Robotic Loading of Rubber Blanks into a Vulcanising Press
A COMAU 6-axis robot with a Gimatic gripper feeds rubber blanks from multi-level racks into a vulcanising press — millimetre-precise, hands-free.
Industries
- Rubber / elastomer manufacturing
- Automotive suppliers
Tech Stack
- COMAU 6-axis robot
- Gimatic dual-position gripper
- Multi-level rack storage
- Vulcanising press integration
- Safety enclosure
Context and challenge
Rubber discs, rings and wheels are loaded into a hot vulcanising press. Before the robot, the task was done by hand — with every risk and inconsistency that implies.
Physical strain
High part volumes and constant bending drive fatigue and injury risk by end of shift.
Inconsistent cycle time
Manual placement drifts across shifts and hours — throughput tracks the operator's form, not the press's.
Dangerous envelope
Working inches from a hot press and moving platen mechanisms carries burn and crush risks.
Need for continuous rhythm
Vulcanising works best on an even feed — every manual pause becomes lost throughput.
Solution
A robotic cell built around a COMAU 6-axis robot and a purpose-built Gimatic gripper — racks, press interface and safety enclosure unified into a single installation.
COMAU 6-axis robot
Industrial manipulator with the reach and payload for rubber blanks, programmed for long, consistent cycles.
Gimatic dual-position gripper
End-of-arm tooling engineered for the part surfaces — secure grip without deforming the rubber.
Multi-level rack storage
Vertical rack holding raw blanks and finished parts — organised storage in a compact footprint.
Vulcanising press integration
I/O handshake with the press — the robot only enters when the platen is safely open and stopped.
Safety enclosure
Fencing and interlocks keep operators out of the working envelope while the robot is in motion.
Row-by-row rack logic
The controller empties and refills the rack row by row with no operator intervention — deterministic part accounting.
How the cycle runs
An automated cycle — from the rack to the press and back, with no human in the hot envelope.
Pick
The robot locates and lifts a rubber blank from a specific position on the multi-level rack.
Transport
High-speed, optimised trajectory carries the part to its exact position in the press.
Position
The blank is placed with millimetre precision in the press — critical for the next operation.
Repeat
The cell works through the rack row by row without intervention — continuous, with a stable cycle time.
0
Operators in the press envelope
±1 mm
Typical placement precision into the press
24/7
Unattended operation capable
−80%
Typical operator loading load
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