Modular machines and systems can be adapted more quickly to individual requirements. Machine manufacturer R.WEISS has consistently implemented this modular concept and developed a particularly flexible packaging solution for piece goods by using advanced technology, including automation solutions from B&R.
The customer wants it personalised. From muesli packets and drinks bottles to cosmetics: customising products to meet individual customer requirements is the trend. However, production systems designed for mass production are often only suitable to a limited extent for small-batch or one-off production. The changeover times are too long and the systems designed for maximum output are too static for the balancing act between the desired cost structures of mass production and the flexibility of batch size 1 production to be successful.
New operator requirements or changing consumer behaviour: special machine manufacturers have been aware of this problem for some time. Increasing cost pressure from suppliers in the Far East and the ever more specific requirements of users have forced them to do so, Customised solutions like „in series“ to develop and produce.
The recipe for success has proven to be consistent Modularisation and Digitisation of their products has crystallised. It is crucial for greater efficiency in the development and production of special machines that the modules used are standardised as far as possible, for example with regard to the electrical and mechanical interfaces used. In addition, the function of the modules can be largely defined via software and customised to the individual task. This allows the special-purpose machine manufacturer to concentrate a large part of its development resources on new functions or modules.
Modular from the start
The example of R.WEISS shows the advantages of consistently implementing the modular concept. In the development of the UNIROB-Systems from the very beginning on the use of standardised machine components in order to Customised packaging solutions for users from different industries. The packaging can be adapted to individual requirements and spatial conditions as well as to changing market requirements with little effort.
Since R.WEISS launched the first UNIROB machine for packaging unit loads in 2001, the portfolio has grown steadily and now includes configurable standard modules for every stage of the packaging process, such as erecting, toploading, case packing, closing, labelling and palletising.
Additional flexibility with the ISS
Each module utilises the same machine housing. Large, transparent safety doors allow an undisturbed view of the packaging process and ensure easy access. Supply units and the control hardware are housed in the roof of the housing to save space. Although the modules can also be operated as individual machines, it is only when the configured standard modules are combined to form complete lines that the benefits of consistent modularisation are fully realised.
At the heart of the company's toploading and picker lines are modules with Standard robots with four, six or seven degrees of freedom and High-performance delta picker. The peripheral components and the transport systems for product and packaging are positioned underneath.
Additional flexibility in the organisation of production processes has been provided to the user by the latest innovation, the Intelligent Shuttle System (ISS). This transport system works with independently powered shuttles. They enable the Freely programmable transport of product and packaging, This means that the R.WEISS machines can be adapted even more quickly to different formats, other products or seasonal requirements.
Making diversity manageable for plant manufacturers
What brings great advantages for the user is a major challenge for machine manufacturers such as R.WEISS: The configurable machine components and modules result in an almost unmanageable number of Possible combinations, that needs to be managed. To ensure that the integration of the components within a module and the modules in a line remains manageable, a consistent, expandable and scalable automation solution is required that optimally supports the modular concept. The machine manufacturer has relied on B&R's automation solution for years.
The automation specialist managed to gain a foothold thanks to the compactness and performance of its automation solutions. Combination devices were also important, which, like the B&R Panel PCs as a hardware platform for both operation and control. Another decisive argument in favour of B&R was that their modular solutions, such as the ACOPOSmotor, in which the inverter and motor are merged into a single unit, allow the control and drive technology to be divided up according to the module layout. This also makes it possible, Modules can be commissioned individually and before the actual commissioning of the packaging line.
The right hardware platform for every control system
All machine components and system modules from the packaging specialist are certified with the Ethernet POWERLINK standardised networking, which guarantees simple expandability and sufficient bandwidth reserves for extensive systems with many bus devices. Thanks to an extensive product portfolio including scalable control systems - from simple compact controllers from the X20 system to high-end industrial computers - R.WEISS can select the right hardware platform for every situation. [/infotext]
