FEATURE
DRIVES, CONTROLS & MOTORS PRINTING PRESS A
utomated printing machines provide large volumes of products with consistency and high quality in a short time. But with market demand becoming increasingly ambitious, companies need to leverage ever
more advanced solutions to deliver superior prints through high-speed production runs. So when JK Machinery set out to upgrade the design of an automated printing press with next-level capabilities, it turned to Mitsubishi Electric as it needed an automation specialist whose solutions and technical expertise could support its ambitions. The two companies began by examining the machine to determine
which automation components would enhance and optimise its operations. The unit relied on a flexographic technique and used a roll-to-roll, or reel-to-reel, process where a blank reel of paper is unwound, printed on with different colours and rewound. Additional stations to conduct specific processes, such as lamination, can be added to support different applications and printing requirements. In addition to this, the setup required reliable, highly accurate automation
components that work in sync to deliver effective operations as well as maximise the overall uptime. While advanced capabilities were required, JK Machinery wanted solutions that would be easy to program and would not require any specialist coding skills. Jack Round, technical director at JK Machinery, explained: “We were interested in conducting these activities in house to streamline the project
CREATING A NEXT-GEN
Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced
automation products – including the latest FR-A800-R2R variable speed drive (VSD) with dedicated winding functions, MELSERVO-J4 servos, a MELSEC iQ-F series PLC with simple motion module, and a GOT2000 series HMI – have
enabled JK Machinery to deliver an enhanced, futureproof, automated printing machine
and also provide better support for customers if they have questions regarding the upgrade.”
THE DESIGN SOLUTION To address these needs, Mitsubishi Electric developed a solution that leverages its innovative FR-A800-R2R VSD for the unrolling and rolling operations at the start and end of the printing process respectively. Thanks to the device’s built-in winding and unwinding functions, no coding is required and the customer only needs to input the necessary values for the key process parameters. This solution met the company’s requirements while also speeding up the VSDs’ installation and start-up. In addition to the VSDs, a master MELSERVO-J4 servo drives a line
shaft that controls the print stations, while two slave servo axes from the same J4 series control the machine’s in-feed and out-feed nip rollers. These drives are connected to a compact, high-performance FX5 PLC equipped with a simple motion module to deliver accuracy and precision while maximising processing speed. To ensure reliable and deterministic communications, CC-Link IE Field
Basic network technology was selected in order to met the fast-paced needs of synchronous control within the printing press. Furthermore, operators are able to get a real-time overview of the process and the system as well as interact with the setup using a GOT2000 HMI.
A COMPACT SOLUTION The automation components occupy just a fraction of the existing system, resulting in a reduced footprint that can support applications with limited room available, the company explains. Round added: “We are extremely satisfied with the collaboration with
Mitsubishi Electric, which has resulted in a highly effective and cost-efficient system. Also, we really appreciated the continuous support provided by the technical teams throughout the project. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and delivering cutting-edge presses for the printing industry.” Delivering next-level capabilities at a competitive price, the innovative
printing press has already gained considerable interest, with purchases from customers all around the world.
Mitsubishi Electric
www.mitsubishielectric.com
38 DESIGN SOLUTIONS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
