Sweet wrapping with 'MotionSuite'
Yaskawa Electric's MotionSuite machine control software has converted a
sleeve wrapper machine on a confectionery packaging line from mechanical
to servo technology, reducing changeover time between products and
generally improving productivity. The form, fill and seal machine packs
chocolate bars at high speed, the roll-fed printed plastic being wrapped
around a mandrel to form a tube into which the bars are conveyor-fed.
Once inside, the chocolate is transported by the tube, which is then
sealed and separated.
In the new control scheme, two pairs of pinch rolls (which pull the
plastic tube from the form mandrel) are driven by Yaskawa Sigma II
digital servo drives under the control of Yaskawa MP940 single-axis
motion controllers. They then transport the tube, seal the seam to
complete the tube and centre the printing on the plastic over the
chocolate bar. The process makes use of a digital gearing algorithm
within the MotionSuite software, which includes registration for printing
position. The digital gear function is co-ordinated by the master MP940
control on a flying seal knife. The seal axis consists of a complex cam
movement that seals and separates the plastic tube to form individual
pouches around the bars. Close control of cam profile ensures that the
bars are closely spaced but accurately centred in the pouches.