Lenze automation system boosts packaging output by 20 per cent

Assembling automation systems using components from diverse manufacturers can be difficult due to incompatible interfaces. Eliminating these interfaces significantly reduces the engineering, start-up and maintenance costs, while also greatly increasing the equipment's flexibility and productivity. These benefits are illustrated in the Waechter Tablomat tray erector that has been upgraded with a Lenze automation system. Among other benefits, output increased from 25 to 30 cartons per minute.

Waechter Packautomatik GmbH specialises in end-of-line packaging machinery. Its Tablomat tray erector folds and glues cardboard into cartons for transport and display. Blanks are removed from a feeder, separated and transported by conveyor to stations for folding, slot punching, glue application and outfeed. Managing Director Stefan Waechter comments: "In the past, interfaces between products of different automation suppliers caused us problems time and time again. They not only made our lives difficult, but cost us time and money as well."

Lenze now provides the packaging machine manufacturer with a complete set of drive and automation products, ranging from high-efficiency bevel gears through servo motors, drives, I/O, control and visualisation. The heart of the system is the 9400 Highline servo drive that is used for tray withdrawal, inserting and applying a time stamp to control the other machine processes. This drive-based approach makes sense for the Tablomat, as programming becomes easier with an electric cam group and a master axis. The other axes are simply synchronised to the master as slaves. Communication between the drives takes place via CANbus. A further CANbus acts as a logic bus to which a Lenze touchscreen HMI is attached for visualisation, as well as I/O from the Lenze System 1000.

Benefits for machine builders

A major advantage to Waechter of this Lenze automation architecture is that the master drive also performs safety functions. This largely eliminates the need for the safety switchgear that was previously required, and a separate safety PLC is no longer needed, so panel space is saved. Furthermore, Waechter can introduce safety functions that were formerly unavailable, such as safe maximum speed and safe limited speed. This makes commissioning and troubleshooting easier, for further optimisation of the machine processes.

Stefan Wachter states: "Compared with the previous model, we have shortened commissioning times by at least 25 per cent, and considerably simplified machine maintenance and setting. This was a crucial element in increasing the number of machine cycles from 25 to 30. Training courses and other assistance from Lenze, as well as tailored engineering services, ensured a faster time-to-market".

Follow the links for more information about Lenze 9400 Highline servo drives, touchscreen HMIs and System 1000 I/O.