The market of products with liquid food and beverages is changing increasingly faster. Machine users in the beverage industry therefore demand more flexible systems. This reinforces the trend towards more and more servo-drives in machines, and the shifting of functions to software. Consequently, the complexity rises for the machine manufacturer. Rexroth now offers them Open Core Engineering with pre-programmed function toolkits and new degrees of freedom for individual functions in the system solution IndraMotion. With the cabinet free drive technology IndraDrive Mi Rexroth supports the modularization of flexible machine concepts. Machine manufacturers can therefore reduce the engineering effort for the entire automation, thus shortening the time to market.
Parameterizing instead of programming
Open Core Engineering integrates all the necessary software tools for efficient engineering. Rexroth has integrated its application experience in software in pre-programmed function toolkits of the system solution IndraMotion. For example, “adaptive systems“ adjust the machine to changed conditions without additional programming effort. Active vibration damping of the intelligent servo-drives IndraDrive increases dynamics while sparing the mechanical system and preventing liquids from spilling over. This motion control increases productivity and automatically compensates for fluctuations in process parameters. The machine manufacturer merely has to parameterize this prepared function.
The adaptive system FlexProfile reduces the engineering effort for switching over to changed formats and recipes by means of software commands. This control function automatically establishes motion relations between connected drives. The OEM only has to set parameters to significantly increase the flexibility of machines.
The fact that functions are increasingly implemented in software extends modularization in the machine building sector to also create modular software. Rexroth reflects this trend with the Generic Application Template GAT. This engineering tool accelerates the creation and linking of software modules to form complete automation solutions. In this way, machine manufacturers can shorten their time to market as the software share in automation increases.
Innovations through individual functions
Machine manufacturers can also realize individual machine functions with real-time access quickly and on their own with the high level languages of the IT world: This is now possible thanks to the new interface technology of Open Core Engineering with extended access to the control kernel. In this way, Rexroth now bridges the gap between the automation and the IT world.
Moreover, machine builders can now remarkably simplify operation and diagnostics with smartphones and tablet PCs. Open Core Engineering allows them to create application programs for smart devices in the relevant target platform. These apps can access the control wireless and with all operating functions of these devices.
Cabinet free drive technology simplifies modularization
On the hardware side, the cabinet free drive technology IndraDrive Mi supports the further modularization of flexible machine concepts. By merging drive electronics and the motor to form an integral unit, electronics in the control cabinet is almost eliminated, and the required cabling for the connection of individual components is drastically reduced. The consequence is a maximum of flexibility and efficiency for both, the machine builder and the machine user: The control cabinet volume, cabling effort and power losses in the control cabinet are reduced by up to 90 percent. Only a single cable is required for connecting drives that are connected in series. If drives are required in the system at a later point in time, for example due to an additionally installed machine module, these drives can easily be integrated at the desired position in the line – without affecting the control cabinet or the rest of the machine or production line.
Rexroth complements the automation solution IndraMotion for bottling beverages and liquid food with components and mechatronic modules of hygienic design. The runner block of the linear guides with stainless steel cover strip are made of corrosion-inhibiting materials in conformity with FDA. Complete linear modules simplify the construction and, with their smooth surfaces without gaps and bores, meet the requirements for a hygienic design.
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