Baumüller Nürnberg GmbH, the Nuremberg-based provider of automation solutions, offers machine builders pre-programmed software modules that significantly reduce the programming effort and enable the modularisation and adaptation of machines to individual requirements by the operator.
New products on supermarket shelves every day should constantly influence purchasing decisions and turn shopping into an experience rather than a daily grind. However, it is often not the contents that are new, but simply the packaging. Manufacturers of packaging materials and packaging machines are required more than ever to enable flexibility in the production process in order to be able to react quickly to customer requirements. This presents machine manufacturers with one challenge in particular: increasing complexity. Solutions here are Reusable software modules and flexible libraries.
Faster on the market
The customer receives validated function modules or technology libraries from Baumüller, which considerably reduce his initial costs and significantly shorten the time to market.
Basic functionalities are realised with Motion control modules to PLCopen covered. Coordinated motion blocks are available for path movements, which can be programmed in G-code in accordance with DIN 66025, as in CNC controls.
These libraries are supplemented by Advanced motion modules, which are designed to increase the efficiency of the machine in particular. These include diagnostic modules, functions for error and energy management, etc. These libraries can be used to cover the entire spectrum of required machine software.
Users also have the option of storing their process expertise in their own libraries and protecting them from unauthorised access.
Utilising ready-made technologies
Baumüller even offers ready-to-use technologies for various applications. This reduces initial costs for the machine manufacturer and shortens delivery times. It is also possible to export complete machine modules encapsulated as independent software units and then recombine them in other machine variants.
Multi-user support and modularisation also enable problem-free Parallel working This allows several people to work on one machine and simplifies troubleshooting when commissioning the entire system. By using standardised web technologies, high-level languages can be used for programming.
Various methods are available to machine manufacturers to protect against misuse and know-how piracy, from validating licences to encrypting automation projects and hardware. For example, assigning the project to a CPU by linking it to the respective serial number or preventing uploads from the CPU are adequate options that can be used to protect against know-how theft.
Advantages for the operator
Not only the machine manufacturer, but above all the End user benefits from the new possibilities. Thanks to the supporting visualisation, sequences of a pick-and-place application, for example, can be made accessible via an API (Application Programming Interface) can be entered directly; this allows the operator to parameterise their own processes when changing products without having to intervene in the programming software. As the visualisation is based on web technology, it is even possible to parameterise the machine using mobile devices such as tablets.
In the visualisation - regardless of whether this is done separately for the handling module or in an overall visualisation - the machine operator can then enter the removal position, the deposit position and the home position for the respective product as coordinates and thus define the path of the handling system. They can then save these self-created step chains in a file system and retrieve them later or use them as templates.
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In the step chain editor (example), step chains can be loaded and the respective steps can be edited individually.
Thanks to the software libraries, the machine manufacturer can easily integrate the handling unit and numerous functions into his machine without any additional programming effort. With the option of programming the sequence directly in the Visualisation and without direct intervention into the machine software, the user gets exactly the flexibility he needs. They can quickly adapt their machine to new products without any programming expertise, simply by entering a few parameters into an intuitive interface.
It is also possible to define a restricted area, use special software modules for Collision protection prevent the blocking area from lying in the gripper's travel path. The unit can also be easily converted to different pallet types without programming. The user only has to specify the first deposit position and the grid of the deposit.
If the unit is integrated directly into the system control, it is also possible for the packaging machine itself to communicate the parameters for a new product to the handling unit, so that an automated adjustment is made when the product is changed.
Thanks to the integrated Advanced Motion modules, users also have clear and informative diagnostic options at their disposal. For example, the digital I/O signals or the EtherCAT system can be analysed. Drive parameters can also be read out and displayed.
