Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH molded coat hangers at its 10th anniversary celebration June 13-14 at its main factory in Kottingbrunn, Austria.
No big deal, right? Well, the EcoPower 160/750 injection molding machine was equipped with a W918 robot that positioned the hanger just below an inkjet nozzle mounted on the horizontal axis of the robot — demonstrating the ability to do customized imprints with logos, lettering and other decorative elements, on mass-produced parts.
In the next step, the Wittmann robot starts a parallel movement past the inkjet nozzle, while simultaneously triggering the printing process “in flight.”
Printing happens at the synchronized speed of the W918 robot, so it normally does not affect the cycle time of the injection molding press, according to the company.
After printing, the ink dries in a few seconds. The image to be printed only needs to be transmitted to the printer a few seconds before the printing process is started, and it can vary from one part to the next.
Company officials also report that the company is expanding its line of Primus robots with the three new sizes, the Primus 10, Primus 26 and Primus 26T.
The machinery maker's U.S. operation, Wittmann Battenfeld Inc., is in Torrington, Conn.
Tel. 860-496-9603, email [email protected].