Robot Maker Sepro Group is at Your Service

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Following the recent guidelines established by the French government in response to the current rebound of COVID-19, Sepro Group is maintaining its momentum and is open and fully operational, says Xavier Lucas, Chief Sales Officer.

The robot and automation manufacturing plant, as well as the logistic center in La Roche-sur-Yon, are working at 100% of capacity, while meeting and even exceeding the health-safety rules and recommendations. Employees who are able to work from home are doing so and all sales, administrative and technical service personnel remain available via telephone and video conferences.

Other commercial operations in Europe, North and South America, and Asia are serving customers, while following health and safety procedures consistent with local regulations and corporate policy. Customer Training Centers, including the two Sepro Academy training centers in France are welcoming guests, as are other centers in Germany and the United States. Depending on local circumstances, training may be conducted in person or virtually.

 

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In a Year With No Trade Fairs, Sepro Group Launches a ‘Virtual Showroom’

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One of the world’s largest suppliers of robots and automation solutions for plastics injection molding, Sepro Group has assembled a vast array of equipment and technical expertise in a ‘Virtual Showroom’ (https://www.sepro-group.com/sepro-virtual-showroom-2020 ) that will be online at least until the end of this year. The showroom even allows visitors to view robots in 3 dimensions.

“Despite the cancellation of all trade fairs due to the Covid 19 pandemic,” explains Xavier Lucas, Chief Sales Officer for Sepro Group, “we feel it is important to keep in touch with our clients, our partners and all who seek to automate their production lines. Although it appears only online, we expect it to present a comprehensive view of Sepro technology… almost as if it were a real trade show stand.”

In the Virtual Showroom, visitors can explore the entire Sepro robot portfolio, including:

  • The completely redesigned Success Range of 3-axis, and now 5-axis, affordable general-purpose robots
  • 3- and 5-axis robots in all sizes
  • 6-axis robots, co-developed with industry leaders: Yaskawa Motoman and Stäubli
  • Smart data services including Live Support, a live hotline support feature designed to reduce downtime

Perhaps the most exciting feature allows visitors to click into a 3D virtual display where they can study Sepro robots, rotating them through all angles and perspectives, and getting brief text descriptions of key features and capabilities. A menu bar let users choose which robots to study.

Another section of the showroom gives visitors the opportunity to schedule socially-distanced face-to-face discussions with Sepro technical experts on seven different topics about robots and automation in the plastics industry, or simply to share ideas about current and future projects.

Visitors can schedule presentations on the following subjects:

  • How to reduce downtime with preventive maintenance
  • Fast troubleshooting” best practices and tools
  • What EOAT do I need for my application? Discover My Gripper, Sepro’s comprehensive catalog of EOAT components that allow you to build tooling both simple to complex.
  • New affordable robots: Success and Success Line X
  • Why multi-axis (5 and 6 axis) robot solutions are more flexible.
  • Solution by Sepro: the unique Sepro approach to complete turnkey automation systems.

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Sepro Group Scaling Back Fakuma Plans

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Sepro Group, La Roche sur Yon, France, has announced that it plans to substantially curtail its activities at the Fakuma plastics fair, should it be held as scheduled October 13 to 17, 2020. Sepro has recently made the decision not to display any robot solutions or automation systems and will consequently reduce staff attendance on the fair.

“Even if Sepro operates today at a normal level, the global Covid 19 pandemic continues to create a global atmosphere of uncertainty. We think that the potential to endanger the health of our employees and customers remain. The global context can also limit opportunities for Sepro’s customers for travel and for face-to-face interactions,” explains Xavier Lucas, Chief Sales Officer of Sepro Group. “Already we have seen that many major industry players have announced they will limit their participation at Fakuma and we expect attendance, especially from outside Germany, will be substantially reduced.”

“Our motto these days is ‘safety first’,” Lucas continues. “As the lockdown in France has softened, we have returned to full production while implementing strict hygiene practices, including the mandatory wearing of masks.”

