Electric drive answers print machine demands
A
Parker-Origa product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 7, 2008
Hoerbiger-Origa offers a comprehensive range of drives all designed within an interchangeable modular format, and fully detailed in a handbook.
When Travtec Packaging Engineering started developing a new high performance hygienic seal film printing machine, it knew that precision linear indexing would be the key to success, so called in automation components specialist Hoerbiger-Origa for consultation.
The two companies had worked together on several previous projects and Hoerbiger-Origa had always had a suitable unit in its range of linear actuators.
This time the brief was to develop a printer that could traverse back and forth across a moving web of clear film, applying vital consumer information and branding just before the film seals containers filled with say dairy or meat products, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals, prior to lidding.
The printing on the film had to be positionally accurate relative to the container and timed to the sequence control of the overall machine.
As the containers indexed through a filling station with typically five to ten filling heads in line abreast, the printer is required to traverse with a demanding intermittent motion cycle, and this suggested that a servo driven electric linear actuator would be required to achieve the necessary accuracy and repeatability.
Travtec had previously used Hoerbiger-Origa's rodless pneumatic actuators, on machines such as case feeders and carton printers, but knew of its electric drives too.
However identifying a suitable unit was not that straightforward.
Electric linear drives are at the heart of many automation systems, but engineers can find their selection, specification and installation frustrating due to the demanding roles they are usually required to fulfil.
This has led to a proliferation of different types and nonstandard sizes of electric actuators, which often serves to add yet more difficulty to the design engineer's task.
Hoerbiger-Origa has addressed this issue by developing a comprehensive range of drives that encompasses belt and ballscrew mechanisms, multi-axis connectors, precision guides and various motor and controller options.
They are all designed within an interchangeable modular format, and fully detailed in a handbook that was quickly made available to Travtec.
The design that the engineering team evolved uses a standard thermal ribbon printer mounted on a screw-driven Hoerbiger actuator so that it can traverse across the web.
The load is quite low because the printer weighs only a few kilograms, and the speed is not particularly high as it is dictated by the carton filling time.
Typically it takes 3s to complete one traverse of about 700mm stroke, but having to index to five to ten positions and print each container's seal makes this a demanding duty cycle.
Hoerbiger-Origa took all of this into account and recommended a high-specification servomotor and controller, rather than a lower cost stepper as the motive drive.
The relatively low speed and precision indexing suggested the use of a ballscrew axis rather than a belt drive.
It was also decided to use the actuators with vee-slides to aid the long term reliability of the traversing mechanism, a vital consideration in the industries for which it is destined.
Travtec has been beta site testing its new traversing system since early this year, and its success to date has meant that a steady demand is already building up.
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Contact Parker-Origa
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