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From 4-pack to fridge pack

Flexibility and rapid changeover are among the key benefits gained by Thiele’s decision to rely heavily on servo technology in its new packer.

GUIDE SYSTEM. A servo-driven overhead guide system eliminates the possibility of pack separation during carton-loading.
GUIDE SYSTEM. A servo-driven overhead guide system eliminates the possibility of pack separation during carton-loading.

The new ServoBeverage Packer from Thiele Technologies, a subsidiary of Barry-Wehmiller Cos. (www.barry-wehmiller.com), represents a significant shift from traditional mechanical drives to the greater flexibility and control provided by an all-servo motion system.

With engineering help from Motion Tech Automation (www.motiontech.com) and servo technology from the electric drives and controls group of Bosch Rexroth (www.boschrexroth.com), Thiele built a machine that can erect up to 2겨 containers/min, in sizes from 6.5 to 16 oz, in a variety of heights and configurations. Containers can be cans or bottles. From 4-packs to 30-packs to the two-by-six configuration of the increasingly popular refrigerator pack, the ServoBeverage Packer stands ready. It relies on 10 independent Rexroth MKD servo motors with absolute feedback each controlled by a Rexroth DKC servo drive. Also a key component is the master PPC motion controller. Running Visual Motion software, this Sercos-based controller synchronizes all of the machine’s operations. It also has a DeviceNet interface and an integral programmable limit switch (PLS). The 10 servo axes on the machine are rotary placer, six infeed starwheels, carton flights, barrel cam loader, and overhead confiner.

The compact DKC servo drive electronics allow the use of standard 300-mm cabinets for a compact machine design. Another element of the servo drive system, the MKD servo motors, are IP65-rated, which gives the machine washdown capabilities. The motors offer peak torque up to 187 Nm, and their maintenance-free operation is attributed to their brushless design and to having bearings with lifetime lubrication.

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