Automated Line for Plastic Injection Molding with Inserts

Project Description

Fully automated injection molding cell with robotic insert feeding, in-mold loading, automatic presence verification, and OK/NOK sorting for high-volume plastic component production.

Industries

  • Injection Molding
  • Plastics

Automation Level

  • Automated

Application Category

  • Machine Tending
  • Material Handling
  • Robotic Integration
  • Sorting
  • Testing & Inspection

Project Overview

Complete automated cell for plastic injection molding with inserts, integrating robotic feeding, mold loading, part extraction, automated inspection, and sorting.

Designed for continuous serial production with minimal operator involvement and centralized PLC control.

Application Scope

  • Insert feeding station (manual refill every ~20 cycles)

  • Cartesian robot for insert loading into mold

  • Automatic injection cycle triggering

  • Part extraction after molding

  • Insert presence and position verification

  • Automatic OK / NOK sorting

  • Conveyor transfer of accepted parts

Supports three different products with rapid recipe changeover.

Technical Solution

The system integrates:

  • Cartesian robot for insert handling and part extraction

  • Automated inspection station for insert presence verification

  • OK/NOK automatic sorting mechanism

  • Product conveyor system

  • Siemens PLC-based automation platform

  • Touchscreen HMI interface

Main functionalities:

  • Product and recipe selection from HMI

  • Automatic cycle control

  • Real-time parameter monitoring

  • Alarm and system status visualization

  • Automatic tool configuration per product type

Operating Principle

The operator refills inserts periodically and selects the desired product recipe from the HMI.

The system then automatically:

  1. Picks inserts from the feeding station

  2. Loads inserts into the injection mold

  3. Triggers injection cycle

  4. Extracts molded part

  5. Verifies insert presence and position

  6. Sorts parts automatically into OK or NOK

The entire cycle runs without manual intervention.

Key Benefits

  • High production efficiency
  • Elimination of human error in insert placement
  • Automated quality control
  • Automatic OK/NOK sorting
  • Fast product changeover
  • Single-operator supervision
  • Robust industrial solution for serial production

Integration & Know-how

The solution includes complete integration between injection machine, cartesian robot, inspection station, and sorting system.

Delivered documentation package includes:

  • Detailed electrical schematics

  • PLC and HMI backups

  • Operator manual

  • Maintenance instructions

  • Component lists

The system ensures operational autonomy, simplified servicing, and seamless integration within existing factory workflows.

Scroll to Top