HILDEBRAND PORTAL- ROBOTIC AUTOMATION FOR EXISTING AS WELL AS NEW MOLD CLEANING LINES

The existing mold cleaning line is equipped with a gantry handling system on the input and/or output side. The gantries have two axes driven by belt drives. The mold is fed via a separate infeed conveyor. The infeed conveyor has space for 6 stacks of 30 molds. This allows autonomous operation for up to 33 minutes. The belt always moves automatically to the loading position, which is located behind a protective grid. The protective grid is only open in the area where the stacks pass through and is appropriately secured and marked. A sensor detects the stack height and the control system then calculates the necessary travel steps. The gantry loader grips the top mold and lifts it. The mold is now rotated by 90 degrees and positioned on the corresponding free track. The gantry then moves onto the stack and picks up the next mold. As soon as the foremost stack is unstacked, the infeed conveyor automatically moves one position further and the process repeats. With this automation, the entire line can be operated by one person, who is only needed for loading and unloading. When the infeed conveyor is full and the outfeed conveyor is empty, the entire line can be operated by one person. This solution saves operators and allows continuous full load operation of the washing line with significant energy cost savings compared to manual operation.