在任何一条装配线中上，有一些操作可以较简单地实现自动化，有些操作只能以比较高昂的费用且相对困难地实现自动化，还有一些实际上是无法实现自动化的。

比较适合纳入装配自动化预算的操作如下：

• 从治具，托盘或卷轴上取料
• 把螺丝拧入螺纹孔或者固定螺母
• 组装坚硬零部件
• 焊接（尤其当工件移动而焊接设备静止时）
• 罐胶水
• 压加工（例如加胶水后）
• 放贴纸
• 电子硬件的检测
• 包装比较刚硬的产品

不太适合纳入装配自动化预算的操作如下：

• 散装材料的拾取（比如从散装箱里拾取按钮制件）
• 零件解开
• 工件的清洁 (例如除去粘贴标签区域上的油污）
• 接线（卷边，焊接，夹持与线缆布局）
• 处理柔软的制件 (例如橡胶零件，海绵片）
• 打结
• 捆绑
• 打开包装（例如单独包装的零件，线束）
• 保护膜的除去
• 外观及观感的检查 (例如模拟终端使用者的终端检查）

以下范例的目标是通过用自动化取代工人从而减少1/3的装配线劳工成本。每个操作工位对自动化的适用程度展示如下：

= 自动化是容易地引入的

= 自动化是难引入的

= 自动化是不能实行的

我们会把一个全部自动化的组装线段与选择性自动化的单项操作比较。两者都替换6个工人。下面用18个工人组成的简化装配线进行说明:

线段的自动化 (完全自动化）：

常用的方法是定义要实现完全自动化的一段生产线。这样的决策通常是由这样的需求驱动的，要么是有一个连续的总线连接的自动化块与中央PLC和互动的机器人，要么是有一个完全自动化的子组装过程的意图，如一个完整的子组装线分支。 这种完全自动化的方法如下图所示，其中操作7-12是完全自动化的:

在这段自动化示例中，不可选择单独的操作，且完全自动化的生产线段恰巧包含3个较难进行自动化的操作(因此是昂贵的)。同时，该生产线的其余部分包含4个较易实现自动化的操作(操作2、3、13和15)没有被改变。

选择性的自动化（用单独操作的）：

二者择一的方法是选择性自动化。这个手段的要求不是把一个闭合的线段或者支线采用自动化。观念是在容易地实行自动化的操作才用自动化替代工人。这样可以得到每项自动化的操作最低投资。

上述分段自动化的替代方法是选择性自动化。要求不是使一个连续的线段或分支实现自动化。其理念是在最容易实现自动化的地方替换操作员从而实现每个自动化操作的投资最低化。

这个选择性自动化的范例中，较难实现自动化的操作可无需更改。那个要求的1/3必须自动化的操作都是属于好自动化部分的。因此，通过选择性自动化替代6个工人的投资低于线段自动化。

结论：

在预算相对较少且不要求中央控制器，7天24小时营运与洁净室内条件的情况下，知道在何处应避免自动化与在何处应用自动化同样重要。
选择性自动化是实现这一目标的方法。

The Chinaplas exhibition, Asia’s largest plastics industry fair took place from May 21st to 24th 2019 in Guangzhou. The event, which is held alternately in the southern Chinese Metropolis and Shanghai exhibits plastics material, machines and accessories and is considered the far east equivalent to the German K fair.

The fair is divided in two main branches, where one is formed by the chemicals and raw materials sector, while the other is covering equipment like injection molding and extrusion machines, automation and auxiliary devices.

The material branch of Thermoplastics, Duroplastics and Elastomers featured additives, pigments & masterbatches, composite & high performance materials, semi manufactured goods and the relatively new field of biodegradable plastics. Altogether more than 1000 exhibitors contributed to the show’s diversity in the raw materials sector.

The machines and equipment sector mainly covered the area of tools, extrusion machines, injection molding technology, film manufacturing, elastomer processing, plastic packing, auxiliary and test devices, additive manufacturing as well as recycling technology. Over 3800 items where put on display for altogether more than 160,000 show visitors. Among the manufacturer’s countries of origin were China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and the US.

The exhibition, which this year took place for the 33rd time declared Circular Economy one of its leading topics, so there was a specific emphasis on recycling technology, methods of waste reduction and biodegradable plastics. In terms of recycling, there was a spotlight on separating, washing, drying and pelletizing.

