Scratches in the paintwork? Fingerprints or dirt such as dust particles on the surface? This can quickly lead to complaints, especially with high-quality plastic parts such as decorative trims for the automotive industry. Manufacturers therefore often rely on so-called plastic paint trays. These allow them to transport components after injection molding and paint them directly without having to pick them up or put them down anywhere. A southern German plastics processor was commissioned to produce these trays. In order to subsequently mark the series parts with a logo and a consecutive number for traceability, the processor was looking for a transport system that would automatically and, above all, precisely feed the trays to the laser marking system. A solution was also required that would link the individual process steps - including the upstream processing stations.

"The company approached us with these requirements," recalls Oliver Koch, an employee in the Systems Sales department at IEF-Werner. The automation specialist supplied the PosyArt assembly, transfer and testing system and adapted it to the new customer's specifications. The modular and, thanks to the use of welding frames, stable structure of the IEF solution now enables simple and economical marking of the components. Thanks to the numerous standard components, virtually all transfer, assembly and logistics tasks can be solved - from straight transfer lines between the various automatic stations or manual workstations to branched transfer systems.

The main components such as belts, drives, switches and stop elements are very durable. The dovetail geometry on the long sides of the profiles allows sensitive, stepless positioning of all PosyArt assemblies. The belt is also antistatic. Circumferential flat belts are used in this case. Thanks to the use of pre-assembled belts, the user can easily replace them in the system in the event of wear without the need for time-consuming gluing. The height of the sections can be varied using the standard frames.

Reliable transport system
"We have equipped the system with 400 x 400 millimeter workpiece carriers (WT), each weighing six kilograms, and the corresponding holders," explains Oliver Koch. At the seven manual workstations, employees place the trays one after the other in the correct position on the WT. Lateral positioning, centering stations and a turning unit are used to bring them into the correct position for further processing.