Festo recently designed and supplied a complete system for the Octopus fully automated packaging machine for Finnish packaging machinery manufacturer, Haloila.
The packaging machine seamlessly wraps plastic sheeting around the target product, using Festo pneumatic drives and a modular, high performance CPX/MPA terminal. The Festo solution for the Octopus also encompasses air preparation and compact design. The CPX/MPA is a front-end controller, or PLC, combined with a modular valve terminal, enabling modular interchangeable and wide connectable options to identical networks.
The design of the project delivered numerous benefits, like modular flexible control technology for easy installation and modification, reliable safe components for higher process reliability and end users benefit from quality components. Festo supplied the complete package, including pre-assembled units which simplified ordering and reduced costs.
The Octopus has the flexibility to be able to pack almost anything, says Jari Paavola, Haloila factory manager.
"It does not matter if the goods to hand are pallets with crates of drinks or stacks of cement sacks - flexible wraps provide protection and security for transportation."
In contrast to other packaging machines, with Octopus the pallet itself does not rotate. Rather, a sheeting magazine mounted on a guide ring circles the palleted goods and wraps them seamlessly. Transparent and resilient, the PE sheeting used is between 12 and 30 μm, depending on requirements. The sheeting is stored on rolls in a magazine, which is carefully levelled to allow the sheeting to be easily unrolled. A telescopic frame construction travels down to the pallet from above, thus ensuring that even tall or irregularly-shaped palleted goods are evenly wrapped. Various winding programmes can be selected. The Octopus is capable of wrapping 50 to 110 pallets per hour in this way.
The Octopus uses grippers to pick up the cut edge of the sheeting, tension it and transport it to the goods to be packed. A special system is used to pre-stretch the resilient sheeting between 0 and 300% to ensure improved gripping of the goods. After the first encirclement of the goods, the sheeting sticks to these and can be released by the grippers.
Standard Festo cylinders Type DSN are used to open, turn and close the grippers. Installed in various sizes and in the version without position detection, these reliable drives fully meet the stringent demands of the application with regard to running properties and service life. Air preparation is provided safely and reliably by service units from the Festo D series - which forms part of the complete package, including a controller for each Octopus.
To ensure full protection, a piece of special wide sheeting is laid on the products by means of a fully automatic cover placer. This sheeting is available in two widths as required. The projecting ends of the sheeting are pressed around the goods by compressed air until the first layer of the enveloping stretch sheeting fixes the cover in place and seals it airtight.
The function of the transparent cocoons of sheeting is not only to hold the goods securely together on the pallets, but also to guard especially sensitive goods, such as paper, against moisture and the penetration of dirt and dust. In these cases, intermediate layers of sheeting are inserted.
To ensure that the supply of resilient protective sheeting never comes to an end, arrangements have been made for automatic replenishment. A roll changing system integrated into the Octopus replaces empty magazines with full ones. This is controlled by a modular CPX electrical terminal, installed directly on the roll changer. This, in conjunction with an MPA valve terminal, combines electrical and pneumatic components in a single unit connected to a fieldbus interface.
The roll changer has two magazine holders opposite each other and can be turned through 180°. Once equipped with a full magazine, the changer system advances to the guide ring. Two rodless cylinders Type DGC press the magazine out of its holder with a vertical motion. A pair of DNCB drives simultaneously position the full sheet magazine on the guide ring and transfer out the empty magazine at the rear. The Octopus is now ready to continue with its packaging work.
For more information contact Joanne Dix, sales and marketing, Festo, +27 (0)11 971 55 60, [email protected]
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