Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, even in the beverage industry. To achieve efficient results in this area, the project group has developed an innovative solution with their new banding machine, Propac. This allows the company to bundle bottles with significantly less material and energy consumption.
"With over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering, we can flexibly respond to various requirements – as we are now doing with the new Propac system, which enables us to provide more sustainable packaging for beverages," explains Ingo Rathmann, Managing Director of project Automation & Consulting GmbH. Learn how the company has managed to take a sustainable and efficient path in beverage production and what technical innovations have contributed to this in this practical example.
The new banding machine was realized with the modular automation system MOVI-C® from SEW-EURODRIVE. This innovative technology supports the sustainability efforts of beverage manufacturers, reduces project planning effort and costs. The required hardware for the drive concept is 15 to 20 percent cheaper than the previously used components. MOVI-C® requires only one power supply for up to 32 axes. This means that there is only one braking resistor, one contactor, or one motor protection switch – unlike conventional systems that require separate components for each axis.
The functional advantages offered by the MOVI-C® automation system are also convincing. In the banding machine, several gantry robots work synchronously with each other. They are connected to a master and synchronized via a cam function in the drive system. The software experts at project did not have to program this function themselves but could use pre-configured software modules MOVIKIT®, which are part of the MOVI-C® automation system.
The close collaboration between the project group and SEW-EURODRIVE led to the successful implementation of the new banding machine Propac. By using MOVI-C®, significant material and energy savings were achieved. This partnership has not only supported the sustainability goals of the beverage industry but also significantly improved the efficiency and flexibility of the packaging processes.
"We notice that all major beverage manufacturers are looking for alternatives, moving away from shrink packaging towards more sustainable packaging."
"Especially when introducing a new solution like MOVI-C®, you need support – SEW-EURODRIVE helps right from the design of the system concept."
"And if problems ever arise with systems at our customers' sites, you can also rely on quick assistance from SEW-EURODRIVE – no matter where the machine is located. SEW-EURODRIVE handles this incredibly well."
With our solutions from the modular automation kit MOVI-C®, smart networking in the beverage industry is pre-programmed for you. Our complete solution includes the configuration, commissioning, and monitoring of all MOVI-C® automation components. Visualization and simulation functions, as well as the provision of IoT-usable data and measurement variables, ensure maximum transparency and efficiency in your production process.
MOVIKIT® includes prefabricated software modules for simple drive functions, but also for demanding motion sequences. It is easy to start up applications thanks to the graphical configuration and comprehensive diagnostics of the software modules. The software modules are divided into categories for implementing simple drive functions, such as speed control and positioning, right through to motion control functions, such as camming and robotics. The individual software modules are operated via the real-time operating system of the MOVI-C® CONTROLLER or on the MOVIDRIVE® application inverter.