As an alternative, the company is looking into offering injection molders the opportunity to learn about recent developments in its globally recognized range of 3, 5- and 6-axis robots and automation systems by participating in e-meetings, webinars and other socially distanced activities that have already been successful these past few months.

Information about on-line meetings and other ways that customers and stakeholders can engage Sepro sales and technical experts will be posted on the company website (www.sepro-group.com ) in the near future.

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Le groupe Sepro propose une formation robotique en ligne

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Alors que la pandémie mondiale continue de limiter les opportunités de voyages et d’interactions, Sepro Group, basé à la La Roche sur Yon, un important fabricant de robots pour le moulage par injection de plastique, a commencé à proposer une gamme de cours de formation gratuits à ses clients, en utilisant des systèmes de « classes virtuelles ».

Les cours sont adaptés aux niveaux des participants, depuis les débutant jusqu’aux utilisateurs de robots les plus expérimentés, qui souhaitent revoir ou élargir leurs connaissances. 4 cours sont destinés aux débutants et présentent le fonctionnement de base du robot, la création et la modification du déchargement simple de pièces, le diagnostic des problèmes courants. Pour les niveaux plus avancés, 9 cours permettent d’aborder en profondeur des sujets comme la programmation complexe, l’optimisation des mouvements du robot, la gestion des libellés ou des retours origines, la réalisation d’un rangement régulier et la connaissance des organigrammes

Chaque cours dure environ une heure et est planifié périodiquement selon la disponibilité des instructeurs et des participants. Les cours sont donnés en français. Les personnes intéressées peuvent s’inscrire sur : https://bit.ly/37hjY1v .

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Sepro America Offering ‘Virtual’ Robot Training

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As the global pandemic continues to limit opportunities for travel and face-to-face interactions, Sepro America, a leading manufacturer of robots for plastics injection molding located in Warrendale, PA, has begun offering free training webinars to its customers using online meeting systems.

Five webinars are offered, covering:

  • Basic use of the control pendant
  • Simple pick and place programming
  • Editing a program
  • Work zones and the IMM interface
  • Optimizing the robot cycle.

The webinars, which can be conducted in English, Spanish or French, range in length from 1 to 1.5 hours. They are open to current and new customers using robots with Visual 2 or Visual 3 controls. Participants need a PC with microphone, speakers and webcam and must have internet access with Google Chrome browser. Webinars are limited to 6 students and will be scheduled periodically depending on the availability of instructors and participants.

For more information or to register, visit https://bit.ly/2MMh6QI.

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Sepro, Labotek Agree on India Distribution Pact

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Sepro Group, La Roche sur Yon, France, has signed a distribution contract under which Labotek A/S, Frederikssund, Denmark, will sell Sepro robots in India. The agreement is expected to strongly develop the commercial presence of Sepro Group in India, while expanding Labotek’s portfolio of auxiliary equipment for plastics processing.

The contract signing, which took place remotely due to the current Covid-19 confinement situation, was completed on 14th of April 2020.

Robots will be sold under the Sepro brand name by Labotek Plastics Auxiliaries India Pvt. Ltd., the local sister concern of Labotek A/S headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra. Commissioning and service of Sepro robots in India will be handled by Labotek technicians who will be trained at the Sepro factory in France. Labotek maintains a showroom in Pune where robots can be demonstrated and where user training will take place.

“Sepro is serious about growing our business in Asia as part of our strategy to become the world leader in robots for injection molding,” says Xavier Lucas, Chief Sales Officer. “Until now, Sepro has been mainly present on the Indian subcontinent through its large, multinational customers but the distribution agreement with Labotek will give our products much broader exposure.

