Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
A practical alternative to mechanical braking and non-regen drives systems in the converting, packaging, wireforming and printing industries
by William Gilbert, Industry Business Development Manager, Converting and Cranes, Motion Control Solutions
During the operation of any converting machine, whether for film, foil, wire, paper or board, plus most large printing presses, rolls of materials are handled by unwinds, often still driven by pneumatically operated braking systems. The traditional tension control system for an unwind stand is a simple mechanical brake. In principal, the unwind brake mechanically operates much like the braking system on your car, with a disk, caliper and pads, but is controlled by a tension sensor linked to a setpoint controller. As the roll unwinds, the tension is maintained by the brake for smooth passage of the material through the dies or rollers, resulting in better package alignment, less wrinkling, better print registration, even more consistent wire dimensioning and other production positives. These mechanical brake unwinds are effective in controlling the tension, but have inherent problems of heat and power loss, plus mechanical wear and constant maintenance needs, substantially impacting machine uptime.
The typical mechanical brake is pneumatically controlled and may utilize several sets of friction pads to control the web tension as the roll dimension decreases. Plus, a reasonable pressure range in many applications might be from 15-90psi or a 6:1 drop, a range significantly less than the core to full roll ratio for most jobs, an obvious inefficiency in operation.
To affect good tension control on the brake, these friction pad sets need to be manually changed in an out of the brake assembly, depending on the desired operating tension and the roll diameter changes involved. Often, the adjustments are several per roll during this manual changeover. Because the mechanical brake creates the unwind tension through friction, it generates substantial heat and often requires a separately powered fan for cooling to operate effectively. This friction also means the pads are subject to rapid wear, requiring frequent and time-consuming changes or maintenance checks.
For almost a decade now, this old technology has been gradually replaced, though usually in the lower power ranges, by newer precision technology, involving AC motors, drives and electronic loadcells. On converting lines today, a further leap forward is being made with the onset of 
active front end technology.
With such technology, the operating principle is as follows.
Since the unwind application is regenerative (regen) in nature, a driven unwind needs to return the energy that the mechanical the brake produced as heat back to the AC line. In the past, regen DC drives have been successfully applied as driven unwinds, but DC drive systems are no longer common and even during their prime were very costly. Early in the AC drive technology for these applications, the drives did not have the capability to regenerate the power back to the AC line and, when applied as unwind brakes, required regen resistors to dissipate the tension energy. This was wasteful and costly.
Today’s AC drive systems now have the technology to regenerate the energy back to the AC line just as the DC drive did, but with added benefits to the user and machine designer alike. Sending the tension energy back to the line means power that once was wasted can now be retained, instead of the system producing heat and worn parts. When the drive is equipped with active front end technology, it will return the previously wasted energy with near unity power factors, something not possible for any DC drive system.
Even an open loop AC drive motor combination offers a tension control range far beyond the limits of a pneumatic braking system. Synchronous AC motors can offer precision open loop torque control without a tension sensor, thereby saving further cost and inventory. Today’s highly accurate tension control systems can be designed with high resolution (sin/cos) feedback encoders on both the unwind motor and dancer position feedback. Additionally, in more advanced active front end designs, the regen capability of the drive can actually assist in the increase of stopping times and tension control regulation, owing to the four quadrant control, i.e., the motor can sink or supply current to the motor in both directions.
AC regen drive systems can also offer today’s machine designer software configurations with a wider range of control flexibility. They can be configured to operate in the most basic mode with no motor encoder or with tension feedback to system configurations, utilizing either dancer position sensors or loadcells. Alternatively, they can function as a programmable logic controller (PLC), controlling the machine functions on the unwind, while also connecting directly to a human-machine interface (HMI) panel. In most converting, packaging and printing applications, the dancer position sensor can be used to calculate the starting diameter of a roll, eliminating additional diameter sensors and the possibility of operator error in the roll diameter input. Further enhancements for unwind spindle motion such as jog for threading have also emerged for operator convenience through active front end technology.
Beyond the obvious cost savings of pad replacements on mechanical braking systems, AC motors are virtually maintenance free by comparison to DC motors, as AC motors have no brushes, do not require controller contactors to reverse direction of motor rotation or have commutators. Fewer moving parts invariably means less motor maintenance, for additional cost and time savings.
