Successful SAM Robot Debut at MD&M West

ByEmily Park

Responding to the dynamic medical device and manufacturing landscape, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag North America presented visitors with a wide selection of automation and digitalized solutions to optimize production efficiency. Including the first ever staging of the compact SAM Robotics solutions in North America.

Launch of Sumitomo Demag. Automation. Machine – Cartesian (SAM-C) to the American market at MD&M West represents a huge step-change in scalable automation adoption in polymer manufacturing, states Achim Geng, Automation Manager.

As part of the North American unveiling of the SAM Robotics portfolio at the California Convention Center (Anaheim), Sumitomo (SHI) Demag demonstrated the flexibility of its ‘handle & place’ cartesian robot by removing medical grade syringe bodies in the exhibit.

The SAM-C series was developed in-house by the company’s dedicated automation team in Germany. It focuses on addressing a wide range of molding applications including some moderately complex, yet gives users the option to customize part removal, product placement and boxing solutions to meet specific market requirements.

“Our main driver for developing the SAM robot series was to streamline processes, focusing on space optimization and reducing operator effort and interventions. Combined with our all-electric IntElect machine, and in-house designed servo motors, the SAM-C robot achieves a significantly reduced overall footprint, while simultaneously addressing usability and production efficiency,” explains Geng.

Being fully integrated into the machine control software enables the robot to be controlled directly through one single interface on the operator side, or through an optional pendant for access on multiple sides of the production cell. This in turn helps to ensure optimal interactions and synergy between both technologies.

Currently, the Cartesian models are available in four payloads– 3, 5, 10 and 20 kg. Until now, the SAM Robots had only been marketed and sold in Europe and the UK.  Due to a successful exhibit in Anaheim, we have seen several units already sold into the North American market.

Having used robot technology to automate the company’s injection molding machines since the mid-1990s, Geng regards the launch of this Sumitomo Demag Automation platform as a natural extension of the company’s engineering expertise. “Adding our own-branded SAM robots reasserts our strategy and global ambitions. Specifically, optimized system technology engineered for efficient production on our injection molding machines.”

MD&M visitors were clearly impressed. “Our medical syringe exhibit attracted a lot of attention. Visitors seemed really excited by the technical and aligned processing benefits that can be accomplished by using integrated automation,” adds Geng.