Several individual machines were to be combined into a single overall machine. For this purpose, SPIE ESCAD Austria, together with an external partner company, carried out a risk assessment to identify hazards and eliminate them through technical measures. The existing safety devices were recorded to establish a locking concept for the future, additional safety door. On-site, it was also determined that two safety light barriers were necessary to monitor reaching through a machine into the robot’s area.
With the start of Basic Engineering, the individual interfaces of the two injection molding machines and automation, and the Profinet interface of the robot were worked out to define the corresponding number of total signals and the scope of the control components. After clarifying the individual interfaces, the planning of the electrical documentation (EPLAN and other documents) began. At the same time, the team started with the first version of an operating/user manual based on the requirements specification. The two first versions (EPLAN and operating manual/function description) were discussed with the customer. Further customer requests regarding operation and designs were incorporated into the operating manual. The cables to the individual interfaces of the individual machines were to be designed as pluggable. This allows the customer to move the system to a cleanroom at a later date without disconnecting and removing all cables. The routing of the individual cables and the assembly of the control cabinet were organized according to the customer’s wishes.
After the circuit diagram was approved, the control cabinet could be ordered from a partner company. The same applied to the programming, after approval of the operating manual / function description. After delivery of the control cabinet, the electronic assembly and commissioning took place. This was completed quickly and included minor optimizations. Since the customer wanted to take over the programming of the robot themselves, but this was not yet completed at that time, an appointment for optimization was agreed two months later.
In the final step, CE certification was carried out. For this, a few documents for the individual machines still had to be requested. These were summarized and included in the operating/user manual. After completion of the CE marking, the system was accepted by the customer, and the project was concluded.
The biggest hurdle during the project was the signal exchange with the individual machines and the self-built automation (packaging of the finished parts). Especially the integration of the emergency stop signals from the individual machines and the return of the emergency stop. The placement of the required control cabinet and the cable routing were also challenging, as we were not allowed to attach/mount anything to the injection molding machines.
Another hurdle was the definition and implementation of the operating modes so that the individual machines would work cleanly. During commissioning, further optimization was carried out here. Additionally, the customer wanted the industrial robot, which they provided and programmed, to take over the control of the system (commands to the individual machines) instead of the master PLC.
