Automate your plastics production

Smart automation of processing, handling and picking tasks for the complete plastics value chain

FANUC offers a wide range of versatile automation solutions to help you make your plastics business more efficient. Whatever the process – be it injection moulding, machining, machine tending, parts handling or palletising – FANUC can provide you with everything from a standalone machine, such as the Roboshot injection moulding machine or plastics machining centre, to a dedicated production cell complete with robots and advanced Power Motion control. No matter what you choose, not matter how big or small your solution, the centrepiece of every FANUC installation is the world’s most reliable CNC. Providing a common platform for everything that FANUC makes, when combined with advanced FANUC machining and robotics solutions it is the key to increasing your productivity, improving your efficiency and driving down your cycle times.

Ask us about automating your production processes now!

Front of line automation

Optimise your value chain right from the very start of the production process using FANUC front-of-line automation. Whether it's tool making, depalletising, line charging or even the planning and setup of complete production lines, any number of tasks can easily be automated to help you improve your plastics manufacturing processes and lower your costs.

Fully automated injection moulding

ROBOSHOT is a market leader in precision injection moulding. Its efficient temperature control and cooling technology combine with rapid part removal by means of linear robots and power motion to deliver winning results.

Complete production lines

Set up completely automated production lines, which integrate handling, packing and palletising to one highly efficient process.

Single source solutions

Thomas Hähn from Hahn Automation: "Because we built the entire MasterShot as a package from a single source, the delivery of the components, right down to the completion of the system, didn't take longer than eight weeks"

Wire EDM tool cutting

A die that would have previously taken 40 hours to produce can be programmed and set in 2 hours. Within 16 hours it was ready to run on an extrusion line. Discover how Wilks improved tooling with wire cut EDM.

ABH uses CNC for plastic machining

CNC controls are useful in a wide range of industries, from aviation through automotive to medical. And in all fields where various metals and plastics are processed.

Plastics Processing

Processing plastics clearly represents the most delicate stage in the value chain. Whether it is injection moulding, turning, extruding or polishing surfaces, FANUC’s tailor-made solutions support you to automate many operations. As simple as they are cost-effective, FANUC solutions deliver state of the art technology for injection moulding, CNC control and tooling.

Injection moulding with CNC

Fully electric CNC controlled high-speed injection moulding machines can produce large numbers of plastic parts in a very short time. Benefit from the highest level of accuracy at a low cost per piece.

PVC extruded profiles

Tool making for PVC profiles is a cost effective process. By automating, tooling times can be reduced by 50%.

Superior surfaces in plastics machining

Surface precision down to the nanometre is achieved using state-of-the art ROBOSHOT injection moulding machines.

Low force plastic turning

Given the properties of synthetic materials, light-weight lathes are ideally suited to machining plastics. The fact that less force is required also allows the use of smaller, more efficient drive motors.

Seal production using CNC lathes

Efficient production of small to medium sized seals with complex dimensions or profiles is achievable using a CNC controlled lathe.

Seal maker develops new CNC lathe

"We have been working successfully with FANUC for several years now, and we are convinced of the high reliability and product quality of the CNC controls" -Johann Glocknitzer. Follow the link to the full story.

Handling and picking

The plastics industry is always striving to achieve greater efficiency and higher productivity. Automating pick, place or sorting tasks, not only enables the manufacturer to optimise the production processes but also to react flexibly to new developments, thus staying ahead of the competition. Smart visual recognition technology and sensor systems for line tracking and picking tasks offer a highly reliable improvment of handling tasks in plastics manufacturing.

Machine tending

Tending of injection moulding, turning or cutting machines can be efficiently automated with robots.

Handling of granulate bags

Heavy payloads can be easily handled at high frequency using industrial robots. The gripper simultaneously exhibits features such as grip force accuracy, vision and a sense of touch.

High-speed picking

Fast picking of plastic parts after or before extrusion or injection, for example, can significantly improve cycle times.

End of line automation

Automating the end of your production line increases your flexibility, enabling you to react quickly to the trends and challenges involved in providing intelligent and secure good-quality packing, storage and logistics. Wrapping, labelling, packing and palletising all involve strenuous and repetitive manual work – something that can easily be done by automated systems for optimised, cost-effective results.

Palletising in the plastics industry

Large packs of insulation material can be palletised by a robot using a vacuum gripper to protect the material from damage.

Energy saving machining

FANUC electrical injection moulding machines save up to 15% energy compared to standard electrical, and 50-70% compared to hydraulic machines.

Conveyor unloading

Stacks of material are taken from a conveyor and placed on pallets by a dedicated FANUC palletising robot.

Thinking outside of the box

At FANUC we think creatively - and are experts when it comes to automation solutions. Why not let us inspire you with innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of your industry? No matter what it is, we will show you every conceivable aspect of your automotive production line that can be automated.
We know what's possible, but also think the impossible.

Get your automation started, now!