Cube67 in use at sortimat Handling Systems

Sortimat, located in southern Germany, is a manufacturer of industrial handling machines for a range of different applications. They produce systems that pack, stack and palletise small parts such as tubes or blister packs into bigger units. Because these systems work very precisely, quickly and reliably, they are often used in medical technology applications. sortimat Handling Systems customers are either pharmaceutical companies or production line manufacturers that work specifically in the pharmaceutical industry. The handling systems are produced in series production, but additional customer-specific requirements have to be met.

To develop decentralised installation systems, sortimat Handling Systems works hand in hand with Murrelektronik and ultimately decided to use a Cube system on their machines. For the cabinet, they chose the space saving Cube20 fieldbus module to use in combination with a Cube67 fieldbus system on the machine. This cutting-edge installation allowed sortimat Handling Systems to replaced conventional single-wire connections in their machines and take a big step forward in technology.

There were several deciding factors that made sortimat's electrical engineers choose a Cube67 decentralised installation system, the most important being limited space in and on the machines. Here Cube67 modules offer an advantage as the modules are multifunctional. The M8 or M12 ports can be configured as either inputs or outputs, depending on the installation requirements. This saves space and lowers costs, especially when compared with an installation with two dedicated input and output modules. Also, by using a Cube67 valve module, valve clusters can be quickly integrated into the system, without requiring additional fieldbus connections. Plus, the single-cable technology - Cube67 system cable transfers both data and power - reduces the space required in the cable ducts and simplifies installation.

The sortimat Handling Systems for trays and pallets are interchangeable with different gripping tools that have a short setup time during change out. Cube67's "Machine Option Management (MOM)' is a big plus in a situation like this because it makes sure the machine starts operating immediately after a tool change. "MOM' enables hardware and software configuration based on a standardised maximum configuration. While the system is operating, only those components that are activated are used for the specific application. This prevents unscheduled downtime. The comprehensive diagnostic options that are built into Cube67 via the control (indicator at the HMI) as well as in the field (LED at the affected port) allow for quick troubleshooting.

Another plus for using a Cube system is the wide variety of modules available. No matter the requirements, a Murrelektronik standard component can be easily found and a solution can be implemented. By using the Cube system from Murrelektronik, sortimat Handling Systems can respond to changing market requirements with a reliable, high-quality product.

Learn more about Murrelektronik's Cube67 system at www.murrelektronik.com.