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    Fiberglass Door Skins: Robotic Press Tending on a 10-Second Cycle

    A robot unloads every formed fiberglass door skin from the press and stages it on an accumulation conveyor, on a 10-second cycle.

    SOLUTION BY IA_Favicon_Pos
    PUBLISHED

    Challenges

    01

    Large door skins to unload every press cycle

    02

    Press speed limited by manual unloading

    03

    Keeping the press running during deflashing

    04

    Consistent handling of formed skins

    Results

    Vacuum end-of-arm tool used to unload fiberglass door skins from the press
    timer

    10-second cycle time

    robotic-unload

    Robotic unload on every press cycle

    layers

    Conveyor buffer of up to 3 door skins

    downtime-1

    Less press downtime between parts

    focus

    Operators focused on deflashing and stacking

    A door manufacturer needed to keep its fiberglass door skin press running at full speed. The press forms each skin from fiberglass material fed in from the back side, and every formed part has to come out, get deflashed and go onto a stack. With people unloading by hand, the press can only run as fast as the next unload.

    We added a robot to tend the press. Material feeds in from the back, the press closes and forms the door skin, and when it opens, the robot picks the skin with a vacuum end-of-arm tool and places it on an accumulation conveyor.

    The conveyor holds up to three door skins, and that buffer is what keeps the press from waiting. An operator deflashes each skin and places it on the stack. If they step away for a moment, the press keeps running while parts accumulate.

    The robot unloads the same way every cycle, so parts come out of the press consistently and the operator's work is limited to deflashing and stacking. The cell runs at a 10-second cycle time.

    › Machine Tending

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    We build cells that unload presses and other machines on every cycle, with buffers that keep production moving. Tell us about your process.

    3D layout of the robotic press tending cell with door skin accumulation conveyor
    › General Industrial

    Automation for construction products

    From fiberglass door skins to partition hardware, see how we automate forming, handling and finishing for general industrial manufacturers.

    Robot placing a formed fiberglass door skin on the accumulation conveyor