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| Simotion and Sinamics speed up sticking plaster manufacture | | 3,300 Plasters per Minute | When we use a plaster we rarely ask ourselves how it is manufactured and packed. However, the machines which produce plasters for treating wounds are highly developed and extremely efficient, fast and accurate. This is demonstrated by an Italian machine manufacturer who relies on Siemens drive technology.
R.C.A. Bignami in Varese in Northern Italy has developed machines for manufacturing plasters which are among the most interesting in this market segment. The latest machine is also the fastest: it produces 50 meters of 15 millimeter wide plaster per minute; that is more than 3,300 plasters.
Bignami used to automate its machines with an NC controller which was no longer suitable for the new system because of the required performance. The company therefore contracted Motion Engineering, a Siemens system partner for motion control applications, to develop an entirely new control architecture and to incorporate its long years of experience with fast running machines.
Absolute precision
What immediately catches the eye on the Bignami machines is the large spools with different material. Because a plaster consists of different layered materials such as woven textiles or plastic carriers, adhesive, lint, hydrocolloids and silicone paper depending on its purpose. The machine axes controller must therefore be able to regulate the speed of application of the individual layers with absolute precision and also enable an exact and very fast cutting.
The Simotion D445, the most efficient of the drive-based CPUs of the modular Simotion motion control system, was chosen to control the 18 servo axes of the Bignami machine. Devices of the new Sinamics S120 drive series serve as drive converters and servo motors of the 1FK7 series with built-on planetary gears are used.
In addition to the entire machine logic, Simotion D controls the winding and unwinding spools, the rotating knives for cutting the plasters to size and the settings depending on the cutting position - all within a cycle time of two milliseconds. Both the compact structure and the performance spoke in favor of the combination of Simotion D and Sinamics S120. All the motion control functions and the machine logic were programmed by Scout, the Simotion engineering tool.
Totally integrated drive regulation
The regulation of the Sinamics drives is also totally integrated into Simotion D. The current and speed are regulated centrally in a single module for all the involved axes in this drive series. The uniform, digital communication interface Drive-Cliq which connects all the electronic components through to the motors is the "backbone" of the system. All the data necessary for operating the drive assembly are transmitted via this interface with compact, easily assemblable and pluggable cables which ensures a clear structure and simple wiring.
Thanks to Drive-Cliq the controller is able to enter all the components' electronic rating plates automatically and to configure itself automatically accordingly. This offers great advantages because the initial start-up is much faster and easier and the possibilities of the system diagnostics are greatly improved.
The project engineer responsible at Motion Engineering, Lucio Bonandini, confirms that the flexibility offered by the Scout engineering system was decisive for the success of the application. Especially the possibility of organizing routine processes in function blocks (FB) allows program modules to be assembled which can be used as often as you like in many instances. This option was used intensively for the different winding and unwinding spools of the machine which are all controlled by calling the same component for different axes.
Restarting by pressing a button
Specific "technology objects" manage the sensor inputs for the diameter control. These finished software functions contain everything that is necessary to filter and process signals and provide them for calculation of the regulator. The "synchronisation of all axes when switching on" ultimately allows fast, reliable restarting after every fault. Functional, easily comprehensible graphics on the MP370 guide the operator through all the data which are important for production.
The machine which was developed for a large German company has already aroused the interest of other important companies in the medical and sanitary products sector. Not only the machine itself but also the cooperation with the project partners Motion Engineering and Siemens as well as the efficiency of the Simotion and Sinamics system have impressed the owner director of the Italian machine manufacturer, Giorgio Bignami.
Ideas 3 / 2007 | |
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