KUKA at K 2019

The plastics industry is booming – and must nevertheless face up to certain challenges: higher energy prices and limited access to raw materials necessitate greater productivity. One promising approach is to increase its efficiency through a higher degree of automation. KUKA is presenting various solutions in response to these challenges at K 2019 from 16 to 23 October under the slogan “industrial intelligence in automation_products and expertise for the plastics industry”.

Robotic extrusion enables the automatic extrusion of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). AKUKA KR 120 R2700 extra HA robot moves an extrusion nozzle along the workpiece, extruding the sealing profile at exactly the intended position. The combination of robot motion and flow rate of the TPE means that the profile is created and simultaneously joined to the workpiece. In this way, robotic extrusion boosts efficiency while the high precision of the robot reduces material requirements.

The laser cutting option from KUKA is ideal for the automated 3D laser cutting and perforation of plastics. For this, a KUKA robot such as the KR 6 R2300 laser CO₂ is equipped with a CO₂ laser. The advantages offered by the robotic laser cutting of plastics are the cleanly cut edges, the high process velocity and the optimal material utilization. As a turnkey solution, the laser cutting option features the required peripheral equipment and is immediately ready to use.