Fast & Easy implementation of “Bottling Machine“

Elmo’s smart design tools, advanced motion control, perfectly tuned servo axes, and efficient EtherCAT networking allow rapid design of High speed, High precision, Labeling and Cupping machines Elmo provides new leading industrial quality performance for labeling and cupping machines with line speeds of over 60K labels per hour. Operating in machines at extremely high speeds and achieving high precision labeling with very little errors place Elmo as a major solution provider in the field of high-end labeling and cupping machines. The challenges involving operating more than 60 integrated motor/drives as a solution on an extremely fast rotating platform, transferring high-power, and high-speed EtherCAT communication via slip rings, is implemented rapidly and efficiently only with Elmo's smart solutions and advanced tools.

Abstract

Realization of a fast bottle labelling (or cupping) machine challenges the design and execution of complex and dynamic ECAM movements. These require the tackling of fast manipulators using rapid, sophisticated, and complex control of rotating mechanics, with dozens of motors and drives that operate in an unfavorable, vibrating and high humid environment. In addition, there is the requirement of transmitting fast, deterministic and “signal integrity” sensitive communication via the slip ring media. This could involve substantial time, many weeks of intensive work, requiring high-level expertise with considerable experience. The Advance Motion Control offered by Elmo simplifies and dramatically eases the implementation process to the level of an ordinary engineering (no wizards) and shortens the Motion Control design and operation to less than three days.

Solution highlights

60 Axes located on a rotating platform are used for high speed bottle labeling and cupping. Bottles are automatically fed into the machine and transferred to the rotating platform. The rotating platform consists of 60 high power, small footprint Elmo DUETs, an advanced integrated Drive/Motor solution. Powerful GOLD WHISTLE servo drives, which are ultra-small, highly efficient, and very rugged, are integrated inside the motors. This significantly simplifies the rotating carousel mechanical structure, saves appreciable space and weight, restricts the cabling to only DC bus plus EtherCAT communication cables, and “shrinks” the electrical cabinet. This “no-cabling” reduces the induced EMI and improves the noise immunity. The richness of the EASII tools and functionalities enable tuning of the drives and optimization of their servo operation to provide highest speeds, precision, and accuracy. The EASII (Elmo Application Studio software tool) Advanced Servo Control incorporates capabilities to maximize the optimization of the servo performance of any motor and any mechanics.

The Auto Tuner resolves any mechanical drawback within few minutes

ECAM builder Tool in a matter of Minutes

Four high speed cameras are located at the stationary section of the machine. When bottles pass through a camera, a snapshot is taken and transferred to a host computer. The host computer processes the picture data and calculates the exact label position using an image processing algorithm. The bottle rotation is controlled by the Maestro, Elmo's multi axes controller, which sets the initial target labeling position and waits for the ECAM execute operation to start. The Maestro is a World- Class multi axis controller, precisely executing the complex motion scenarios. The ECAM function running on the Maestro is one of the key functionalities used in the operation of this machine. The Maestro and EASII allow high interpolation levels for smooth motion trajectories with a minimum number of ECAM points. It enable Fast Dynamic table calculations, execution, table switching, multi-hierarchy topology building, virtual axes synchronization and many related advanced features that simplify and accelerate the implementation process.

The advanced EASII, Elmo Application Studio ECAM tool combined with Elmo's EMBL - Elmo's Motion Block Libraries, enable very simple, fast design and precise testing of the ECAM trajectories to raise the machine level to operational within a matter of days. The EMBLs are complementary to the EASII advanced tools setup. Elmo developed numerous EMBLs that simplify the development process of the machine.

With the right tools Elmo walks you through the whole implementation process in a Simple, fast and intelligent manner, ensuring the shortest “time to market” with minimum engineering resources.

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