In the most advanced systems, common DC bus regulation, energy-monitoring devices for near unity power and, through the use of mechatronic services often provided by the manufacturers, “turn off” parameters in vector drives are possible. Mechatronic services can also be utilized for the proper tuning of these drives onsite or during machine build. For designers, such services further assist in the proper sizing of motors, based on the mechanical and electrical forces generated by machine operation or computerized simulation of it.
This combination of improved operation, reduced maintenance, motor power savings and conservation of nearly all energy within the system make AC regen drives with active front end technology a decided advantage for machine designers and end users of converting, packaging, printing, wireforming and other roll-fed machinery, where driven unwinds can be implemented.
For more information on regenerative drive motors and systems, please contact:
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.sea@siemens.com
Attention: John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communications
Editor Note: Siemens will make the author as well as various other product and market specialists available to you for interviews on the many aspects of regenerative drive motors detailed in this article, as they apply to the particular nature of your audience. Please contact the agency to arrange. Thanks!
PR agency contact: Tim Daro Bernard & Company 847-934-4500 tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
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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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ATLANTA — Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today that it is expanding its popular 1FK7 servomotor family, with the introduction of a new high-inertia style. The higher rotor inertia of this design makes the control response of the new 1FK7-HI servomotors highly robust and suitable for high- and variable-load inertia applications, including the feed and auxiliary axes on machine tools, as well as winders and unwinders on converting, packaging and printing equipment.
These self-cooled 1FK7-HI servomotors provide stall torque in the 3 Nm to 20 Nm range and are offered in IP64 or IP65 with IP67 flange degree of protection, with selectable options for plain or keyed shaft, holding brake, 22-bit incremental or absolute encoders, as well as 18 color options.
A mechanical decoupler between the motor and encoder shaft protects the encoder from mechanical vibrations, providing a long service life. In cases where the encoder needs to be exchanged, the device automatically aligns the encoder signal to the rotor pole position, enabling feedbacks to be changed in the field in less than five minutes.
These new Siemens 1FK7-HI servomotors also feature the unique Drive-Cliq® serial bus and electronic nameplate recognition, allowing virtual plug-n-play operation when paired to the Sinamics® S drive platform. All servomotors in this new line are also configured to interface with Siemens Sinumerik® CNC technology for machine tool applications and the motion controller Simotion® for general motion control use.
Selecting the proper motor to suit the application is facilitated by the Siemens Sizer® toolbox and compatible 3D CAD model-generating CAD-Creator package. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol.
For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.
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Permanent magnet synchronous torque motors offer significant advantages on high energy consuming and high dynamic applications
by Harald Poesch, Product Marketing Manager, Servomotors
Today’s machine designer must evaluate more factors than ever in approaching a new project. Likewise, the integrator and retrofit engineer has expanded options, not only as a result of new technologies, but also because of critical areas of focus such as reduced 
energy consumption, faster assembly time, vendor reduction and smaller footprint achievement.
In the realm of motion control, one type of motor with a relatively short history has made significant advancements that necessitate a new look at its potential in many application areas. These applications range from machine tool rotary tables to various packaging, printing, converting, extruding, papermaking, plastic film and materials handling machinery, anywhere direction must be reversed with a very high degree of accuracy, no backlash (hysteresis) and the maintaining of motion control, contrasting the necessary decoupling of a conventional motor and gearbox.
Enter the often-overlooked permanent magnet, synchronous torque motor.
Torque motors are direct drives built for rotary axes where high torque and high precision are required at relatively low speeds. With significantly lower installation time, maintenance requirements, component part count and space allowance, these motor types are frequently viable alternatives to geared motors.
Two popular varieties of torque motors exist today. They are the complete torque motor, requiring only direct flange-mounting to the machine and connection of the rotor to the machine shaft, and the built-in torque motor, where the stator and rotor are supplied as individual components that are directly integrated into the machine mechanics.
Complete torque motors are often found on extruder main drives, feed heads on injection molding machines, roller drives on papermaking machines, wire drawing devices, textile machine web stretching and winders/cross cutters on packaging equipment.
Built-in torque motors are typically used on machine tool rotary tables, swivel axes, dynamic tool turrets and turning spindles, as well as printing press cylinders, chill rolls in cast film and foil stretching machines, indexing tables in metalforming presses and all other types of 
high-dynamic, high-precision path and speed control applications.
