BMG, a global leader in thermoforming, tooling and automation solutions, has announced the release of the Mantis^TM Robotic Trim Press Handler from Nalle Automation Systems (NAS). The new machine is the industry’s first robotic automated system that can reliably handle the flow of parts ejected from any trim press, as the system enables full automation of the entire thermoforming process.

Before the Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handler, parts ejected from non-servo trim presses had to be manually separated and counted, which was a meticulous and inconsistent process that often led to avoidable errors. Thanks to the compact, intuitive, and configurable nature of the Mantis system, this once tedious process has become more accurate and efficient.

Integral to the construction of this system was NAS’s patent-pending Trim Press Receiver (TPR), a six-axis robot that uses a unique separating mechanism to count and obtain stacks of product, followed by a raking mechanism to take the product into the receiver for transfer.

“Consistent and reliable separation of product on a continuously flowing, non-servo eject trim press was the key to the development of Mantis," said Kurt Huelsman, President of NAS. “The design of the receiver coupled with NAS’s robotic automation capabilities brings a safe, productive and cost-effective solution to a historically very manual process.”

The Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handler is compatible with all trim presses, and it can reduce labor requirements by up to 75%.