Dorst Technologies GmbH, based in Kochel am See, Germany, has provided a detailed overview of UPTIME, an automated tooling changeover system designed to reduce downtime in powder pressing operations. UPTIME automates the exchange of tooling and powder-feeding systems, replacing a manual process with a robot-controlled sequence integrated into the production cell.

As manufacturers move towards smaller production batches and a wider variety of components, changeover time has become an increasingly important factor in overall productivity. Manual tooling changes can occupy skilled operators for extended periods and introduce variation between production runs. UPTIME is intended to standardise this process, improving repeatability while reducing setup time and operator intervention.