Tag Archives: Drilling Technical Services Inc.

Drilling Technical Services Develops Die Cut Thin Film Blank Accumulator with Siemens Motion Control

VR Series “cut and stack” accumulator utilizes leading-edge motion control products to efficiently transfer film blanks from point of cutting to positioning in counted stack

As a machine builder specializing in the design, engineering and system integration of narrow and mid-web label solutions as well as flexible packaging and folding carton machinery, Drilling Technical Services (DTS) of Milford, Ohio sees this global industry from many perspectives.  Much of the machinery and equipment solutions devised by DTS end up on the production lines of major label and filmic product producers worldwide.  Recently, company owner Joe Drilling and his team had one of those “light bulb moments” where a specific market need could be addressed by a better solution.

It involved the delicate world of thin film substrate processing and the need for a high-speed cut-and-stack solution.

As Joe Drilling explains, “The primary challenge was to create a solution that took into consideration the unique environmental and material factors of each customer.  The materials our machines process are normally very thin film products that accumulate static quite easily.  Due to their structural instability, it always requires special transport

techniques to convey these products from the point of cutting to the point of positioning in a counted stack.”  Superior blank control throughout the process, converting blank shapes in multiple streams and integrating the equipment into continuous print cut processes or offline converting systems further complicated the challenges.

Further, the DTS team saw the industry trends toward smaller footprint equipment, greater energy savings, quick changeover and portability.  Collectively, these factors presented a daunting set of circumstances to Drilling and his design staff.

DTS realized the control scheme on the machine would be vital, so they turned to their longtime partner Siemens for assistance.  Through the integration of high-precision Sinamics drives and Simotion motion control, coupled with the complementary suite of Simotics servomotors and Simatic HMI touchscreen product, the VR Series of in-mold label (IML) accumulator stacker machines began to take shape.

Unique blank shapes are accumulated in 1, 2 or 3 streams on a small footprint machine requiring only 3’ x 4’ of floor space, capable of handling web widths from 13”-26”.  The VR Series machines from DTS provide end users with simple matrix separation, while diverting scrap at the process start-up or as a component in the overall quality inspection system.  The machines can create serialized groups through a “bottom up” stack format with total static control, so they can be utilized in a normal press room environment. 

Noting the high-precision servo technology and motion control accuracy of the Siemens equipment onboard the VR Series, Drilling observed, “The axes communication and control are also extremely compact and this facilitated our designing a very portable machine with quick changeover capability, something our customers consistently demand.”

DTS further relies on the Siemens international sales and technical support teams, as this builder’s equipment is found in labeling, printing and converting plants worldwide.  Drilling notes his company has received a high level of consistent service, application engineering assistance and support from the Siemens personnel and affiliated contractors.

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Joe Drilling has a pride in his company that’s classic American entrepreneur.  After years at a leading label machine builder, he founded DTS as a virtual engineering company specializing in the mechanical, electrical and process engineering of mid-width and narrow web printing, drying, converting, RFID and digital print equipment.  DTS has a particular emphasis on web transportation, die-cutting and laminating solutions.  As the installed base grew and in response to current market conditions, Drilling founded a second company in Milford, Pre-Owned Press & Parts Solution LLC (POPPS), specializing in the evaluation, reconfiguration, remanufacturing, sale, commissioning and servicing of pre-owned presses.

Another vital component of the business models at both DTS and POPPS is the engineering of energy recovery systems for containment of utility costs, an ongoing challenge in the printing and labeling industries.  The two companies primarily serve the needs of the flexible packaging, folding carton, tag and label, health and beauty, wine and beer, plus other label market segments.

For more information on this story, please contact:

DRILLING TECHNICAL SERVICES INC.
6062 Kells Lane
Milford, OH 45150
Phone:  513-831-2952
Fax:  513-831-4825
Web:  www.drillingtechservices.com
Email:  jdrilling@drillingtechservices.com
Attention:  Joe Drilling, President

or

SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
Drive Technologies — Motion Control
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL  60007
Phone: 847-640-1595
Fax: 847-437-0784
Web:  www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol
Email:  SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com
Attention:  John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communications

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Drilling Technical Services Cuts Engineering Time on 
Narrow and Mid-Width Web Label Machine Builds, 
While Giving Customer Green Options

Company saves up to 80 percent in engineering time, plus helps leading label and filmic product maker create easily converted lower cost material offerings 

Joe Drilling has a pride in his company that’s classic American entrepreneur.  After years at a leading label machine builder, he founded Drilling Technical Services (DTS) in Milford, Ohio, a virtual engineering company specializing in the mechanical, electrical and process engineering of mid-width and narrow web printing, drying, converting, RFID and digital print equipment.   DTS has a particular emphasis on web transportation, die-cutting and laminating solutions.  As the installed base grew and responding to current market conditions, Joe founded a second company, Pre-Owned Press & Parts Solution LLC (POPPS), also in Milford, specializing in the evaluation, reconfiguration, remanufacturing, sale, commissioning and servicing of pre-owned presses.  Another vital component of the business models at both DTS and POPPS is the engineering of energy recovery systems for containment of utility costs, an ongoing challenge in the printing industry.

