Online Exclusive: Automating Adhesive Application - A Case Study
To solve this problem, a system using two six-axis KUKA robot was developed. One KR 6 six-axis robot was employed, which uses a plasma treatment to improve the adhesive properties of the plastic headlight housing. A KR 30 six-axis robotwas used to apply the adhesive.
An operator places the headlight housings on carriers, which transport them on a conveyor into the cell. Before the first station is reached, the controller monitors whether a headlight is present and, if so, whether it is the left or right headlight. A computer transfers this information to the KR 6 robot. The robot then applies the plasma treatment by using a torch nozzle to spray ionized air into the groove of the plastic component, thus increasing the surface tension of the material and enabling the adhesive to bond better.