Yann Laurent, who is responsible for overseas markets, including India, added “We see a lot of opportunity for growth in India, The market for injection-molding machines has grown by more than 17% in the last three years, with the primary markets being automotive, where Sepro has a particularly strong reputation, and also in infrastructure, household goods, agro-food, health and packaging. We expect the demand for automation to increase as local companies strive to increase in production rates and raise the level of quality demanded by increasingly affluent customers.”

For Labotek, the agreement creates an opportunity to offer a more complete package of auxiliary equipment to injection molders, which already includes plastic material storage and handling equipment, dryers, dosing and mixing systems, chillers and mold-temperature control units. The Indian subsidiary maintains sales offices in most major cities and serves customers throughout the country. Labotek India was founded in 2014.

“Labotek India has long been searching for an industrial automation company in order to offer our customers a complete package of auxiliary equipment, for the benefit of time savings and better utilization of their capacity. After researching the market, the choice fell at the Sepro Group due to their outstanding, flexible and innovative solutions and not least: Their 40 years of experience in the market” says Managing Director Jasveer Singh Grewal, Labotek India. ”I look very much forward to our cooperation and to introduce the Sepro robots to our customers”.

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A message from Xavier Lucas, Chief Sales Officer, Sepro Group

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The unprecedented health crisis that the whole world is going through has altered daily life for everyone. During this complicated period, Sepro Group remains committed to serving it customers, while working closely with our partners and suppliers.

Sepro’s main priority is the health of its employees, customers and partners, in compliance with measures taken by the health authorities. Nevertheless, Sepro Group employees are continuing to work as best they can under the circumstances. Our factory is still open and we have taken health and safety measures to ensure that manufacturing can continue, especially to support the needs of essential industries like medical, food, transport, etc.

More than ever, Sepro Group is adapting to the constraints inherent in the situation. Customers are asked to keep us informed about any measures your company has taken that could impact the delivery of robots, spare parts or the intervention by our service team. Any delivery or other intervention will be subject to prior confirmation of customers and carriers.

More information on the actions Sepro Group is taking during this crisis is available on our website at: http://www.sepro-group.com/coronavirus-covid-19-faq/

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Sepro Molding Demo at Plastec West 2020 -Demonstrates Robot/Human Collaboration

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Sepro America is demonstrating the potential for collaboration between human workers and robots in Booth 3965 at Plastec West 2020, which is taking place Feb. 11 – 13 at the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

The simulated plastics injection-molding cell involves a Sepro Success 11 Cartesian beam robot and a UR5e collaborative robot (cobot) from Universal Robots. The 3-axis industrial Success robot operates in a protective enclosure, where it removes a ‘part’ (actually a USB stick) from a simulated mold. Then it traverses to a small opening in the side of the enclosure where it positions the stick for pick-up by the UR5e running outside the protected area. The cobot then turns and places the stick in a magazine where it can be picked up by human visitors to the booth.

“Cobots are perfectly suited to peripheral operations that require human-machine interactions,” says Jim Healy, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Sepro America, “and these capabilities are increasingly in demand in the plastics industry. By combining Sepro’s experience in plastics molding with the collaborative technologies of Universal Robots we can offer our customers even greater flexibility and performance in these systems.”

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Sepro Exhibits at Swiss Plastics Expo

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For the first time since beginning direct sales and service to support injection molders in Switzerland, Sepro Group is exhibiting at Swiss Plastics Expo 2020. The company will demonstrate a Model 6X-60 6-axis robot and a 3-axis Success 5 unit at the trade fair, which takes place 21 – 23 January at Messe Luzern.

http://www.collins-marcom.com/wp-content/uploads/Success-5-_1_-HD.jpgSepro Switzerland was formed in 2017. Thomas Scherz, Area Sales Manager, maintains an office in Winterthur, northeast of Zurich. From there, he and a full-time service technician serve the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. The French-speaking western region of the country is covered by Olivier Violy, a 25-year Sepro employee who also covers southeastern France. Customers in the Italian-speaking southeast of Switzerland work with Sepro’s Italian distributor, Sverital SpA.