Both types of torque motors feature a hollow shaft, which allows media or mechanical components to be guided through the rotor cavity.
Torque motors are multiple pair pole synchronous motors, similar in operation to rotary synchronous servo motors. The rotor is equipped with permanent magnets, while the stator contains the motor windings. The high number of pole pairs leads to a design generating high maximum torque at low speeds. In the past, since eddy current losses increase with the number of pole pairs and the running speed of the motor, torque motors were considered applicable only at relatively low speeds. New water-cooled designs have countered this principle, allowing a high power density. Today’s torque motors can accommodate speeds of 1000 rpm or higher.
As a result of these higher pole pair designs and because many mechanical power transmission components that generate backlash, heat, friction and noise are eliminated, torque motors offer these benefits to designers:
While higher in cost than geared motors, it is currently estimated that torque motors offer the designer a payback of three to four years in energy savings alone, which does not include the immediate increased performance and upfront cost savings, both in installation and maintenance. Obvious vendor reduction and inventory advantages are also realized through the use of these motors.
On a typical multi-layer blown film line, for example, the use of torque motors can reduce the footprint of the extrusion section by half and the consumed production space decreases accordingly, leading to an increase in production rates per square foot. 
Torque motors were also long thought to be susceptible to chemical and other ambient atmospheric contamination, but new designs have been adapted to withstand corrosive atmospheres such as a paper mill dry hood and, being water-cooled, are performing satisfactorily in many harsh environments without heat damage. Enclosures are available up to an IP54 rating with overload capability up to 2.5 times the rated torque.
Torque motors reduce mechanical efficiency losses to an absolute minimum because they eliminate mechanical transmission in the drive train. Compared to geared motor solutions, the efficiency gain is typically in the range of 10 percent, while the gain is closer to 70 percent when hydraulic motors are replaced in applications such as injection molding machines. Further, due to the direct and constant control of the load shaft on torque motors, with no backlash or decoupling occurring, a significantly higher precision in motion is achieved, which is not possible in a geared or belt-driven solution.
For example, in the production of stretched film, the application of torque motors on chill rolls, pull rolls, stretch rolls and winders has resulted in a dramatic improvement in production quality. The more accurate speed control of the direct driven rolls results in faster start-ups during the changeover from one film product to another, because the likelihood of cracks in the web is minimized. In addition, the higher control accuracy enables the production of a thinner film that is 10 times more consistent in its thickness. Likewise, the stiff drive train configuration achieved with torque motors allows faster ramping up and down in cyclic applications, leading to shorter cycles and increased product output in the same time period. In many applications with very short cyclic times, such as indexing tables or injection molding machines, the changeover from conventional drives to direct driven solutions has resulted in production increases of 25-30 percent typically. These results indicate that a lower component count now means a lower product lifecycle cost, as well as reduced potential failure rates in the field.
Other features on today’s torque motors that make them more appealing for the machine designer include:
The emerging science of mechatronics is also critical for direct drives such as torque and linear motors in the integration process because the electronic machine control protocols are so crucial in monitoring and executing the electromechanical motions. A keen knowledge of three 
disciplines (mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering) is fundamental in determining the proper unit to suit the load. Mechatronics addresses such topics for the machine builder as proper encoder location, reaction vs. dynamic force calculations and how best to integrate a high dynamic direct drive mechanically into the machine.
Additionally, through various advanced computerized simulation techniques, mechatronic performance can be validated and troubleshooting on the design can be accomplished before the first machine is ever built. Even in the field, before and after a retrofit or rebuild, the mechatronic services currently available can be used for product application determination, full performance analysis and controls compatibility. While the performance of a new motor or drive might be deemed satisfactory by mechatronic analysis, other mechanical, electrical or electronic components might be found lacking. It is precisely this comprehensive, integrated approach that is fast earning mechatronics its place in the overall scheme of machine development and utilization.
In conclusion, with today’s emphasis on cost containment, energy efficiency and higher productivity on every type of machine design, it is imperative that all viable options be explored. In designing the drive train on many machines, the advantages of torque motors described in this paper will have a positive impact on the overall project results. Torque motors can offer great flexibility in design, retrofit and rebuild applications, plus they have expanded capabilities that lobby for their implementation on more types of machines.
