Drive Technology for Flexible Packaging Machines
Packaging processes are extremely complex: The machines have to be loaded automatically, both with the packaging material and with the respective products. The automation systems have to perform a number of tasks before the finished package can leave the machine. The processes involved in the handling and the actual packing process call for a large number of powerful servo axes, which often also have to work smoothly with pick-and-place robotics. It is therefore extremely practical if the different components can be controlled using a single controller. This means that the programmer can concentrate fully on the application without having to worry about the underlying technology of the different systems.
ESATEC, a French company that specializes in packaging machines, has developed a highly flexible packaging machine in the form of the Turbomailing . This machine is capable of positioning and gluing almost all types of rigid and supple products, whether pre-cut or off the roll, onto any carrier or cardboard sheet and then folding the containers. These include, for example, perfume or cosmetics samples, gift cards, Blu-rays and DVDs as well as sachets for powder, liquids or food. A2C, the parent company of ESATEC, already uses this type of Turbomailing packaging machine in its plant in Puymoyen near Angoulême, France. The company specializes in packaging operations for the cosmetics and food industries and, owing to its machinery, is able to respond extremely quickly to a wide variety of customer requirements.
Individually Packaged Perfume and Cosmetics Samples
In Puymoyen, the new ESATEC machine is used to package cosmetics and perfume samples individually for use in promotions. Different operating modes make it possible to accommodate up to three different samples on one carrier and, if necessary, combine them with instruction leaflets as well. The samples and carriers are first fed into the machine on a conveyor belt and are brought into position in the loading station by a friction feeder. A four-axis delta robot and a further, patented five-axis pick-and-place unit place the samples on the carrier, which is then folded twice or three times. Depending on the product specification, between 6000 and 10,000 high-quality packaging units are created per hour in this way. The cycle times are thus extremely short, meaning highly responsive drives are essential. Components from Yaskawa were therefore selected both for the robotics and the servo axes for a number of reasons.