At Swiss Plastics, Sepro is demonstrating two of its smallest robots in Hall 1, Booth D1084. The first, a Model 6X-60 six-axis articulated-arm robot, is one of four units developed in partnership with Stäubli. Sized to serve injection-molding machines with up to 100 tons of clamp, it has a maximum payload capacity of 9 kg and an operating radius of up to 920 mm. The 6X-60 can handle almost any automation task, from simple part unloading to more complex operations. Other Sepro 6-axis robots are able to serve IMMs up to 5000 tons.

Sepro is also exhibiting its Success 5 robot, the smallest in its “universal” Success line of 3-axis robots for plastics injection molding applications. The Success 5 is designed to deliver big performance in a compact package, offering precise, 3-axis servo performance for pick-and-place and stacking applications on presses up to 80 tons. Four larger models in the Success line – the Success 7, Success 11, Success 22, and Success 33 – can equip molding machines up to 700 tons.

Visitors to the Sepro stand also have the opportunity to get hands-on experience using the Visual control – the control platform that is used to operate all Sepro robots – and lean about various services including:

  • Open integration: offering seamless integration of Sepro’s robots and the controls of any IMM via the “Easy Package” approach
  • OptiCycle: the Sepro wizard that helps programmers develop a standardized and optimized robot cycle
  • Live Support: a smart-device application that streamlines robot troubleshooting and maintenance to maximize uptime.

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Sepro Group Demonstrating Robot/Human Collaboration at K 2019

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Sepro Group is presenting two examples of interaction between humans and robots in separate demonstrations on the company’s stand (Hall 12, Stand A49) at the K 2019 plastics show, which is being held October 16 – 23 at Messe Dusseldorf in Germany.

Sepro, the global leader in the field of robots and industrial automation for the plastic industry, recently signed a cooperation agreement with Universal Robots, market leader in collaborative robots. That partnership allows Sepro to integrate cobots into the automation solutions it develops for injection molders.

Sepro is well-known for developing molding cells that can involve multiple robots and specialized end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), plus a variety of feeders (bowl, drawer or manual), inspection devices, cavity separation, degating/trimming, box filling and other equipment – all customized to suit specific manufacturing objectives. The partnership agreement with Universal robots means that Sepro can now also incorporate cobots, where applicable, into these automation systems.

For instance, if a cobot were used to stage inserts for pick-up and placement by a conventional Cartesian or articulated-arm robot, human operators could safely refill the insert feeder while the cobot was operating. In contrast, a conventional robot would need to be guarded with physical barriers or proximity sensor to protect the operators. Or, a cobot could be used to perform some simple post-mold task and then hand the part off to a human operator for more complex finishing steps.

Sepro Product Marketing Director Claude Bernard says “cobots are perfectly adapted to peripheral operations that require human-machine interactions… increasingly in demand in the plastics industry. By combining Sepro’s experience in plastics molding with the collaborative technologies of Universal Robots we can offer our customers even greater flexibility and performance in these systems.”

On the Booth

In one demonstration, a cobot serves as the link between a Haitian International molding machine, equipped with a Sepro Success 11 Cartesian robot, and visitors participating in the demonstration. As the molding machine produces drinking cups, visitors can use a key pad to enter a brief message (a name, for instance) that is printed onto a label. After the Success robot removes the cup from the injection mold and places it on a table, the cobot retrieves it, applies the label and presents the personalized cup to the visitor. In keeping with the K show theme related to the Circular Economy, the label and the cup are recyclable.

A second cobot is running in a stand-alone demonstration of robot/human interaction. Visitors to the booth use a control screen to choose between a round box of candy and a square one. With the help of a flexible-feeding system — provided by the Swiss company Asyril SA – and input from a machine-vision camera, the cobot picks the appropriate shape from the feeder and places it on a table in front of the visitor.

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