For further information on torque motors, please contact:
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
CHICAGO, IMTS — At this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, Siemens will introduce new solutions and services for machine tool manufacturers and end-users. Under the theme, “Productivity in motion,” the presentation will focus on turnkey solutions for the job shop, aerospace, automotive, mold and die and medical manufacturing industries.
For machine tool builders and end-users, Siemens will exhibit the newest innovations in CNC (computer numerical control), motor and drive technology as well as new value-added services ranging from condition monitoring and manufacturing IT to innovative solutions for CNC training and machine tool retrofit.
SOLUTIONS FOR THE JOB SHOP
For the job shop, the new Sinumerik 828D numerical control will be presented for the first time in the United States. Perfect for mid-range machine tools, the Sinumerik 828D is designed to address the needs of complex milling and turning machines in the job shop segment. It combines CNC, PLC, operator panel and axis control for six CNC measurement circuits in a single, robust operator panel.
The Sinumerik 828D is capable of full graphical, high-level language command and supports ISO programming that is customary in the United States. The new control is ideal for single-part and small-batch production. Programming time can be further reduced for small-batch production with the use of the ShopMill and ShopTurn graphical workstep programming system, while high-level language programming can be used in conjunction with programGuide to significantly reduce programming times for large-scale serial production.
With the introduction of the Sinumerik 828D, modern PC and mobile phone technology is now available to the mid-range machine tool. Extensive online help animations and a new type of input prompting system with moving picture sequences provide the basis for exceptional user convenience. USB, Compact Flash (CF) card and Ethernet ports enable high-speed data transfers onto storage media or integration of the control system into corporate networks. Through the use of its Easy Message functionality, the Sinumerik 828D offers production status monitoring by text messaging (SMS). Depending on the recipient’s profile setting, the machine will transmit information about workpiece machining status, report on the tool condition currently in use and send machine maintenance bulletins to a mobile phone, anytime and anywhere. These combined functions are designed to help keep machine downtime to a minimum.
SOLUTIONS FOR AEROSPACE
For the aerospace market, the new Sinumerik 840D solution line is the latest in CNC technology that increases performance and user productivity. The Sinumerik 840D sl is a universal and flexible CNC system featuring the innovative Sinamics S120 drives that can be used for up to 31 axes. It is a distributed, scalable, open and inter-connecting system offering a wide range of specialized functions for milling, drilling, turning, grinding and handling technologies.
The Sinumerik 840D offers users innovative features that increase productivity on the manufacturing floor, especially the challenging segments of high-speed and five-axis aerospace machining.
SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE
In the automotive industry, Siemens continues to solidify its position with the Transline System Solution, the solution for automotive powertrain. This system integrates diverse metalcutting technologies such as milling, drilling, turning and grinding, and the assembly of powertrain parts, under a common system architecture. Since its implementation in 1993 at the Mercedes Benz NVM engine plant in Bad Canstatt, Germany, Transline has grown to become a recognized standard of excellence in the United States among both OEMs and end-users.
Based on the new Sinumerik 840D solution line and Simatic PLC, the Transline solution line transforms the company’s concept of “productivity in motion” into a real world application for total factory automation. By specifying Transline, machine tool users benefit from faster start-up times, better equipment serviceability and increased productivity.
SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE
Condition Monitoring and Manufacturing IT are two value-added services that are continuing their introduction to the U.S. machine tool market.
Condition Monitoring is an internet-based service from Siemens that supports maintenance processes while simultaneously forming a platform for cross-company service and support between OEMs and machine operators. Services can be configured over secure Internet connections from anywhere in the world via a standard PC, an internet connection and a web browser.
Manufacturing IT solutions from Siemens provide software tools for fast, easy integration of machines in a production network, while ensuring that production planning, scheduling and execution is always problem-free and based on the very latest data.
An entire line of powerful software modules for production machines ensures optimum integration of the machines in the IT-environment and supports a wide range of different functionalities including:
SOLUTIONS FOR CNC TRAINING
SinuTrain, the Siemens package of CNC training software on CD-ROM, provides milling and turning machine operators with a high degree of practical hands-on experience, prior to using the CNCs on their actual machines. It is designed to run on Windows XP operating systems and is the optimal solution for machine tool control-identical simulation training.
