Technically proven
Technically proven components never go out of style High quality, high performance lubrication-free plastic solutions from igus make Krones’ new series of labelling machines for food and beverage industry further more ideal. With more than 25 years of collaboration, Krones and igus now have more than supplier-buyer relationship. MOTION AND DRIVES 01 Crosswise adjustment of belting station with dirtrepellent and lubricationfree iglidur J trapezoidal thread flange nut 02 Height adjustment of sleeve brush with trapezoidal lead screw nut and RJMP polymer bearing The company, Krones AG was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Neutraubling. This small town near Regensburg in southeast Germany is as old as the company itself. Established after the second world war, it is now home to various German Mittlestand companies. The company manufactures machinery, plants and systems for the beverage and liquid food industry and sees itself as a system provider and not just as a pure machine supplier. “We offer our customers turn-key systems that are tailored to their needs,” explains Josef Mayer, Head of Product Management Inspection and Labelling Technology at Krones. “This covers all processes, from beverage production and packaging, labelling and control up to palletising.” There are various methods for labelling, among them the stretch or shrink technology of the Sleevematic series used by Krones. The newly developed series of labelling machines ‘Sleevematic TS’ from Krones AG can label up to 50,000 containers per hour with just one unit. This number alone convinces the client about Krones technical expertise and capabilities. The company has successfully doubled the performance of this new system as compared to the previous one. A major technological change that Krones made is that instead of the classic cutting of the sleeves they are now micro-perforated. Another major reason for Krones success is the reliable supply of technically strong and high quality, high performance components from its suppliers, like igus, who has been supplying lubrication-free plain bearing components for many years. Technology for high performance output With the Sleevematic TS, the TS stands for ‘Top Speed’. With it, it is possible to label up to 50,000 containers per hour with just one unit. “The sleeve technique has since blossomed from a niche into a mass product,” says Josef Mayer. “Even in bottling plants the demand to achieve ever higher performance means to move faster and be able to label faster and faster.” Krones has taken a big stride in performance with the Sleevematic TS compared to the previous series, which means the output of labelled products has doubled. Before the individual sleeves are applied (shot) on the bottles, cans or other containers, they are no longer cut individually from the roll as in the previous technology, but the sleeve is now microperforated. It is thus possible to dispense with the clocking operation during cutting, thus permitting continuous movement of the sleeves. Instead of cutting blades, the Sleevematic TS uses two rotating perforation cutters. In addition to the increased output, a further advantage is the significantly longer service life of the cutters. The previous product series required four cutting blades, with 01 02 32 WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2/2018
Krones’ Sleevematic TS labelling machine can label up to 50,000 containers per hour with just one unit service life of approximately five million cuts, the present two perforation knives are designed for up to 70 million cuts. Trust in proven components 03 Height adjustment of hold-down device with SLW-2080 special solution from igus. The igus energy chains undertake the guidance of the cables Even though Krones has developed new technology for the Sleevematic TS, the machine manufacturer still continues to rely on certain proven components from the previous models, like the lubrication-free plastic solutions from the motion plastics specialist igus for moving components and various other adjustments. Since the most important safety standards for the protection of consumers are applicable in beverage and food technology, it is important for designers to be able to rely on products that do not require external lubrication, thus eliminating contamination of the food or beverage. Therefore a wide range of igus products are used in the Sleevematic TS. From dry operating drylin plastic nuts and drylin linear bearings for round shafts (drylin R) in the belt station and the sleeve brush, and drylin profile guides (drylin W) in the inlet and outlet sensor, up to complete drylin SLW lead screw lift tables with hand wheel for manual adjustment in the preliminary shrinkage as well as the height adjustment of the guide rollers. The guide rollers are also supplied by igus to Krones as a complete system solution consisting of two xiros polymer ball bearings and an anodised aluminium tube. In the past, Krones used metal bearings here. However, this was not smooth enough, sometimes making the complete roll stop and the label band would slip over it. Due to the lower mass in the xiros ball bearings from igus, these problems are a thing of the past. Here glass balls are used as rolling elements, which are held by plastic ball races in the bearings. Inner and outer rings of the ball bearings consist of xirodur high-performance plastics, which are distinguished by excellent friction and wear values. For these guide rollers, igus also offers on its website a configurator, by which the user can configure their components easily with a few clicks and order the required length online. The advantage here is that this complete solution saves considerable assembly time, because igus pre-assembles the guide rollers. “We are dependent on partnerships, where the quality has to be right, but it must be something more than the pure product,” explains Josef Mayer. “Therefore, it is also very important for us if our suppliers not only offer good products, but also complete assemblies or systems. And this also works very well with igus.” Krones and igus now have more than 25 years of partnership. “The collaboration is great,” concludes Josef Mayer. “The support right here on site works very well. You look sometimes in the catalogue somewhere else and think that the concerned product might roughly fit. At igus, however, you have a personal contact and always receive straightforward and suitable solutions immediately, even during prototyping.” However, igus is also benefiting from the cooperation - new ideas and initiatives of the customers are also creating new products, whereby the flow of innovation always remains in motion. Photographs: lead photo Krones AG, igus GmbH www.igus.de WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2/2018 33
