoid wiring error or mechanical interference due to unclear parameters.

Prepare special tools: according to the fixing method of the manipulator (bolt fixing/foundation pouring), prepare a torque wrench (to ensure that the bolt tightening torque meets the requirements, such as M16 bolts usually need 80-100 nm), a level meter (to calibrate the level of the manipulator base), a multimeter (to detect the on-off circuit) and an insulating tool (to avoid short circuit).

2. During installation: core operating specifications (avoiding "installation deviation")

Mechanical structure installation: accurate positioning and fixing

Fixing the base: If it is a floor-standing manipulator, it is necessary to fix the base on the precast concrete foundation (or the designated position of the injection molding machine body) with expansion bolts. After fastening, use a level meter to calibrate the two-way level of the base, with an error of ≤0.1mm/m (excessive horizontal deviation will cause the manipulator to run stuck, reduce its accuracy and wear gears/guide rails for a long time).

Arm assembly and claw assembly: assemble the big arm, small arm and wrist of the manipulator according to the instructions to ensure that the bearing and pin shaft at the joint are not loose; According to the structure (such as handle and wall thickness) of the turnover box, choose suitable claws (such as vacuum suction type-suitable for turnover box with flat surface and claw-clamping type-suitable for turnover box with reinforcing ribs or stable grabbing). After the claws are installed, adjust the "grabbing center" to ensure that the turnover box does not tilt after grabbing (the inclination is ≤ 2, so as to avoid colliding with the mold or falling off when taking parts).

Circuit and signal connection: safety and compatibility

Wiring compliance: the power line (such as servo motor line) and signal line (such as signal of mold opening in place and signal of taking out parts) of the manipulator should be connected with the corresponding interface of the injection molding machine, and the "strong current (380V/220V)" and "weak current (24V)" lines should be distinguished to avoid short circuit caused by mixed connection; Shielded wires are required for signal wires to reduce the electromagnetic interference of workshop motors and frequency converters (to prevent the manipulator from misoperation due to signal loss).

Grounding protection: the manipulator base, motor housing and control box need to be grounded separately (grounding resistance ≤4Ω) to avoid the risk of electric leakage; If the workshop has a unified grounding grid, it needs to be connected to the same grounding electrode, and "series grounding" is not allowed.

Installation of pneumatic/hydraulic system (if any): sealing and stability

Pipeline connection: if the manipulator claws are driven by air cylinders, it is necessary to use air pipes (such as PU pipes) with pressure resistance ≥1.0MPa, and the joints are sealed with raw tape or sealant to avoid air leakage; The pipeline should be fixed neatly and not rub against the moving parts of the manipulator (to prevent the trachea from breaking due to long-term wear).

Pressure debugging: The pressure regulating valve of pneumatic system needs to be set at a reasonable pressure (usually 0.4-0.6MPa). If the pressure is too high, it will lead to the claw clamping the turnover box, and if it is too low, it will be unstable to grasp.

Third, the debugging stage: functional verification and safety testing (to avoid "production failure")

No-load debugging: "move" before "load"

Manual mode test: in the "manual mode" of the manipulator, operate each axis independently (such as boom lifting, forearm extension and wrist rotation) to check whether the movement is smooth and whether the limit switch is sensitive (such as whether the hard limit and soft limit at the end of the stroke are triggered) to ensure that there is no jamming or abnormal noise (if there is abnormal noise, check the bearing lubrication or gear meshing).

Analog signal test: trigger the "mold opening in place" signal of the injection molding machine to observe whether the manipulator automatically enters the "picking process"; After taking the parts, can you send the signal of "mold closing permission" to the injection molding machine to ensure the normal interaction between the two signals (to avoid equipment collision caused by the manipulator not exiting the mold cavity when the injection molding machine closes the mold)?

Load debugging: matching the actual production scenario

Grab test: grab the actual plastic turnover box (if it is a hollow box, it can simulate the weight of the full material), and test whether the clamping force/adsorption force of the claws is enough (the turnover box does not slide down after grabbing for 10 seconds), and whether the picking path avoids the mold and the pull rod ("safe path" can be marked around the mold cavity with a marker).

Cycle test: Run continuously for 100-200 cycles (injection molding machine opens mold → manipulator picks up parts → transports to conveyor belt → returns), and record the stability of each cycle: whether there are problems such as picking-up deviation, loose claws, signal delay, etc. If necessary, adjust the claw position and signal delay parameters (for example, delay the manipulator to enter after mold opening for 0.5-1 second to avoid incomplete mold opening).

Safety function test: give priority to ensuring personnel and equipment.

Emergency stop test: Press the "emergency stop button" on the manipulator control box, the operation console of injection molding machine and the workshop site, and the manipulator shall immediately stop all actions (including motors and cylinders), and the emergency stop state shall be "power off" (it can only be restarted after the emergency stop is released).

Safety light curtain/fence test: If a safety light curtain (or fence) is set in the working area of the manipulator, when an object (such as a hand or a tool) enters the light curtain area, the manipulator needs to stop immediately; When testing, cardboard is used to simulate occlusion, and it is confirmed that the trigger is sensitive, and the process needs to be restarted manually after recovery (to avoid danger caused by automatic recovery).

Fourth, the later stage: training and maintenance (to ensure long-term stable operation)

Operator training

It is necessary to train the factory operators, including "manual/automatic mode" switching of the manipulator, routine troubleshooting (such as simple handling of paw air leakage and signal loss), and emergency response (such as emergency stop button use and reset process after power failure) to avoid equipment damage due to improper operation.

Provide the Operation Manual: key parameters (such as upper load limit and travel range), no operation (such as no reaching into the work area when the manipulator is moving), and daily inspection items (such as checking whether the trachea leaks or not and whether the limit switch is loose every day).

Initial maintenance plan

Within 1 week after installation: check the fastening of bolts (especially at the base and joints) and whether the gas pipe/line is worn every day;

Monthly maintenance: add grease to the joint bearing and guide rail of the manipulator (choose the model according to the manual, such as lithium grease), and clean the dust of photoelectric sensor and limit switch (to avoid signal misjudgment).

summary

The core of installing the injection manipulator for plastic turnover box manufacturers is "adaptation, safety and stability": in the early stage, it is necessary to accurately match the equipment specifications and production scenarios, strictly abide by the mechanical and circuit specifications during installation, fully simulate the actual production and verify the safety function during debugging, and ensure long-term operation through training and maintenance in the later stage. Special attention should be paid to "signal interaction" and "safety protection", which are the keys to avoid the collision between injection molding machine and manipulator and ensure the safety of operators.