With SinuTrain, actual NC programs are developed and simulated, using a direct connection to the company’s CAD systems to further speed the program generation protocol. In this way, machine tool operators not only learn the control language commands, but they also visualize part programs on a P
C screen that are identical to the actual machine screen. As a further benefit, programs generated through SinuTrain on the PC software can then be used on the machines.
Other exhibits on display in the Siemens booth include the new 1FK7 high-inertia and 1PH8 servomotors, integrated motor spindles, linear motors and direct-drive torque motors that contribute to the increase in machine performance. The exhibition will also focus on machine tool retrofit, field service, customer service, spare parts and repair, all of which support the machine tool manufacturer and end-user.
For product information and inquiries:
SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES
MOTION CONTROL
MACHINE TOOL BUSINESS
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: 847-640-1595
Fax: 847-437-0784
Web: www.usa.siemens.com/cnc
Email: SiemensMTBUMarCom.sea@siemens.com
Attention: John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communication
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SiemensCNC or Twitter: www.twitter.com/siemens_cnc_us.
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Siemens Industry Sector is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions and services for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services Divisions as well as the Metals Technologies Business Unit. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/industry.
The Siemens Drive Technologies Division is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components. Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the division enables its customers to achieve productivity, energy efficiency and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/drivetechnologies.
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Corrugated boxmaking machine builder saves 50 percent on components, 30 percent on control cabinet footprint with comparable performance
Fred Harrison, president of Hycorr Machine Corporation, a Kalamazoo, Mich. builder of corrugated boxmaking machinery, has always believed in being first. That competitive and can-do spirit meets every visitor to his company’s website, where a number of Hycorr first’s are listed. The company was the first U.S. rotary die-cutter to introduce an integrated stacker, the first U.S. builder to introduce the reverse angle doctor blade on rotary die-cutters and the first builder in the world to offer an automatic cutting-anvil speed compensator, Auto-CompTM, which was later joined by Hycorr inventions of a quick-change anilox roll system and modular dwell section with inter-station dryers. All these innovations to the industry were achieved in the first 15 years of operation for this company, founded by Fred Harrison in 1985.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Harrison recently put his engineering team on the task of improving the overall controls package on the company’s line of rotary die-cutters. In particular, the servo system and total controls package needed upgrading with newer technology. The previous technology functioned properly and to a satisfactory degree to keep the company competitive in the paperboard container industry, but Hycorr engineers were seeking increased cost containment and a reduced footprint, with no loss in performance on their machines.
After considerable research, and based on the direct experience of a recently hired engineer, Hycorr began its investigation of a totally new system, one that would not only reduce servo drive system and related energy costs, but also integrate both the programmable logic controller (PLC) and human-machine interface (HMI) functions.
Hycorr’s electrical engineer, Mike Walter explains, “We have been building servo driven rotary die-cutters for over 10 years. We wanted to look at a new system for a series of machines that were being built for new customers. After the first price pass, we knew we needed to continue our talks with Siemens.” The package under consideration included servo motors, Sinamics® S120 servo drives, and a Simotion® D motion controller with PLC functionality. Walter continues, “At first, we were only considering this new system for the motion platform. We needed a servo system that would eliminate some gears and maintain the tight tolerances our customers expected for printing and diecutting. We really needed a system with built-in rotary motion functionality.”
Siemens provided the Simotion Shaftless Standard to Hycorr, which greatly reduced this customer’s engineering time. The solution reduced Hycorr’s costs in both hardware and engineering time in terms of the product acquisition as well as the operating energy costs associated with these typically high power-consuming machines. Walter and his team determined that the Siemens motors and drives package was an ideal replacement for the previous vendor’s technology, plus the seamless integration of the PLC and HMI afforded Hycorr additional advantages in control and operational flexibility.
In the proposed implementation of the new solution, each technology (motion, PLC and HMI) had built-in connectivity to the others, making assembly time another area for major savings for this machine manufacturer. Overall, the savings for Hycorr was calculated to be approximately 50 percent,
Capping the decision to make the switch to the Siemens solution was a footprint reduction of 30 percent in control cabinet space. As Walter simply puts it, “The components were smaller. With the combination of the active interface module and active line module, we eliminated the need for line reactors or line filters, thereby saving space, plus mounting and hardwiring time.” Complementing these savings, the Siemens servomotors specified for comparable performance levels were considerably smaller and less expensive to operate than the previous units used.
