Rexroth's IndraMotion control systems for food processing and packaging applications can be scaled across three hardware platforms to suit the budgets of small to large businesses. The software,called Motion Logic, provides off-line and linear motion components.
The basic package offers space saving for such appsimulation of processing setups and comes with online tools to monitor and debug operations.
Major in automation and information technologies are making inroads in food processing and packaging operations according to an analysis by Swiss-based InTechno Consulting.
Control and automation systems are being used more and more in food processing plants as a means of increasing food safety and productivity. The trend has also translated into an increasinguse of robots for performing packaging and palletling operations.
IndraMotion is part of Rexroth's GenNext technology that the company offers with Bosch Rexroth's electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic lications as carton erecting and labeling. The core hardware component is the digital drive system, IndraDrive. It can provide motion control forpackages in six axes.
The medium or "enhanced" package is based on Rexroth's new controller-based Motion Logic platform, IndraMotion MLC, to provide real-time motion control for up to 16 axes for applicationssuch as cartoners and form, fill and seal machines. Up to 64 controllers can be networked together to synchronise an entire line or process.
The core hardware component of this system is Rexroth's IndraControl L40. The controller base module offers standardised communication interfaces, including Ethernet, RS232 and Sercos. Thecontroller base modules can be expanded with additional communication interfaces or technology modules.
The high end or "advanced" system is is capable of handling up to 40 axes per controller. Up to 32 controllers can be linked together to provide highly-synchronized motion control for upto 1,280 axes.
The system comes with a method for synchronisation and coordinated motion for applications such as palletizers, top loaders and horizontal form, fill and seal machines.
The system also features the ability to perform on-the-fly synchronization and quick changes between different products and materials on the machine. The core hardware component of the system isthe Rexroth PPC controller, which features a 32 channel, high-speed programmable switch giving the user the capability to compensate for variable machine speed and for the dispensing of complex gluepatterns.
IndraMotion for packaging allows provides off-line simulation and online tools for monitoring and debugging the program.
IndraMotion is part of Rexroth's GenNext technology that the company offers with Bosch Rexroth's electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic and linear motion components for packaging machinery.