Can Robots Help Make Molds?-News

As the labor gap persists, automation is an increasingly attractive option for many mold manufacturers. Beyond addressing labor shortages, automation can speed up production time, lower manufacturing costs for high-volume production runs, and improve accuracy and repeatability of individual components.

Here are five application areas where automation offers substantial benefits in the mold shop. We outline some of the key robot solutions available, highlight crucial factors to consider before automating and share tips for getting started.

1. Refining surface finishing for strong consistency

For high-quality mold production, impeccable finishing and polishing are invaluable features, enabling less downtime for maintenance and fewer rejected parts to be reworked or discarded. Whereas manual polishing can be challenging — especially when dealing with complex geometries and intricate features — many robot solutions are able to navigate difficult shapes with ease, ensuring that all surface areas receive proper treatment, including tight corners, undercuts and elaborate details.

Because robotic systems excel at maintaining consistent pressure and motion during polishing operations, they can deliver uniform surface finishes across components. This consistency is crucial for achieving identical cavities and enabling uniform production throughout the molding process.

Finishing and polishing can be handled at automated polishing stations, where robotic arms equipped with polishing tools or abrasive pads perform precise movements on the mold surfaces. These stations are often equipped with advanced control systems which can program specific polishing paths and adjust parameters such as pressure and speed to achieve the desired surface finishes.

2. Enhancing anomaly detection for solid compliance

For inspection and quality control processes, robotics helps to ensure that mold components meet precise specifications and quality standards. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and vision sensors, robotic systems can be employed for automated visual inspection of mold components, capturing detailed images of surfaces and features, and enabling precise detection of defects such as surface imperfections, scratches, cracks or dimensional deviations.

Measurements are performed by robotic arms equipped with metrology tools such as laser scanners, CMMs or tactile probes. These tools can accurately assess critical dimensions, tolerances and geometric features to ensure compliance with design specifications.

Robotics can also be used for nondestructive testing — such as ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing or X-ray inspection — to identify defects or anomalies within mold materials without causing damage. Robotic systems can manipulate testing equipment precisely to scan mold components and detect internal flaws or inconsistencies.

3. Reducing cycle times while strengthening precision

For milling and machining processes, automated systems eliminate the variability associated with manual machining, leading to more consistent results and achieving tight tolerances and dimensional accuracy.

These automated systems typically include robotic machines equipped with milling spindles, CNC machines integrated with robotic arms and hybrid robotic systems combining additive manufacturing (3D printing) and subtractive manufacturing (milling) in one setup.

Depending on their type and configuration, these robotic systems can offer several degrees of freedom and a considerable level of flexibility. Certain systems even provide capabilities for extra specialized machining tasks, such as tilting or swiveling movements to access difficult-to-reach areas.

For example, using high-speed machining techniques, automated milling systems can significantly reduce cycle times while maintaining precision. This involves specialized tools, tool paths and cutting parameters to remove material quickly and efficiently without compromising surface finish or dimensional accuracy.

4. Optimizing material handling for increased efficiency

To reduce idle time and bottlenecks, automated material handling systems can swiftly move materials from one stage of production to another. By determining the most efficient routes for transporting materials within the facility, these systems minimize travel time and maximize efficiency.

By enabling precise timing for loading materials into molds, automated systems also ensure that the right materials are available when needed, optimizing production schedules. As the systems handle materials with precision, they minimize waste and reduce the costs associated with material loss due to mishandling.

5. Accelerating prototyping for quick iterations

To streamline processes, enhance precision and accelerate development timelines, automation is also increasingly used during design and prototyping. For example, automated systems may involve CAD/CAM software with simulation capabilities, finite element analysis (FEA) software used to simulate physical behavior, robotic systems for virtual prototyping and simulation, digital twin technology for real-time simulation and analysis, and virtual reality (VR) systems for design review and validation.

Algorithms analyze factors such as material flow, cooling efficiency and mold deformation to optimize design parameters and minimize the need for physical prototypes.

Factors to Consider

While robotics offers a long series of advantages and significantly enhances production capabilities in moldmaking, there are a number of crucial factors to consider. For one, implementing robotic systems requires a certain level of technical expertise, both in programming and robot maintenance. Manufacturers may need to invest in training for their staff or hire specialized personnel, which should be considered as part of the overall costs of automating.

Also, integrating robotic systems into existing manufacturing workflows and production environments can be challenging in facilities with limited space or infrastructure. Ensuring seamless communication and coordination between robotic systems and other manufacturing processes is therefore critical for optimizing overall production efficiency.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that automation systems are connected to networked environments for data exchange, monitoring and remote access. Companies should, therefore, implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data, intellectual property and production systems from cyberattacks.

Finding the Right Solution

So, what kind of robot solutions are available to manage the listed applications? The selection is broad, covering an array of technology options which serve different functions.

Articulated robots, for example, are ideal for tasks requiring high flexibility and precision. Cartesian robots are often used for material handling and simple assembly tasks where precision and speed are key. They use three linear axes which are perpendicular to each other to move in the X, Y and Z directions. Pick-n-place robots — which are generally faster and more flexible than Cartesian robots but less precise — are well suited for picking, placing, testing/inspecting and packaging processes.

What is important is finding a solution that matches the particular need, environment and workflow. In other words, a decision that can be difficult to make for anyone without previous robot experience. Fortunately, manufacturers do not have to make that decision alone.

When initiating the automation journey, the best place to start is not choosing the robot technology but rather defining the need, establishing what the robotics solution should achieve and calculating the return on investment.

It is often sensible to start small, and for many businesses, it is a good idea to involve a vendor-independent advisor to help evaluate which processes are best suited for automation. When the project goals are clearly defined, the next step is to explore what the market can deliver and at what cost.