Working under a tight deadline, the first rotary die-cutter was built and commissioned onsite by Hycorr and Siemens at the end user’s plant. Shortly thereafter, the second machine, needed by another Hycorr customer, was built on a production schedule that Fred Harrison would deem another first for the company in its speed. This improvement in engineering, production and assembly time resulted from the Simotion Shaftless Standard provided at no cost by Siemens to its customers. This Shaftless Standard enabled Hycorr engineers to do much more modular implementation of components plus the interfaces of the overall motion system to the controls architecture. By this process, Hycorr saved approximately 80 percent of its engineering time on the machine build. The entire engineering file for the first machine was loaded from a single compact flash drive and, with minimal debugging, the engineering on the second machine was completed quickly. This demonstrated the serial machine benefits of Simotion, according to Mike Walter.
Components used on the machine builds at Hycorr included Siemens Sinamics S120 drives, Simotion D425 motion controller, 1PH7 servomotors and Simatic® S7 PLC for simple Windows-based operator interface. As part of the Shaftless Standard package, Hycorr is able to make custom modifications to the various options offered on its rotary die cutters, without extensive engineering time.
Fred Harrison concludes, “Hycorr will continue to strive to be first on the market with many innovations, always maintaining the highest quality standards of machine performance. No customer will ever be a trial case for us. We deliver productivity to our customers’ bottom line because we’ve invested in maximizing our own.”
For more information on this story, please contact:
Hycorr Machine Corporation
5801 East Kilgore Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Phone: 269-381-5905
Fax: 269-381-5914
Web: www.hycorr.com
Email: info@hycorr.com
Attention: Fred Harrison, President or Mike Walter, Electrical Engineer
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
Energy Management with Drives
The key is a process, not a product, with many factors contributing to energy efficiency.
What is the key to more energy efficient motion control?
While it is valid to state that energy efficiency is defined as the same level of production being achieved at an overall lower energy cost, it is equally important for today’s machine builders and automation engineers alike to remember than an energy-efficient system can actually translate into higher productivity. This is achievable through a comprehensive approach to energy management. Energy management is a process, rather than a product or series of products installed on a machine, or inline, to achieve a basic energy saving of kW hour consumption.
What are the essential elements and basis of the process?
First, energy monitoring systems must be in place to effectively determine the current consumption. These can include, but are certainly not limited to, energy consumption displays, infeed/supply monitoring devices, power factor meters and more. Next, the proper calculation tools are needed to properly evaluate the life cycle costs of any investment. These tools can be as simple as a motor sizing chart or the software programs used to parameterize drives. However, a more formal mechatronics protocol may be beneficial. In this scenario, a thorough evaluation of both mechanical and electrical/electronic influences on a system, machine or process line is conducted. The results can often open the eyes of machine designers, process engineers and system integrators alike.
What is the general approach to a mechatronics analysis?
This is where a competent supplier can be an effective partner. For example, a solution might involve a vector drive that utilizes an energy optimization function to enhance the efficiency of the motor during partial load operations. In a system with multiple motors, energy savings might be realized to a substantial degree by the use of a drive unit with a common DC bus. The designer can also select the most appropriate infeed solution for the machine, pump or process operation, given the particulars of performance and required output. This may include an appropriately sized infeed unit with regenerative capability, the ability to put unused or braking energy back on the incoming power line.
What are realistic goals for energy savings?
Some applications may allow the use of high efficiency standard induction motors and, in the process, realize a potential savings of 1-3%. The use of frequency converters (VFD) for speed control might raise this to an 8-10% savings.
Optimizing an entire system through mechatronic analysis of the machine or process design, can result in a potential savings of 15-20% by the avoidance of over dimensioning of motors, plus partial load optimization by means of energy-related flow control. This analysis may also point to the ability to use controlled energy infeed and recovery.
What technologies should be evaluated?
