Sepro robots are industrial automation systems primarily designed for the plastics industry, specifically for injection molding processes. Produced by the Sepro Group, these robots are used to optimize the "take-out" of parts from molding machines, ensuring high speed and precision in manufacturing. Key Features and Capabilities
Versatile Range: The lineup includes everything from simple 3-axis robots like the S5 Picker Line
to complex 5-axis and 6-axis systems for high-load applications. Visual Control Platform
: Most modern Sepro robots run on the Visual universal control platform, which is designed to be user-friendly for programming complex multi-axis movements. High Performance: The ThundeRbot
is currently their fastest top-entry robot, designed for extreme speed in production environments.
Durability: Users in the industry often highlight Sepro robots for being sturdy and reliable, even when compared to other major competitors. Common Industrial Applications robot sepro
These robots are widely used in specialized manufacturing cells, such as those producing medical pipette tips. In these setups, the robot's End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) picks parts out of a mold and hands them off to secondary fixtures for precise placement into racks or transport systems.
The factory floor was a symphony of rhythmic thumping and the hiss of compressed air. In the center of it all stood Sepro, a sleek, three-axis industrial robot built for one purpose: precision. While the other machines simply pressed and heated, Sepro was the artist. Every few seconds, its arm would dive into the glowing heart of an injection molding machine, retrieving delicate pipette tips with a grip that was as firm as a handshake but as gentle as a whisper.
For years, Sepro’s world was a cycle of "pick and place." It didn't mind the repetition. In the quiet hum of its servo motors, it found a kind of digital peace. Its sensors were tuned to the micron, ensuring that every tip was perfect. If a single one was slightly off, its high-speed camera would catch it, and Sepro would discard it before it could ever reach a scientist's lab.
One Tuesday, a new post-mold automation system was installed. It was a tilting fixture that required a "hand-off." Sepro had to learn to trust another machine. On the first run, the timing was off. The fixture tilted too early, and the pipette tips scattered like plastic rain. The factory workers looked worried, but Sepro didn't feel frustration—it only saw data.
Sepro recalculated. It adjusted its End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) by a fraction of a degree and slowed its approach by three milliseconds. On the next cycle, the hand-off was seamless. The tips were placed point-down into the shuttling fixture with surgical grace. A Brief History: The French Revolution of Plastics
As the sun set through the high factory windows, Sepro continued its work, now part of a larger, more complex team. It wasn't just a machine anymore; it was the steady heartbeat of a system that made millions of lives better, one perfect pipette tip at a time.
Sepro Group, founded in 1973 and headquartered in La Roche-sur-Yon, France, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of robots for the plastics injection molding industry. With over 40,000 injection molding machines equipped worldwide, the company is recognized as the largest independent manufacturer of Cartesian robots in Europe and North America. Core Product Portfolio
Sepro offers a diverse range of robotic solutions tailored to various degrees of complexity and machine sizes:
3-Axis Cartesian Robots: These are the backbone of many molding operations, used for standard pick-and-place tasks. Examples include the high-performance S5 Line and the versatile Success Line.
5-Axis Robots: By adding a servo wrist to the standard 3-axis Cartesian frame, these robots offer many of the complex handling capabilities of an articulated arm while maintaining the speed and layout of a Cartesian system. The 5X Line is a prominent example. you can simulate your entire workcell—IMM
6-Axis Articulated Arm Robots: Designed for maximum flexibility in complex automation cells, these are often developed in partnership with companies like Yaskawa and Universal Robots.
Specialized Systems: Sepro also provides niche solutions such as side-entry robots for high-speed packaging and In-Mold Labeling (IML) systems. Technological Innovations
A defining feature of Sepro’s technology is its native control platform, which ensures that 3, 5, and 6-axis robots can be managed through the same user interface. 16 robots - Sepro Group
To understand the value of Robot Sepro, one must look at the company’s origins. Sepro Group, headquartered in La Roche-sur-Yon, France, was founded in 1968. For decades, they operated as a leading manufacturer of industrial robots, but the turning point came in the early 2000s.
Historically, injection molding machine (IMM) manufacturers produced their own proprietary robots. This created "walled gardens"—if you bought a press from Manufacturer A, you were locked into their robotic ecosystem, often sacrificing performance for compatibility.
Sepro broke this mold. They pioneered the concept of the universal robot. Today, a Robot Sepro can be found on almost any brand of press, from Engel and Husky to Arburg and Sumitomo (SHI). By focusing solely on injection molding automation (unlike generalist robot companies), Sepro achieved a level of specialization that proprietary brands struggle to match. Their acquisition of the industrial robot division of Staubli in 2005 further cemented their leadership in high-speed, high-payload 6-axis technology.
Before moving a single servo motor, you can simulate your entire workcell—IMM, robot, conveyor, and insert station—offline. This reduces commissioning time from weeks to days.