Control and Drive Technology back to current issue Sercos and Rexroth cabinet free drive technology helps streamline servo-driven case packers Brenton Engineering designed a new line of side-loading case packers to exceed current “green manufacturing” end user trends, featuring servo control to increase speed and reduce energy costs within a compact footprint. Brenton Engineering, a large provider of packaging and palletizing equipment located in Alexandria, Minnesota, USA, spent months consulting with customers and vendors before designing the next generation of its popular BrentonPro Series of case packer machines. “Customers wanted a faster and simpler all-servo machine,” said Mike Grinager, VP of Technology for Brenton Engineering. “With the new design we did everything we could to reduce the complexity of the machine. We took out the pneumatics, which was the most expensive aspect of the machine, and our engineers removed more than 200 moving parts, redu- 112 AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 3/2014
Control and Drive Technology cing costs by one third. Plus, the integrated servo motors and drives that we now use require less space than even the smallest motors we used previously,” said Grinager. As a result, Brenton’s new BrentonPro Mach-2 case packer is an all-servo-driven, side-load case packer featuring an IndraDrive Mi motor integrated drive system with Sercos distributed I/O, an IndraMotion MLC motion logic controller and the IndraControl VEP40 human machine interface (HMI) all from Bosch Rexroth, Illinois. According to Grinager, the multi-axis machine reaches speeds of up to 25 cases per minute and can accommodate a variety of cases, including RSC, HSC, tray, wrap-around, knock-down and harness for cartons, bottles, cans and tubs. During operation, an empty case blank is picked by vacuum and set in the machine. The case is moved through loading and sealing sections of the machine, which are powered by servo-driven flap traps. After loading, the full case is indexed through a compression and sealing area. The completed case is then discharged on the customer’s takeaway conveyor. Cost-effective and simple solution Brenton developed the Mach-2 case packer to minimize the environmental impact of packaging operations through the appropriate use of electric servo drives, resulting in lower energy consumption – including zero air consumption - and less product and packaging waste. The company worked closely with local Bosch Rexroth distributor Motion Tech Automation,Oakdale, Minnesota during this phase of the development. “We recommended Rexroth’s compact, scalable IndraDrive Mi motor integrated drive system, which is an innovative, cost-effective and simple solution that satisfies the design challenges for today’s modular and high-performance packaging equipment,” said Shawn Nelson, sales engineer at Motion Tech. Designed with sustainability in mind, the servos were sized to work out of the box as the most costeffective solution. A holistic approach was taken, with motor drive and gearing all playing a role to reduce the power requirements of the machine. On average, the Mach-2 is expected to generate energy savings of up to 25 percent compared with the first generation machine. next page 01 The Brenton ProSeries Mach-2 uses a Rexroth motor integrated drive and motion logic control platform to improve machine performance, save space, lower costs and save energy AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 3/2014
international Edition 3 August 2014
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