A corollary to this discussion should also include a review of potential hydraulic and pneumatic component change outs in certain applications where replacement with an integrated package of motion control and PLC technology might better resolve closed loop pressure control of axes, for example. Fewer components and their related power consumption can lead to overall system productivity improvements, as well as ongoing enhanced energy efficiencies.
As the emergence of new technologies has impacted many of the products used in energy-efficient systems, it is equally important to take a more holistic look at operational sequences and the overall integration scheme when designing, retrofitting or rebuilding for improved energy utilization.
Michael Perlman is the Marketing Programs Manager for the Motion Control business of Siemens Industry, Inc.
For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.
Continue readingWhen the Las Vegas based Cirque de Soleil show, “KA” was looking to maximize motion control and improve the reliability of their stage’s movements, they turned to Siemens. Siemens drives and controls create the automation needed to provide the safety and reliability that is required for a performance of this caliber.
For three years, a Siemens engineering team worked to make this $220 million dollar show and theatre at the Las Vegas MGM Grand spectacular. Visually, the show is like nothing you have ever seen before but reliability, flawless motion and safety was Siemens’ main objective.
The Cirque de Soleil show “KA” requires a 25 x 50 ft section of the floor to rise out of the main portion of the stage. This 6 ft thick, 80 thousand pound
section of the stage provides full motion that rotates 360º and tilts 100º to become a sheer vertical, ultimately lining up perpendicular to the stationary part of the stage… with the performers still on it! I’ll keep my job, thank you. I think Bernard & Company needs to take a field trip to Vegas to see this in person.Check out this video and see how Siemens’ contribution makes this stage show possible.
This article details Siemens’ part in the three year process to get the “KA” stage operating flawlessly.
Complete Set of Application-Ready “Tools” for Converting Applications
ATLANTA — Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today the introduction of the Converting Toolbox, a set of standardized automation tools for the integration of various machine components that previously had to be performed individually. It simplifies web processing applications and offers greater flexibility for machine designers and builders of paper, film, foil and other converting machinery. It is completely scalable and is provided at no cost to qualified machine designers, builders and integrators.
The Converting Toolbox enables machine builders to achieve considerably faster time to market by reducing the time required for engineering, programming, commissioning and documentation, as much as 80 percent in some cases. It offers modular open functions, for items such as:
The Converting Toolbox components take the form of pre-programmed functions. Sample applications demonstrate how each function can be efficiently and effectively implemented into a machine design. Such sample applications are ready-to-use after only minor modifications and include basic HMI functionality. This enables the machine function to be tested and optimized in a very short time frame.
When a functionality module needs to be modified, extended or changed, the Converting Toolbox’s completely open source code provides a wide and solid basis from which even the most specialized functions can be implemented quickly and easily.
Simotion®, the Siemens motion control system, is ideally suited as an operating platform for the Converting Toolbox because applications can be operated directly on an intelligent drive, very compactly and without need of an additional PLC. Simotion offers drive, controller and PC-based topologies. The Converting Toolbox also includes drives-based solutions using Siemens Sinamics® Drive Control Chart (DCC) graphical programming language.
For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.
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ATLANTA — Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today a new service for its popular line of 1FK7 servomotors. Using a configurable options menu to build exactly the motor required, customers can now place an order for any Siemens 1FK7 servomotor and have it drop-shipped in three weeks. Thanks to the diverse range of options available, this new service applies to over 100,000 possible configurations. All compact (CT) and high-dynamic (HD) servomotors in the 1FK7 family are included.
With a total of 6150 option pairings and 18 color choices, servomotors in the 1FK7 family can be configured to 110,700 possible designs. Options include stall torque and RPM rating, encoder style and bit resolution, holding brake functionality, shaft style, IP rating, AC line supply voltage and electronic nameplate recognition via Drive-Cliq®. 1FK7 geared motor options are not included in this program.
Siemens is making this service available to customers in the U.S. market. With the motion controller Simotion® and the drive system Sinamics® S stocked in the United States, Siemens is now able to supply complete motion control systems in three weeks’ lead time.
According to Arun Jain, general manager, Siemens Motion Control Business, “We have made the commitment to significantly shorten servomotor delivery times. The 1FK7 family has a wide user base for motion control applications, so we have selected this very important line for this major customer service initiative. We have devised and implemented an entirely new protocol for motor manufacturing and production at our factories.”
For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol.
For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.
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