Festo will be demonstrating at Pack Expo 2013, September 23-25 in Las Vegas, an EtherNet/IP enabled integrated motion solution. The integrated drive electronics and fieldbus interface of the Festo MTR-ECI-EP (EtherNet/IP variant) allows for decentralized motion solutions in machine building. (Festo Booth #6002)
The MTR-ECI was specifically designed for applications involving automatic format adjustments, providing for greater flexibility and lower changeover times – capabilities that can reduce operating costs. Applications include: print-head adjustments, guide adjustments on conveyors, hard stop adjustments in volumetric filling machines, pressure sensitive labeling, and more.
The MTR-ECI consists of a brushless EC motor, a positioning controller, power electronics, and multi-turn absolute encoder. In addition, several gearbox ratios and a variety of integrated fieldbus interfaces are offered – all in a compact single device with simplified cabling. The MTR-ECI-EP (EtherNet/IP variant) comes standard with a stainless steel shaft, IP65 protection level, food-grade grease, and a rated torque range from 1.62 Nm to 5.60 Nm. The high IP 65 rating and stainless steel shaft allows use of the MTR-ECI motor even in harsh environmental conditions.
Festo also offers customized variants tailored to application needs, including options such as an integrated holding brake and larger gear ratios resulting in torques up to 35.45 Nm.
Applications in the packaging industry requiring format adjustments
Many packaging machines are fully automatic and servodriven in their operation, yet they require manual intervention when changes in production are required, such as when a different size carton will be processed. These manual changes are made by turning hand wheels to adjust the size of rollers, hard stops, or carton erectors. Set up times are correspondingly long for these manual procedures, particularly for more complex machines with many axes requiring adjustment. By replacing the hand wheels with small servo drives, batch changes can be automated.
Product and format changes on machines can be carried out automatically with a high level of adjustment accuracy and reproducibility. A compact housing allows simple integration in new and existing machines. It’s quiet operation, long service life, nominal torque of up to 35.45 Nm (with G169 gear option ) and a rotational speed of up to 592 RPM (with G7 gear option) meet the requirements of most applications.
When does it make sense to automate format adjustments?
Small batch sizes and frequent product changes affect the level of utilization of packaging and other processing machines. Numerous adjustments are frequently required before production can begin. Changeover times can be long if these are carried out manually, particularly for more complex machines when several axes require adjusting. Employing Festo MTR-ECI motors offers benefits such as time savings, precision, and reproducibility of settings, which results in fewer rejects, increased quality, and lower operating costs. It is by no means a replacement for the classical servo drives on process axes on machinery; rather the MTR-ECI is a reasonably priced alternative for automating the adjustment of auxiliary axes.
Simple plant network integration with EtherNet/IP
Integration of these motors in the existing plant network is accomplished via the built-in fieldbus interface. These motors in combination with a PLC can be used to create complex yet cost-effective control systems. Ready to-use add-on instructions are available for programming movements with Rockwell PLCs.
The built-in multi-turn absolute encoder retains the motor shaft position when the machine is turned off. As a result no reference run is necessary on machine start-up, saving significant time on machines with long axes.
[info] www.festo.com/us [/info]