The two companies primarily serve the needs of the flexible packaging, folding carton, tag and label, health and beauty, wine and beer, plus other label segments.

During a recent project for one global leader in label and filmic product solutions, DTS was commissioned to develop a mid-width web roll-to-roll die cutter with various unique substrate manipulation functions.  The substrate’s physical parameters, especially the desire to reduce material thickness, represented particular challenges to the DTS team.
DTS utilized its “QC Mod Cut Series” modular web transport system and quick change die cassette technology as the design platform.

Every aspect of the work was to be done to the customer’s strict system specifications for equipment criteria, including die cutting accuracy, line speed accuracy, tension control and wound roll precision. These process functions were to be controlled by the machine’s Human Machine Interface (HMI).  The first machine was required from DTS on a short time schedule for the customer’s showroom, and then the customer was providing a second machine along with its branded substrate materials to the initial end user.  Long-range plans call for this machine to be implemented into a worldwide marketing effort by the DTS customer.

Based on previous experience with Siemens, the DTS engineering team looked to integrate electronic line shafting and process control functions that could be achieved with standard component architecture.  Having a local and experienced distributor of Siemens components, Richard Equipment Company (RECO) in Cincinnati, the investigation into a process solution began.  As Joe Drilling further noted, “The worldwide support of Siemens was an additional factor in our decision and really gave us that comfort zone in selecting them for this project.  Our customer is itself a world player and so we felt confident in Siemens’ ability to provide components and service, wherever needed.”

To achieve the desired accuracies in every machine function, DTS utilized the Siemens Simotion D435 motion controller, a compact, drive-based platform that incorporates motion control, logic control and drive control in a single hardware unit for drive mounting.  In this manner, the drive became the control for the entire machine’s functionality.  Feeding off this platform are the multi-axis control drives of the Siemens Sinamics family, as well as Simatic I/O components and runtime software, plus the related HMI hardware, as supplied by RECO.

Components were selected by the DTS engineers using the unique Siemens Converting Toolbox, a suite of product specifications and application software that allows an engineer the flexibility to customize portions of a machine build, then recall and reuse them or make modifications for subsequent builds.  The reduction in subsequent machine design engineering time, according to Joe Drilling, reached approximately 80 percent on the second machine and he anticipates a repeat of that scenario, every time.

These factors were found most satisfying for DTS and especially their customer, who had previously used a vendor for machine upgrades who typically took months, even years, to research, develop and implement design changes in the customer’s machine lines, according to Drilling.  “With our more simplified layout of components and the flexibility we enjoyed with the Converting Toolbox, the learning curve shortened tremendously. Product and Matrix winder modules were able to be configured to allow the diverse web tension ranges and accuracy required. And, most of all, the shaftless drive system we implemented allowed our web transport roll design on the individual machine sections to become much easier, faster and completely repeatable.” The end result is very accurate web control and re registration capability.

Joe Drilling concludes, “The marriage of Siemens motion control technology, their overall expertise in the converting industry, plus our engineering and build talents really worked to benefit our customer, who has been quite satisfied with machine performance to date.”

Siemens system training and project development took place on-site at DTS.
Other recent projects accomplished by DTS engineers include an air-to-air heat exchanger for dryer efficiency, a dryer system upgrade for water-based inks, a unique accumulator stacker specially designed for thin substrate processing, a near-zero defect RFID system and various anilox system upgrades to integrate more advanced motion control technology.  The company also performs considerable process layout and process improvement consulting to its customers throughout the industry.

For more information on this story, please contact:

DRILLING TECHNICAL SERVICES INC.
6062 Kells Lane
Milford, OH 45150
Phone:  513-831-2952
Fax:  513-831-4825
Web:  www.drillingtechservices.com
Email:  jdrilling@drillingtechservices.com
Attention:  Joe Drilling, President

Or

SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
Drive Technologies — Motion Control
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL  60007
Phone: 847-640-1595 Fax: 847-437-0784
Web:  www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol
Email:  SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com
Attention:  John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communications

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Drilling Technical Services Inc. in Milford, Ohio is machine builder specializing in the mid-width and narrow web press market.  Its sister company, Pre-Owned Press & Parts Solutions, offers full reconfiguration engineering and remanufacturing services, plus full installation and commissioning on pre-owned presses.

Through the use of the Siemens Converting Toolbox and Simotion selection of drive/control technologies, all the motion control drive-based components and logic software were selected from a suite of available options.  A reduction of over 80 percent in engineering time has been reported by the machine builder.

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