Sepro Brings New Success Robots to Kunststoffen 2021 Trade Show

Having demonstrated a prototype of a new, general-purpose 5-axis robot (the Success 22X) at the K 2019 trade fair, Sepro Group has now finished the redesign of the entire range and is bringing two examples to the Kunststoffen 2021 trade show, being held at the Brabanthallen convention center in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The show runs 15 and 16 September and Sepro is exhibiting on Stand 40 in the Machine Area of the exhibition.

Sepro is demonstrating a Success 33, which is the largest in the range, sized to support molding machines from 300 to 700 tons. It can handle a maximum payload of 15 kg and will be shown manipulating a BMW Series 2 front fascia.

Elsewhere, on the Haitian will be operating a smaller Success 11C on the stand of its Dutch distributor, Robotec bv, on Stand 33. The ‘C’ designation stands for “compact,’ and it means the robot is especially designed with a reduced footprint and can be used when overhead clearance above IMM is limited.

Originally introduced in 2011, the Success Range has become Sepro’s best-selling robot family. For the first time, the speed and precision of 3-axis servo operation became available to molders with simple pick-and-place applications and simple downstream operations. Success units were the first truly affordable robots to offer enhanced capabilities, with all of the quality and reliability for which Sepro is well-known.

Now this popular line of robots have been completely redesigned with important improvements. In addition to aesthetic changes, including sleek, streamlined styling, the latest Success robots have an extended standard demolding stroke and, for the first time, a long-demolding (LD) configuration is available that adds 200mm to the stroke. In certain applications, this can allow a robot of a given size to serve a higher-tonnage molding machine than previously possible. In some models, the maximum horizontal stroke has been lengthened, and a telescoping vertical arm is also available to extend that movement by as much as 200mm.

Sepro engineers also have returned to the use of cam follower bearings for linear motions of the new Success robots. Developed and patented by Sepro some years ago to handle the heavy payloads and long strokes on the large robots, they are now standard on all Cartesian robots. This recognized technology provides more even weight distribution and smoother operation compared to linear bearings and also is more tolerant of dust and other contaminants.

Success Line X

As noted above, the three largest robots in the Success Range (covering IMMs from 80 to 700 tons) are available in a 5-axis-servo ‘X’ configuration that adds speed, flexibility and user-friendliness compared to 3-axis robots with pneumatic wrists.

The full-servo wrist on Success Line X robots is a feature previously found only on more technological robots, including the Sepro 5X Line of small and mid-size robots, and 7X Line of large robots, both of which feature a 2-axis servo wrist developed in partnership with Stäubli Robotics.

“Among other advantages,” explains Claude Bernard, Product Marketing Director, “the all-servo wrist can be easily adapted with simple digital commands, guaranteeing greater flexibility and faster production changeovers — approaching Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) methodology. We believe this represents the future of Cartesian robots.”