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How Packaging Machines Benefit from Motion Control Technology?

03-March-2023

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Crescendo-high-speed-compact-cartoning-machine Industrial automation from packaging automation to CNC machine tools and robotics solutions has been evolving to a status far beyond just only the mechanicals. One of the facts is the application of motion control technology that has changed what they are: from a complex and integration of countless of mechanical parts to a system with the “state-of-the-art” of smart solutions.

In this article, we talk about how motion control technology is changing the way packaging machines are designed and how packaging machines are benefiting from this new approach.

Topics:

What is motion control?
What are the benefits of motion control technology of packaging machines?

What is Motion Control?

Motion control is a recent and cutting-edge technology that deals with the movement of machine parts with the participation of motion control devices, servo motors, and mechanisms that will carry out the motion (the “mover”). Motion control is also referred to as servo control technology and is widely used in advanced industrial automation solutions such a robotics. packaging automation, nanotechnology, micromanufacturing, etc.

A motion control system consists of, in most cases, a controller, a drive, a motor, and mechanical parts, find as follow the details:

The motion controller：

A motion controller enacts as the brain of the motion control system. It where the motion profiles, data about positioning, programming, commands to be sent are contained. With this data, the motion control generates the “instruction” about how the other elements of the system should work, such as the actuator.

SIMATIC T-CPU Controller S7-1500
Source: SIEMENS

The drive:

The drive is just like an intermediary between the controller and the actuator. The signals sent from the controller is converted into energy which will be sent to the actuator.

SINAMICS V90 Servo Drive and S-1FL6 Servo Motor
Source: SIEMENS

The actuator:

The actuator, for example, the servo motor, is the prime mover that carries out the “order” and signals sent from the controller and the drive. Accompanying the actuator are usually some sensors and devices to send back the feedback from the actuator in terms of its position and velocity so that it is in a closed loop when the whole system is working in a dynamic situation.

Mechanical Mechanism:

The mechanical mechanism is the functional part that transforms the motion of the motor into the motion that the machine or system is designed for.

Electronic Camming – an Example of Motion Control Application

A traditional mechanical camming profile consists of the master (the motor), the cam, and then the follower.

The cam is of a typical irregular shape such as oval-shaped, elliptical, snail, eccentric, etc. While the cam keeps rotating being driven by the master, the motion is transferred from cam to the follower and then leads to a reciprocating motion with a dynamic patter.

An Example of Mechanical Cam and Camming Profile
Source: Motion Control Tips

Electronic camming is a motion control method to simulate and reproduce what mechanical camming does.

To achieve this purpose, you need:

An electrical actuator (the servo motor) to simulate the follower’s motion in a mechanical camming system
A motion controller and drive that process the programming and configuration parts
An encoder, to detect the speed, position, and motion of the master mover

For example on a multi-axis servo-driven cartoner with a smart loader system for motion control, the loader will have two axes, each of them is driven by its servo motor. Let’s say:

X-axis, which moves reciprocating and is aligned with the bucket conveyor, parallelly, to keep track of the conveyor’s movement.
Y-axis, which moves reciprocating to realize the action of insertion, is a linear motion that is perpendicular to the linear motion of the bucket conveyor.

An encoder will keep track of the positioning and speed of the bucket conveyor which will be the basis of both the axes mentioned above and the system’s master axis, Then the camming is correspondingly controlled by the motion controller and servo drive in the system.

affordable high speed cartoner - crescendo cartoning machine
Crescendo Cartoner by ÉLITER Packaging Machinery
with Motion Control Technology

What are the Benefits of Motion Control on Packaging Machines?

Motion control technology has revamped the definition of building and designing a packaging machine. The benefits of motion control technology when being applied on a packaging machine are as follows:

Simplified Mechanical Structure

The multi-axis servo construction separates each mechanism on the machine into several sections driven by their own servo motors. By this way, packaging machine no longer has to b with complex system of mechanical transmission. Mechanical engineers are liberated from the traditional way of contriving details of the transmission and set their way for a more creative approach.

Hygiene and Sanitation. Advantage of Maintenance

The simplified structure also brings benefits to the end-users. Especially for those in the food industry where sanity and hygiene are important. Let’s say, the multi-axis servo construction minimizes the mechanical parts involved, which are usually lubricated with oil and dealing with them is grubby. Maintenance work is also improved now that there are fewer mechanical parts involved.

More precise camming profile with Electronic Way

The traditional mechanical cam requires a picky and finicky precision to manufacture the camshaft. However, by simulating the camming profile with motion control the camming profile is achieved without any diversion and at a level of precision that people can’t ever imagine previously.

Flexibility with the “State-of-the-art”

It is quite normal when the packaging machine manufacturer should build a machine to accommodate articles of different sizes. The motion control technology allows the automatic size changeover to minimize the time spent on size changing, achieve a high level of precision, as well as to reduce downtime during the changeover.

ÉLITER Packaging Machinery´s Next Generation Models with Motion Control Technology

Setting out on different way to offering packaging machines with higher standard, ÉLITER Packaging Machinery´s ¨Next-Generation¨ models are incorporated with advanced the cutting-edge technologies including electronic camming, motion control, multi-axis servo sturcture and smart HMI solutions.