April 2020

47 www.drivesncontrols.com April 2020 CONVEYORS, MATERIALS HANDLING AND AGVs n Robots and linear drives produce flexible unscrambler T he Spanish machine-builder Packfeeder designs and builds positioning and sorting systems for plastic containers and bottles. Located in Barcelona, it serves sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care. Packfeeder produces a range of robotic systems for feeding containers of different sizes, characteristics and materials, at speeds that can be varied to suit production demands. Its robotic bottle sorters can handle containers ranging in size from 3–4ml to 1l or more, at speeds of up to 500/min. The company’s modular Pickfeeder robotised bottles sorters and unscramblers can be configured to operate with one or more delta robots. These are combined with Beckhoff’s XTS production transport system and HepcoMotion’s GFX guidance technology to provide what is claimed to be the most versatile automatic format change machine in the market, guaranteeing “the best soft transfer in the world”. Beckhoff’s XTS (eXtended Transport System) uses linear servomotors to drive independently controlled “movers” around a track at speeds of up to 4m/s, with high positional accuracy. Its modular architecture results in compact machine designs. The movers operate independently and dynamically, and can be synchronised and grouped, giving flexible movement in continuous processes. Automatic format changing allows it to adapt easily to transport different products, cutting downtime and increasing machine efficiency. One of Packfeeder’s latest machines, the patented Pickfeeder Twin 200 unscrambler system, can be adapted to handle a variety of bottle sizes, shapes and speeds. Its simple design is said to transform complex tasks into simple procedures, and allows formats to be changed rapidly without needing tools or to make adjustments. The compact system is claimed to offer the best packaging ratio per minute/m 2 in its sector. The first version of the Pickfeeder could handle 160 items per minute, but Packfeeder wanted to increase the machine's positioning cycles and thus to address the growing market demands for flexibility and high output levels. It had to be able to handle 200 0.5kg containers per minute, with 2.4 second cycle times, working 16 hours a day, seven days a week with a guaranteed operating life of at least two years. The resulting machine has a 3m-perimeter track and includes straight sections powered by five Beckhoff linear motors, as well as two 180-degree curves. The circuit is mounted at an angle of 45 degrees to overcome the forces of gravity when returning the movers. HepcoMotion worked with Beckhoff to develop a new version of its 1-Trak system for the application. Hepco’s GFX guidance system provides a high load capacity with precision movement. Its low-maintenance circuit comprises straight and arc-shaped sections and a clothoid curved transition that provides a gentle motion for the movers and allows the Pickfeeder machine to run faster and more smoothly than would be possible for an oval- shaped track. High-performance load-bearing bearings mounted on the rigid bodies of the movers, along with the magnetic blocks and the encoder vane, ensure good positional accuracy. The high kinematics of the demanding application, with speeds of up to 3m/s, accelerations of up to 30m/s 2 , as well as the 45-degree mounting orientation, required HepcoMotion to design and manufacture a new circuit with lighter movers and low friction, without compromising the XTS’load capacity, rigidity or precision. “To reduce the weight of the movers, it was necessary to design andmanufacture a lightened aluminiumbody without compromising its rigidity and special bearings that provide sufficient load capacity to withstand the demanding requirements of the application,”explains Hepco’s r&d director, Steve Rendall. n A Spanish machine-builder has turned to delta robots, working in tandem with a linear-motor-driven transport technology, to produce a flexible, low-maintenance unscrambler machine that can handle up to 200 plastic containers a minute, each weighing up to 0.5kg. The Pickfeeder unscrambler system uses Beckhoff’s XTS technology in combination with delta robots to process up to 200 plastic containers every minute