A further main subject was again Industry 4.0 – Factory of the Future. Among many Smart Factory solutions that were displayed by numerous exhibitors there were also two dedicated seminars from the ample event portfolio.

In the field of film technology, light conducting foils, high-speed vacuum thermoforming and 5-layer blow extrusion are some of the presented innovations particularly worth mentioning.

Some injection molding machine makers displayed their all-electronic versions which have advantage over conventional machines with respect to emissions and energy consumption. A continuous trend is the increasing operation of robots at the mold, for instance when placing components like in-mold labels or inserts, or picking and placing the molded products.

Among the numerous extruder and compounding machine solutions there were special modifications and variations like multiple layer extrusion heads, ERE technology and various laboratory extruders. Further extrusion machines on display covered medical, precision and corrugated hoses.

Alongside other innovations, waste recovery solutions with improved efficiency and highly reproducable and accurate granule characteristics were presented in the area of production recycling.

For tools technology and auxiliary devices, innovative solutions were presented for such items as slides, inserts, cores, ejectors, lifters, vacuum evacuation and hot runners. Other groups of auxiliary products featured were for example high performance dehumidifiers as well as electrostatic and optical sorting and separating systems.

This year the event series Tech Talk was mainly dedicated to thermoplastic elastomers in automotive, long fiber processing, in-mold labeling, precision extrusion and 3D technology. Further topics were TPE bonding, green additives, medical 3D printing and high performance flexible packaging solutions.

一个用三个语言的注塑机零件概述。

This year’s International Machinery Manufacturing Industry fare in Shenzhen Futian ended on Sunday after an eventful 4 days of exhibition. 110,000 sqm of the Convention and Exhibition center in the center of the Metropolis hosted the event for the last time as it will to move to the Bao’an district’s exhibition ground close to the airport in 2020.
We’ve been on the spot to take a look around.

Over 1100 participating companies and more than 130,000 visitors turned the venue into a buzz of activity, covering industries such as integrated technology & robotics, automation equipment, smart logistics and machine vision.

Hall 1 in the location’s center was hosting the wide range of metal-cutting machining technology, both from global players like Siemens, Fanuc or Tsugami and local competitors alike. The variety of machines included classical machining centers of all sizes and axis configurations, grinding machinery, laser cutting as well as more recent trends such as additive machining, e.g. selective laser melting & sintering.

Metal forming technology was the main feature of halls 2 and 3: classical sheet metal brakes, stamping and drawing machines, most of which numerically controlled, and further sheet processing equipment. Among the most well known brands Han’s Laser, Trumpf, Mitsubishi and MAZAK presented their products here.

Sheet metal bending, cutting, polishing, welding, deburring, brushing is increasingly automated, provided the production quantity and the budgets allow for investments such as robot technology integration.
Another type of application showcased in hall 3 was dispensable sealing and in-place gasketing technology.

Hall 4 was mainly dedicated to die cast and injection molding tools and accessories, featuring dozens of mold makers and contract manufacturers mainly from South China, but also from Europe, North America and Japan. Correspondingly, precision machining and surface treatment technology firms were accompanying the set.

Tactile, visual and laser 3D measuring equipment was showcased in hall 5. In addition to classical form and dimension measuring and reproduction of complete component geometries in a virtual environment, surface quality control such as roughness measuring is a field that is increasingly covered by optical measuring devices. Another field that was presented here were rapid prototyping machines, mostly represented by the booming market of Fused Filament Fabrication (3D printing). Standard and custom fastener products were another product group to be found in hall 5.

While being present in every hall in combination with various fields of manufacturing, robotic applications also had their own dedicated areas in halls 6, 7 and 8. Correspondingly, automated highly dynamic motion solutions could be seen for implementations such as intelligent welding, machined metal component processing and smart packaging & logistics. Some of the most well known names here: Kawasaki, Universal Robots and Nachi Robotics.

Finally, hall 9 held most of the tools, jigs and measuring equipment. Among it pneumatic and hydraulic clamping solutions, machining and measurement fixation equipment, special lathe chucks and a variety of custom cutting tools for special and high precision turning and milling jobs. In addition to many exhibitors from the host country there were firms from Germany, Sweden, the US and Japan, to name just a few.