Finnish company Volar Plastic uses ABB robots for sawing and waterjet cutting plastic parts for the tractor and forestry machine industries. And the software that facilitates the off-line programming of the parts gives the company a distinct competitive edge over its competitors. On the outskirts of Lahti, a city some 100 kilometers from Helsinki, there’s a modest building that hides Volar Plastic. Volar specializes in three kinds of moulded parts – vacuum-formed plastics, heat-formed felt products, and composites. While the history of the company goes all the way back to 1971, the company in its current form dates to 1993. "The company’s 40 employees keep 10 ABB robots busy over two shifts” says Petri Ronkainen, Volar’s robot programmer. Ronkainen has been with the company since 1995 when Volar Plastic had only two robots. Automating to improveThe Volar manufacturing process has changed in the years that Ronkainen has been there. “In the past we used to mould the plastic with vacuum, like today, but then we’d have somebody finish the edges manually. Then somebody else would take it to the robot, feed the piece, and take it to the gluing and packing,” Ronkainen says. “So, we’ve eliminated two people from that process. Today, the same person who feeds the vacuum also loads up the robot,” Increased productivity Volar Plastic makes up to 150 pieces in one shift, depending on the orders, and according to Ronkainen, before the robots, the output may have been just ten percent of that. What really gives Volar Plastic the edge over its competition, though, is what Ronkainen does with the robots in his little 6-square-meter office. He leans back in his chair, and points to one of the two huge screens on his desk. “Over here, we have the latest version of Robot Studio, ABB’s off-line programming and simulation software that we use to simulate the robots’ movements when we program them,” he says The client sends Ronkainen a file with a 3D image of the desired product. He then sends it to their supplier who creates a 3D image of the required mould. Finally he then fires up his computer and teaches the robot how to unload and cut the part, and where to drill the holes.From laptop to robot“I use the latest version of RobotStudio” says Ronkainen. He can either draw the movement curves on the screen, or define certain points to create the most effective way to do the job. “I basically have to make sure it’s the shortest way to cut, that the tools are facing the right way, that there’s enough space for the robot to do the cutting, that it reaches all points, and that the cables do not get tangled up when the robots rotate,” he says. The computer system also makes it possible for Ronkainen to reprogram the robots on the fly.“The ABB IRC5 controller allows us to connect a laptop to the robot and make changes directly into the program as it’s running. As soon as I click on ‘apply the changes,’ the robot changes what it’s doing. In the old days, we’d have to take a disk, bring it to the office, make the changes and then return the disk to the robot,” he says. “The software alerts us about any errors in the programming right away. We have to make changes quite a lot when, for example, the customer wants new holes. I can change the sizes from my computer,” he says. Programming a robot from scratch to a stage where it’s truly at work takes Ronkainen about eight hours “I’m sure RobotStudio gives us a competitive edge, especially in Finland. That’s what makes us unique,” he says.The reason for robotsVolar has realised a number of benefits using robots in the production of plastic parts, including: 10 fold increase in output. 150 parts produced per hour, versus 15 when done manually Offline programming using RobotStudio software results in less downtime during part change over The ABB Robot Controller allows changes to be made directly into a robot via a PC while the program is running production Volar Location: Lahti, 100 km. from Helsinki in Finland Founded: 1973 Employees: 40 Products: plastic, felt and composite parts to the tractor and forestry machine industries Net sales: currently EUR 5 million Website: www.volarplastic.fi