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Thinks Several Moves Ahead – Automated Collector Manufacturing with flexobot
Seamless Automation: Assembly, Molding & Quality Control in One Continuous Process
maxon motor ag is a leader in high-precision drive systems – built for applications where reliability is everything. In collector manufacturing, a new solution now ensures maximum efficiency and quality: automated collector production with flexobot.
The requirements for automating collector manufacturing were particularly demanding – making them a perfect match for our flexobot. With a keen sense for timing, logic, and precision, it takes over each step, move by move: from connecting to the assembly machine and placing parts for molding, all the way to optical quality inspection – intelligently synchronized with the cycle of the existing production lines.
Plastics / Electric Motors
maxon motor ag
Positioning transfer insert in the assembly machine
Automated ejection of collectors from transfer inserts
Camera-based quality control
Feeding the injection molding machine
flexobot robot cell
Part sorting IO – NOK
Heating the transfer inserts
Packing into box
With this solution from robomotion, we’re hitting several targets at once: our existing systems run in perfect sync without downtime – and even though the process is complex, the flexobot remains modular and versatile. That’s exactly what we need: automation that not only integrates seamlessly into our system but is also ready for whatever comes next.
Simon Rothenfluh, Production Engineer, maxon motor ag
The Challenge
Complex process logic in automated collector manufacturing
Complex, hot, diverse – and impossible to throw off track.
Precision, timing, process know-how – and the highest positional accuracy at the smallest tolerances: the requirements at maxon were exceptionally high. Automated collector manufacturing with flexobot was specifically designed to meet these demands – reliable, temperature-stable, and perfectly synchronized.
Up to now, key process steps were performed manually: removing parts from the assembly machine, inserting them into the injection molding machine (IMM), removing molded parts, pressing collectors out of the transfer inserts, and performing a downstream 100% quality inspection. In addition, a constant component temperature of 140 °C had to be maintained throughout the entire process – a critical factor for both assembly and injection molding.
What made it especially challenging was the interplay of multiple factors: the system had to process six different collector types, with advanced process logic and precise gripping positions. Existing machines – the assembly unit and the IMM – needed to be integrated and optimally utilized. Three so-called transfer inserts circulate in the process simultaneously and must be carefully monitored, kept at temperature, and handed over to the right station at exactly the right moment.
On top of that, the previously separate visual inspection had to be fully replaced – with an integrated 100% optical quality control including automatic sorting into OK and NOK parts, eliminating the need for manual re-checks.
The tricky part: the process complexity went beyond the standard functional scope of our flexobot system. Nevertheless, the core concept was to be maintained – with all modular software components that make flexobot so flexible. The goal was to map a highly customized process while still integrating flexobot standards, so that maxon can continue to teach in new products with minimal effort and keep the system flexible for future requirements.
The Solution
Smart Automation with flexobot in the Collector Process
In automated collector manufacturing at maxon, flexobot doesn’t just take on tasks – it orchestrates a seamless sequence of processes, perfectly synchronized. Using sensors, camera systems, and an intelligent process module, three transfer inserts are coordinated simultaneously and guided through all stations: from preheating and wire assembly to injection molding and final quality control. Smooth communication with both the injection molding machine and the assembly unit ensures zero downtime – everything runs in exact sync.
Thanks to advanced logic, flexobot always knows the status of each part. Integrated image processing automatically inspects all components after molding. OK and NOK parts are reliably distinguished and placed into separate bins. Q-shots are also included in the process – providing continuous quality assurance.
Despite the high process complexity, flexobot stays true to its principle: flexible in application, space-saving in design, and intuitive to operate. This is made possible by its modular software and system architecture, which can be precisely aligned with existing production environments while leaving room for new product variants. A specially developed drawer system for the application plate also allows flexobot to be adapted to new products with minimal effort. As a result, automated collector manufacturing with flexobot becomes a future-ready solution that delivers maximum efficiency. A precision docking system for the assembly unit further reduces setup times.
And if needed, the entire process can quickly be switched to manual operation: the assembly machine is simply undocked, and production can continue without major intervention. A well-thought-out contingency concept that combines maximum process security with flexibility.
Bottom line: a tailor-made high-end automation that has never lost its flexobot roots – securing maximum performance and flexibility for maxon, today and tomorrow.
👉 Learn more about the flexobot system here
👉 Curious about maxon motor? Find out more on the maxon motor group website
