Automated positioning
RK linear axes automate floor conveyors
To modernize an existing conveyor concept for a plastic injection moulding plant, RK Rose+Krieger worked with Lenord, Bauer & Co. to implement fully automatic positioning systems for a multi-level conveyor.
In the course of general process automation, automated infeed axes for industrial positioning systems are very much in demand - as is the case at Maschinen-Förder-Produkte (MFP) from Finnentrop. The manufacturer of conveyor belt and system technology was commissioned by a customer to modernize an existing conveyor concept for a plastic injection moulding plant. The pallet runners produced pass through a floor conveyor from MFP for cooling, which holds more than 30 runners at a time. Warm plastic injection molded parts tend to deform. They must therefore be kept precisely in shape during the entire cooling process in order to ensure the desired final quality. This task is performed by precisely positioned pressure beams. "Our customer wanted fully automatic adjustment of the pressure beams in order to minimize set-up times and at the same time achieve 100% repeatability," explains MFP company founder Andreas Melchers.
Double-tube axes and electromotive actuators
The pressure beams are positioned by automated linear axes consisting of double-tube axes from Rose+Krieger and specially adapted electromotive actuators from Lenord + Bauer. It quickly became clear to MFP that Rose+Krieger would supply the linear axes. "However, as actuators are not part of our portfolio, we have been working successfully with Lenord + Bauer in this area for several years and offer coordinated solutions for automated linear technology," explains Jörg Töhte, Key Account Manager at Rose+Krieger. A total of 18 automated infeed axes are used to position the pressure beams - six on each of the three levels of the multi-level conveyor.
As the axes have to compensate for comparatively high bending moments in this application, MFP chose type EPX30 double tube units. The robust, self-locking tube system linear units have a sliding guide and a trapezoidal threaded spindle (right-hand thread, outer diameter 14 millimetres, pitch three millimetres). In this application, the spindle is supported by a ball bearing. For use in environments with fine dusts, it can optionally be equipped with a plain bearing.
It is equipped with a driven and a moving second guide carriage, both of which are connected to a clamping plate. The greater support distance between the carriages ensures that the axis can absorb high (bending) moments. Sliding bushes in the guide carriages reduce the drive torque on the guide tubes and minimize wear on the carriage.
Pressure beam positioning in the floor conveyor
The double-tube unit is suitable for manual and motorized adjustment as well as for installation in any position and for ambient temperatures from zero to plus 60 degrees Celsius. These properties and its pitch accuracy of plus/minus 0.2 millimetres / 300 millimetre stroke make it ideal for precise pressure beam positioning in the MFP floor conveyor.
Each axis is automated with a Powerdrive actuator from Lenord + Bauer. Due to the cramped installation situation, the drives with stepped housing were specially designed for such applications. The compact power packs offer a nominal torque of five Newton meters with an installation depth of 96 millimeters. Each actuator is a complete mechatronic unit consisting of a brushless DC motor, 32-bit microprocessor, output stage and gearbox. Automation of the linear axes is also possible at a later date without a great deal of mechanical effort. All you need to do is remove the handwheels for manual adjustment and fit actuators for electrical adjustment.
An adapter kit developed by Lenord + Bauer for the EPX30 ensures a tight fit of the drive directly on the spindle end of the linear axis. In addition to the friction-locked shaft connection, it also contains a torque support that absorbs the forces that occur and forms the necessary floating bearing.
Data exchange with the system controller
To connect the actuators to the system, he uses the decentralized control unit Powerdrive-Box - also from Lenord + Bauer. It controls up to five drives, supplies them with power and ensures communication. A plug-in interface makes it easier to integrate the box into standard industrial networks and ensures data exchange with the system control. In the machine, the positioning system is linked to a Siemens S7-314 via Profinet.
Ready-made software modules integrate the positioning system into the control system, in which the various skid types are stored in a recipe management system. Once the recipe has been selected, the actuators automatically move to the corresponding position. "Thanks to the fully automatic changeover of the pressure bars, our customer receives perfectly shaped runners - reproducibly and without setting errors," says Melchers. as
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