Single drive package helps pet product manufacture

A Control Techniques Dynamics product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 11, 2000

Thomas's Europe, one of the UK's largest manufacturers of pet snacks and treats, has purchased a state-of-the-art servo motor/drive package from Control Techniques Dynamics

Thomas's Europe, one of the UK's largest manufacturers of pet snacks and treats, has purchased a state-of-the-art servo motor/drive package from Control Techniques Dynamics for a new cutting machine purchased by the company for its latest line in dog biscuits.

The servo motor/drive package includes CTD's Unimotor AC brushless servomotors together with Control Techniques Unidrive Uni 1410 and Trio MC204 position controller.

Thomas's Europe had previously used Control Techniques Unidrive system for its induction motors.

The purchase of CT Dynamics' Unimotor range of servomotors was felt by Thomas's Europe to be a natural progression following its decision to move to servo-control for all applications requiring accuracy of motion and fast process rates.

The servo-system, operated as a Standard Inverter, Flux Vector Inverter and Servo Amplifier, allows Thomas's Europe to develop the optimum velocity profile.

The flying shear axis is used to intercept the speed of the line and is synchronised to the reference encoder feedback used to horizontally track the product while cutting.

At this point, the height adjuster determines whether the ultrasonic shear either cuts the product into lengths or makes an indent on the top of the dough.

The flying shear then returns to its start position and repeats the process.

"Previously we would have had to purchase an inverter, standard loop inverter, flux inverter and a PLC for this application, but Control Techniques was able to supply us with everything in one package, saving us time, money and space", said Manufacturing Manager, Andrew Gilpin.

"As we are able to use just one drive, the Unidrive, we have reduced the maintenance and downtime on this machine.

This has been further enhanced by the fact that the Unimotor is a brushless AC servomotor and, therefore, no downtime is needed to change brushes".

Every minute, a throughput of two and a half metres of product is handled by the conveyor system with the flying shear making 20 cuts.

Used at the optimum level, the servo system will allow the machine to increase the number of cuts by 200%.

Both the two motor driven x and y axes and the reference encoder axis are controlled by Control Techniques MC204 position controller which is capable of controlling up to four axes.

The system uses a powerful digital signal processor to achieve high performance motion control.

The Control Techniques Dynamics 75mm frame braked Unimotor with encoder feedback supplies a rated speed of 3000-rpm, a stall torque of 2.5Nm and a peak torque of 6.2 NM.

"We now have a one-stop-shop for all motion control applications as Control Techniques can provide motors, drives and positioning systems that suit our requirements.

We will continue to use CT products for all our motion control applications", said Andrew Gilpin A division of Mars UK Ltd., part of the US owned Mars Inc.

conglomerate, Thomas's Europe operates from a large site in Batley, West Yorkshire where it manufacturers petfoods, snacks and treats under the brand names of Pedigree, Whiskas and Frolica.

Major markets for the company are the UK, Germany, France and Benelux, with 50% of product being exported.