When you’re a successful injection molder with more than 40 years under your belt and more than 50 presses producing 1.8 billion containers and lids for food-packaging containers annually, what do you do when you feel the time is right to expand?

The recent NPE 2009 show in Chicago saw the debut of dozens of new and enhanced robots for injection molding. The vast majority of the new models were all-servo types, though some economized by mixing servo and pneumatic axes. These new robots emphasized higher speeds, heavier payload capacity, longer reach, and more intelligent controllers that make programming and troubleshooting easier than ever. Telescoping arms and dual arms were very common among the new entries, as well.

If a better machine can help your company beat challenging economic conditions, you’ll probably find it at NPE. And finding it will be easier, thanks to our editors’ efforts to sift out of some 2000 exhibits the most significant news in injection and blow molding, extrusion, compounding, and thermoforming.

Five years ago, in-mold labeling was just gaining traction among North American injection molders as a one-step approach to decorating without secondary operations.

A new beam-mounted, fi ve-axis servo robot has a dual servo wrist designed for part reorientation and degating operations.

At NPE in Chicago, a six-axis robot powered by the company's standard color touchscreen, fully teachable control was introduced by Ranger Automation Systems, Inc., Shrewsbury, Mass.

The vast majority of new robots introduced at two recent trade shows were all-servo models tailored for speed and precision.

If the big show in Chicago was any indicator, linear servo drives and jointed-arm designs may be the next trends in robots for injection molding.Injection molders visiting NPE 2000 last June may have glimpsed the future of injection molding automation.

From micro to maxi, from simple sprue pickers to sophisticated six-axis models, NPE had it all. A raft of new robots, faster and smarter than ever, will help make automation an irresistible choice for U.S. molders.