FEATURE DRIVES, CONTROLS & TRANSMISSIONS
MACHINE PRODUCTIVITY up by 20% with VSD solution
A specialist in end of line handling and palletising machines for the packaging market has increased productivity since installing variable speed drive technology from Emerson
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pecialist in the manufacture of end- of-line handling and palletising
machines for the packaging market Render Technology has switched its drives partner to
Emerson.The business has seen productivity of its machines increase by 20% as a result of using Emerson´s Control Techniques Unidrive M variable speed drives. Before implementation Render´s
machines were able to deliver 25 or 26 cycles per minute. Since adopting Unidrive M the business has seen returns of 30 cycles per minute thus delivering a significant uplift in performance. In essence the cycle speed refers to how
many pieces per minute the machine can transfer to the pallet; the higher the figure the more productive the machine is. This increase in productivity means that the palletiser is more valuable to the end customer therefore Render is able to command a higher price for its products. Not only does Render design and
manufacture equipment, it offers a palletising service utilising its own machines. The company receives finished products, typically bags or boxes containing anything from compost to wine and the machine manoeuvres the products on to wooden pallets. Once each is complete the customer ships it to the final destination. The machines designed and manufactured by Render are notable for their small footprint and low power consumption (18/20kW). Competitor machines have a power consumption range of 40/ 45kW per machine so Render can deploy one machine instead of two with the same power consumption, doubling throughput. Render had previously been using equipment from a direct competitor of Emerson to deliver the 26 cycles per minute. While this was adequate at the time the team sought a drive that could increase this rate significantly. The key here was the precise control that Unidrive M offers; this enabled Render to engineer a machine that now delivers 30 cycles per minute thus offering its customers significant advantages in terms of performance and throughput. Following consultation with Emerson
20 OCTOBER 2015 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
the company opted for its Control Techniques Unidrive M701, Unidrive M700 and Unidrive M300 variable speed drives for axis and conveyor motion control. These are controlled via Profibus DP using SI-Profibus options. Specifically, the M701 drives are
deployed for axis position control with the M700 drives used to control the position and orientation of a smart belt. Movement is undertaken using an electronic cam. The Unidrive M family of drives offers class-leading induction and permanent magnet servo motor performance with real-time Ethernet.
ADVANCED CONTROL ALGORITHMS Each drive delivers maximum machine throughput through advanced control algorithms with single and multi-axis network synchronisation. On-board real- time Ethernet (IEEE 1588 V2), advanced motion control and high speed I/O for position capture has made it easier for machine builders to create more sophisticated and flexible machines. Render Technology was particularly
impressed by the fast control loops on the servo axis and the compatibility of
Each drive delivers maximum machine throughput through advanced control algorithms with single and multi-axis network synchronisation
Unidrive M which ensures its programming is standardised and applicable to every model of PLC.
SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES “We opted for Emerson because of the wide range of available solutions along with specific performance advantages relating to motor control, precision, motor stop and motor inversion,” says Mauro Rebellato. “In the field of handling and palletising it is imperative that throughput is maximised to ensure productivity. “Our design team is always looking to push the boundaries in terms of machine performance. The team thought that they had reached the limits with 26 cycles per minute but we soon found that through the utilisation of Unidrive M we could increase this to 30, creating the much desired throughput increases. Not only does this give greater customer satisfaction it has allowed us to increase the sales price of our machine and had a direct impact on our bottom line.”
Emerson Industrial Automation T: 01686 612996
www.EmersonIndustrial.com
/ FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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