Plastification augers, a critical component in every injection molding machine, demand the highest standards of precision and durability. To meet these requirements in a highly competitive market, Engel Austria GmbH manufactures all augers exclusively at its St Valentin facility. The company has now invested in two fully automated Rösler mass finishing machines, ensuring consistent quality while significantly reducing production costs. The automation concept integrates tub vibrators with a connected cleaning system, minimizing manpower needs and cutting processing times—an approach with strong potential for wider industrial use.
Developed in collaboration with Austrian automation specialist Promot, the system combines advanced tub vibrators, a smart gantry crane, and customized workpiece fixtures to achieve exceptional efficiency and finishing quality. The dual-vibrator setup boosts capacity for polishing augers up to three meters in length and 15–80 mm in diameter, while the streamlined process has also cut setup times considerably.
At the core of this innovation is Rösler’s two-stage Keramo-Finish® process, carried out on two R 800/3200 TSD-15 tub vibrators. Equipped with direct-drive vibratory motors, the machines deliver high productivity in a compact footprint. By lowering surface roughness to Ra < 0.1 µm, the fine-grinding and smoothing process achieves excellent surface finishes, drastically improving auger quality while reducing polishing cycle times from the previous 8.5 hours.
Automation plays a decisive role in this transformation. A gantry loading system, integrated with the polishing cell, enables fully automatic transfer of augers after pre-grinding. Operators now load augers into mounting frames in just 15 minutes using a floating positioning system, after which the gantry system places the frames into the tub vibrators. During processing, other frames can be prepared, ensuring continuous operation. The cell also includes a cleaning station and an automatic centrifuge for recycling process water, supporting resource conservation and sustainability.
With this breakthrough, Rösler has solved a long-standing challenge in automating workpiece handling for tub vibrators. The concept not only enhances Engel’s competitiveness but also sets a precedent for industries such as aerospace and precision engineering, where efficient and high-quality finishing is vital.
