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Automatic degating of acrylic

Automatic degating of acrylic

Automatic degating of acrylic

(OP)
I would like to automatically degate acrylic gates (about 3mm thick and 10mm wide). In the past, I have been using an air activated thrust cut nipper with heated blades. It worked very well. But this time, the gate and the part meet at an angle. Also, the finish of the cut is more critical this time.

I am looking for another type of cutter. I have a few ideas such as using ultrasonic cutters, or end-mills to degate. But, If I use an ultrasonic cutter, the plastic gate might slightly deform from the heat. On the other end, if I use an end-mill, it will leave chips/dust on the parts. I need to leave a very cleaned cut finish. Laser is not option for this project because of the higher cost. What other type of cutters could I use? I would prefer pneumatic cutters but any other type of cutters is welcome.

I plan on using an end-of-arm tooling with suction cups to remove the part from the mold. The robot would drop the part on a fixture. After clamping of the parts, an air-activated cutter would degate the acrylic. I welcome any other ideas.
Thank you.

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