Interview to Tiago Guimarãis Coelho, Agi Spain
In the current economic moment the companies have to devise them to sell, which wits employ in his company?
In AGI Spain, inside the group Guzmán, have the experience and tradition in being transversal with a specialisation of high level that goes from the development of piece and material, until the inyectora and peripheral systems. This model of business is highly demanding as it does not allow us failures in our relation with the customers but positions us of only form in what we can contribute them with a level of commitment very high. We surround us of experts in diverse areas and with suppliers that guarantee us the best businesses and the best experience for our customers with the clear aim of rentabilizar all the process.
The requests of the transformer of plastics, are today different to the ones of the good times, like the year 2000, for example?
In the year 2000 the sector was in clear growth. The increase eventualmente interferes with in the level of efficiency of a transformer or of the sector by the own growth in himself. In the actuality, with levels of growth a lot lower, the efficiency is what does that it was possible to compete in a highly competitive market and in constant expansion, and no only to European level but world-wide.
From the technological punto there is in Spain applications and transformers of world-wide level, that is to say, to the level of the best that does in the world. The sector is very fragmentado and still there is a significant quantity of transformers, that in the last years, centred in investments of low value, without taking into account important factors of efficiency and that however do not achieve to see this loss, what puts them serious problems in relation to his competitors. So I understand that still there are opportunities for many, to follow examples of success, and do that the sector in the Iberian peninsula was recognised internationally of a form more homogénea and consolidated.
It mention 2 markets consolidated, 2 markets with potentials, and 2 markets that were important but no longer are it.
The markets of the packaging and of the medical sector are consolidating and are two markets with potential of growth. The sector of the car also is growing. The markets of the construction, and affine to him, like pipe and electrical are those that do not have practically any movement.
it is going back To the purchase of machines simpler or the transformer follows convinced that only with machines of high technology will go out forward?º
It is necessary to see the process in all his group. If we see us forced to rivalizar in a highly competitive market, where the technology is available for all those that want to or can buy, the formula is in cuidar and control each detail of the process to end to obtain a profitability that allow us be competitive.
To the level of the inyectoras, the technology of Fanuc Roboshot, and his control CNC, is an example of as the functions of artificial intelligence allow to automate the monitoring and adjust keeping the permanent optimisation of the process without human intervention.
The question of the energetic saving will keep on being a very important factor, once that his price will not stop to go up, by what is essential to know, in detail, that resources have not to produce waste of power. If some transformers have it very clear, others no and, this is very dangerous for them today, but will be even more en el futuro. The technology developed by Fanuc, to the level of the control CNC, does that in the Roboshot there is a real integration of the motors in the process, being an example in that more than an electrical team is an electrical machine of consumption optimised, with real functions and mensurables of consumption, and recovery of power generated in the phases of braked of each servo. The result is a consumption optimised, that by our practical experience, of measurements done in plant, go out us consumptions surprisingly low when they are compared with others.
Robots
Until it does some years the available potential of robots (cartesianos) in Spain was important, given the delay of the Spanish transformers in matter of automation. This keeps on being like this?
Is clear that are not in the phase of growth of installed base of the transformers to the level of inyectadoras that there was does some years. Now we are in a phase of processes optimised very demanding to attain profitability. The automation has in this phase a fundamental paper leaving in a lot of cases to be an option to be a need to which have to compete in this market.
When a transformer wants to robotizar a process, sues simply the purchase of a robot or requires usually advice?
Usually the transformers know very well the process of injection but are not expert in robotización. To take out party of the robots, it is necessary to have the support of experts that help, from simple ideas in changes of sequence, that allow them increase the autonomy of the process, until the development of tools and process devoted.
It has increased the purchase of lines of injection with the robot, that is to say, all integrated cheese cheese? Or it keeps on being more usual the sale of robots apart from the machine?
The manufacturers of inyectoras have clear the importance that has the robot today so every time they offer solutions more or less integrated cheese cheese. The question is that in these situations the expert of robotización is usually very far of the customer, that needs of a very near advice, to be able to develop his process.
An example are the long periods of time of wait in the application of technical advice as well as the difficulties that present to happen the necessary information, usual in the manufacturers of inyectadoras when we speak automation robotizada. Have several examples of situations like those in that we were recommended by the own manufacturers of inyectoras or his representatives as they knew that we could offer a better service.
Another question is that the exigencia of automation is used to to grow in complexity. A simple and independent robot of the machine, always will be able to use in another machine inside the own factory or was, whereas an integrated cheese cheese robot is used to to be very difficult to change. A lot of manufacturers offer robots very small and light that do not allow much more that do the simple pick&place so it is apparently a practical option but with a lot of limitations of development.
Which have been the main improvements or technical evolutions of the robots in the last five years?
Think that definitely the price and the reliability is what more evolved.
The development done to level of interface with the operator also had a very significant evolution. The development of WIPS in WEMO is an example in which it combines of graphic form modules of programming by dialogue, for the most standard parts of the cycle, with free programming by sequence of icons, only for the parts of the program that need of specific sequences. The language of programmer disappeared for a simple programming but 100% flexible.
The questions of energetic saving also arrived to the robots with functions ECHO to reduce in consumption of power in the motors. Functions of energetic saving in the consumption of air compressesed for the generation of empty are another example, a simple development but of big impact, very important in the energetic consumption and in the generation of air compressesed.
