November/December 2019

39 www.drivesncontrols.com November/December 2019 The modular operating mode selection and access permission system PITmode fusion combines safety and security in one system. The coded RFID transponder keys ensure that, on flexible machines where multiple users switch between different control sequences and operating modes, only those authorised and safely trained to do the task can gain access. Safe & Secure Machine Access ... Pilz Automation Technology Corby NN18 8TJ 01536 460766 sales@pilz.co.uk www.pilz.co.uk For further information about the PITmode fusion System from Pilz: Visit www.pilz.co.uk and enter Webcode 150439 or simply give us a call! Modular  Secure  Safe  Simple & Intuitive  Connected Safe and smart automation solutions that enable the intelligent production of the future – talk to a Pilz expert today! ... we‘ve got it covered MACHINE SAFETY n Palletisers rely on brakes and couplings to handle 700kg loads of bottles safely T he average German consumes about 145 litres of mineral water and 110 litres of beer every year. Intelligent, high-performance machines are needed to pack, transport and sort the millions of bottles safely and efficiently. The German family-run machine- builder Beyer Maschinenbau specialises in designing and building packaging and palletiser systems for the food and beverage industry. Its MultiPal family of palletisers handle products such as mineral water, fruit juice and beer. They include a variety of column and gantry palletisers and robots, with up to six axes. The systems must be able to lift and accurately position extremely heavy loads with complete safety. “The MultiPal machines de-palletise pallets containing, for example, empty drinks crates, in layers,” explains managing director Till Beyer – the fourth generation of his family to run the company.“This means that a gripper head lifts a layer of eight or even 16 crates from the pallet and positions them onto a conveyor belt.” The crates are then transported on the conveyor belt to, for example, a cleaning or filling station. After filling, the crates are moved back and the palletiser positions them in layers or in rows back onto the palettes, ready for shipment. “Depending on the application, our palletisers can lift load capacities up to 700kg and process up to 4,000 crates per hour,”Beyer continues. To ensure that the operation runs faultlessly, all movements must be executed with the utmost precision. For example, the crates must be stacked exactly on top of one another, or the bottles positioned with high accuracy into the compartments of the crate. To ensure that its palletisers and packaging machines operate with the highest safety when handling these heavy loads, Beyer relies on pneumatic safety brakes and disc pack couplings. The brakes – Mayr Roba-linearstop devices – help to ensure the safety of hoisting applications.“If, for example, a belt tears,”explains Beyer’s head of engineering, Thomas Luckmann, “they ensure that nothing else is broken. They are protective cells, within which people are not allowed to stand during operation. During maintenance, however, people have to enter these areas. The brakes guarantee their safety.” Beyer uses disc pack couplings, for example, to transmit the torque from drives to gripper head guides. The couplings – Mayr Roba DS devices – transmit the torque backlash-free and with extreme torsional rigidity, and compensate for existing radial, axial and angular shaft misalignments. They not only ensure precise torque transmission, but also protect the bearing installed in the shaft train from undesired loads.