January 30, 2023 - BMG announces the Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handler from NAS Nalle Automation Systems. According to the company, Mantis is the industry's first robotic automated system that reliably handles the flow of parts ejected from any trim press. BMG claims the system is compact, intuitive, and configurable, enabling full automation of the entire thermoforming process — from resin to palletized product — for medium to high volume production lines using either non-servo continuous flow or servo-driven long eject trim presses.

Previously, parts ejected from non-servo trim presses needed to be manually separated and counted, a labor-intensive, error-prone, and inconsistent process that limits the automation of downstream packaging functions. According to NAS, this problem was solved with the patent-pending Trim Press Receiver (TPR) which uses a unique separating mechanism to count and contain stacks of product, followed by a raking mechanism to take the product into the receiver for transfer by the robot.

"Consistent and reliable separation of product on a continuously flowing, non-servo eject trim press was the key to the development of Mantis", according to Kurt Huelsman, President of NAS. "The design of the receiver coupled with NAS's robotic automation capabilities brings a safe, productive and cost-effective solution to a historically very manual process."

The Trim Press Handler presents the parts to a six-axis robot equipped with product matching End of Arm Tooling that in turn automatically transfers the product to a Shuttle Station, which integrates with downstream packaging functions that may include wrapping, boxing, case packing, sealing, and palletizing. Incorporating the robot allows the Mantis system to be very compact and configurable, making installation possible where the available floor space is limited or obstructed, BMG says.

The Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handler is compatible with all trim presses, including BMG brands Brown and Lyle. BMG says the fully automated system can reduce labor requirements and the modular robotic design allows for tool changeovers in under an hour.

BMG in Beaverton, MI, is a global leader in thermoforming, tooling and automation solutions. It designs and manufactures a complete line of continuous thermoforming equipment, tooling, material handling and packaging automation, robotics, and related services including system upgrades, prototyping, process optimization, and technical support. Its equipment has been "Made in North America" for nearly 70 years, with systems operating in over 80 countries serving customers worldwide.

Source: BMG