Mould changes at the moulding machine
Guide tools and inserts from the rack into the platen – controlled, without impact on the parting line.
Industry
Tool handling in plastics processing and mould making
An injection mould costs as much as a mid-range car and weighs more. Even so it is changed by crane in many plants, with slung chains and a lot of hope. A guided manipulator turns the mould change into a predictable operation with a defined movement – faster and without an impact on the parting line.
- Mould inserts and tools
- 125 kg
- Access all around the machine
- 360°
- Person instead of a setup team
- 1
01 — Applications
Setup time is machine time. And tools are expensive.
Typical handling tasks in Plastics & mould making — and what they demand technically.
Inserts and exchange plates
Swap smaller inserts during production without pulling the complete tool.
Removing large finished parts
Take bulky mouldings out of the machine, set them down and place them correctly into racks.
Tool store and cleaning
Move moulds between store, cleaning station and machine – one route, one unit.
Granulate and container handling
Lift and tip octabins, sacks and drums at the material feed.
Assembly of plastic components
Join large, light but unwieldy parts ergonomically – here volume counts, not weight.
02 — What matters
What Plastics & mould making demands of handling technology
The tool change is the most expensive moment of the week
A machine that stands still earns nothing. A machine that stands still because two people are waiting for the crane earns even less. The real time sink is rarely the bolting but the positioning: the tool has to sit correctly oriented, centred and seated against the platen before it is clamped. A manipulator brings it in on a defined path and holds it there – without swinging, without regripping.
What an impact on the parting line costs
A parting line is lapped to a few hundredths. One knock while inserting means rework in the toolroom and, in the worse case, flash on every part of the next run. That is exactly why the damped, low-reaction movement of a manipulator is not a comfort feature here but tool protection: the final speed is limited and the load does not tip after.
Large parts are not heavy parts
In plastics the most common misconception is that light parts need no handling equipment. A bumper section weighing six kilograms is a metre and a half long – the operator has to guide it at arm’s length while protecting the visible surface. Assessment methods rate such postures more harshly than pure weight. What counts here is not payload but reach, and a gripper that does not touch the visible face.
One unit, several machines
Anyone running eight moulding machines in a row does not need eight manipulators. A rail system above the row guides one unit to every station, with continuous energy supply and optionally driven axes. It is the cheapest way to bring handling technology into an existing shop.
03 — Device catalogue
Start the device finder
Equipment for Plastics & mould making
Design, payload and reach — the shortlist for this industry.
Lifting equipment · Manipulators
01
Articulated Arm Hoist
The jointed arm for millimetre-precise handling.
View device
Lifting equipment · Conveyor systems
02
Rail System
The whole area covered – in X and Y.
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Lifting equipment · Balancers
03
Skyline Rope Balancer
Weightless handling – floating instead of lifting.
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Lifting equipment · Lifting axes
04
I-GO Lifting Axis
Compact power for vertical lifting.
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04 — Services
From analysis to inspection
01
Workstation Analysis
We look at the workstation before we talk about equipment.
View
02
CAD Change Service
Keeping drawings current – on site or remotely, following your conventions.
View
03
Sizing & Custom Solutions
Load, reach, cycle time – plus grippers for anything without a catalogue entry.
View
04
Lifting Technology
Lifting equipment, manipulators and balancers for industry, medical technology and logistics.
View
05 — Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions from Plastics & mould making
How much setup time does a manipulator save on a mould change?
The gain rarely lies in the lifting but in the positioning and in dropping the second person. Where two people previously worked with the crane, one now works at the unit – and without waiting for the crane. The exact figure depends on tool weight and on the route between store and machine; a workplace analysis calculates it for your case.
Can one unit serve several moulding machines?
Yes. A rail system along the machine row lets one unit reach every station. From roughly three machines upwards that is more economical than individual units.
Are the grippers suitable for visible surfaces?
Yes – we design them to grip at hidden edges, sprue points or mounting features. Where that is not possible we use soft vacuum cups of a defined shore hardness.
06 — Applications
Tasks from this industry
07 — Guides
Read more
9 min
01
Sizing a manipulator
It is not the payload that decides, it is the moment.
Read the article
9 min
02
Grippers & lifting devices
The unit lifts. The gripper decides whether it works.
Read the article
8 min
03
Planning a rail system
One unit at eight stations beats eight units.
Read the article
Contact
We do not know your shop floor yet — but we know the task.
One short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.