Handling cups, trays and cases

Wernsing Feinkost invests in an innovative packing unit - for packing, erecting and stacking

At Wernsing Feinkost GmbH a new plant was put into operation last year which fully automatically places cup-filled products into cases or trays. This solution combines the actual packer with a carton erector and a stacking unit. This compact packing unit has been integrated into an existing line and has a rated output of 150 cups per hour. Read on for a portrait of the company.

The history of Wernsing goes back to 1962, in Addrup-Essen/Oldenburg, in the state of Lower Saxony, when a production facility for French fries was founded. Heinrich Wernsing, then 28, laid the foundation for an exceptional success story. Over the years this small family business has become a modern and dynamic company which is still held in sole proprietorship.

The new packing cell at Wernsing Feinkost GmbH has a rated output of 150 cups per hour.

Annual sales of over one billion euros

Today, Wernsing Feinkost GmbH is part of the Wernsing Food Family that generates annual sales of over one billion euros at eight production sites in Germany, and at other facilities in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Spain. In total, this European family of companies employs more than 4,000 people. The site at Addrup alone has more than 1,150 employees, making Wernsing Feinkost GmbH one of the most important employers in the region.

The company group boasts a wide range of products and continues to grow steadily. The portfolio covers potato products as well as antipasti products, spreads, desserts, dressings, dips and sauces, marinades, pasta and savoury products, salads and also soups and stews. In addition to this product range, the services offered by Wernsing, such as the development of individual recipes or repacking, are also much in demand by wholesalers, food retailers and discounters, as well as industrial partners in Germany, in many European countries and around the world.

The cup packer is based on the proven Twin-Line basic design, which is individually adapted to each customer's specific requirements.

Challenging plant layout

In order to be able to keep up with this high level of diversity and the constant growth on the production and packaging side Wernsing is committed to ongoing investments in state-of-the-art plant technology. This is where, for more than two decades now, A+F Automation + Fördertechnik GmbH has been a key partner. The last joint project was in 2021 when an A+F cup packer system was replaced at the Addrup site. The need to invest in a replacement was due to the advanced age of the system and the planned expansion in the production to include yet another packing concept. The corresponding adaptation of several line components also led to an increase in the hourly output.

The gripper fingers were made of plastic using 3D printing. This process offers many advantages compared to milling out the fingers.

The contract was awarded in August 2020. In detail, the project comprised the plant layout, the packing unit as well as the necessary conveyors and buffer sections. The job was carried out on a turnkey basis. Wernsing was responsible for on-site work by others, such as the dismantling of the old plant, for example. The design of the optimal plant layout proved to be a particularly challenging task. This was due to the very limited available space which was restricted further by numerous existing columns. In addition to this, strict adherence to the interfaces specified by Wernsing was required, and on top of this, Covid-19 measures such as the wearing of masks, keeping a distance, disinfection and testing had to be observed as well.

Gripper fingers produced by the 3-D printer

For the machine, Wernsing decided in favour of the innovative Twin-Line Cup Packer. This is based on a proven basic design that is individually adapted to the customer’s specific requirements. Basically, the Twin-Line packer is a packing unit with two conveyor streams. The one conveyor infeeds a case, carton or tray. The second conveyor is for the infeed of the product. Both streams can be designed to run parallel, but they can also run in opposing directions, feature a single-lane or a multi-lane design. Another option is to use a bar chain. The incoming cups are then picked up according to the packing pattern and placed in the carton.

The bucket packer was combined with a tray erector in the infeed.

The pick-and-place system is always individually adapted to the product. At Wernsing, the product is grabbed, for example, and not sucked up. The required mechanical grippers for this purpose comprise a rectangular plate with four mobile fingers positioned at the corners. These fingers have to feature a geometry that exactly matches the cup to be picked up. To this end, the fingers are made of plastic using the 3-D printer process. This is much more accurate than cutting out the fingers in a milling process. The plastic material for this purpose is also extremely durable and boasts minimal wear.

The gripper is moved by a so-called handling module that is driven by servomotors. In this way, the mounting plate for the respective grippers can always be positioned precisely by the control system. Wernsing uses two different types of grippers for the required pack formats. These can be replaced by means of quick-release couplings, thus ensuring fast format changes. In addition, special format part carriages make it possible to keep all relevant parts neatly arranged near the respective machine.

2 x 3 or 3 x 3 cups either in single or double layers

For Wernsing, the Twin-Line Packer was combined with a carton erector in the infeed and a stacking unit in the outfeed. In addition, a labeller provided by the customer was also integrated in the infeed. All components were delivered as from 27.02.2021, these were then set up and electrically connected by 03.03.21. The commissioning began on 02.03. The acceptance took place on 12.03.21 already. During the actual packing process the cups are fed in on the customer’s side in a single lane. The Twin-Line Packer also takes up the cups in a single lane and then, depending on the pack format, distributes the cups over three or four lanes in the infeed. The actual pack formats for the plant are 2 x 3 or 3 x 3 cups, either in a single layer or in a double layer. The previously erected cases or trays reach the packing plant at the same time via the second conveyor belt. Once positioned under the handling module with the appropriate gripper, the module inserts the cups assembled to the selected pack format. With the pack format 2 x 3 always two cartons are filled at the same time in order to achieve the required output per hour. In this case, the infeed of the cups is on four lanes. The pack format 3 x 3, on the other hand, is formed on three lanes. The filled packs then move into the stacking unit. Here stacks of packs are formed depending on the palletising pattern of the customer’s loader. Stacks with two or three layers are possible. The case or the tray can, however, also be fed directly to the final palletising system. The achievable rated outputs are listed in Table 1. The packer itself is designed for a rated output of 150 cups per minute.

Condition Monitoring as a useful tool

All plant components are designed to allow a smooth subsequent conversion or expansion within the given structural limits. For example, Wernsing also offers a cup with a lid size of 130 x 130 mm, that can be processed by the Twin-Line Packer at a later date, as required. To put this in perspective: the size of the cups is currently approx. 114 x 114 mm. And speaking of the future: In this connection, Wernsing also decided in favour of using the Condition Monitoring tool. Condition Monitoring is used to automatically record extensive data relating to the production, machine and the environment. This applies, among other things to status messages, warnings and malfunctions of the machine as well as production data. All of these data are stored on a stand-alone industrial PC, archived and displayed on a dashboard that can be accessed using any up-to-date browser. The architecture can thus be integrated in a company network without requiring additional hardware. This tool is particularly interesting for maintenance purposes as any required measures, such as the replacement of a bearing, can be detected in advance, as a preventive measure. Through the achieved transparency it also offers Wernsing the opportunity to optimise and secure the plant’s performance. In short: output, flexibility and reliability are three absolute key factors behind the Wernsing success model, and these are realised 100 percent with the new Twin-Line solution, also with a view to the future.

Read the full article as an online pdf. Published in LVT Lebensmittel Industrie, copy 5-6/2022.

Rapunzel Naturkost expands its nut butter production capacity

Wrap-around packers as central components

Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH is modernising and expanding its nut spread production and filling facilities at its Legau site. The internationally operating organic food producer decided in favour of the same wrap-around packer for both projects. The modernisation has already been successfully completed, commissioning of the new plant will take place later this year. A portrait.

Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Even if it sometimes requires a lot of staying power – as was the case with Jennifer Vermeulen and Joseph Wilhelm. Back in 1974 the couple founded a self-sufficiency commune on a farm near Augsburg. “We simply wanted to live a healthier life and share this lifestyle with others,” Wilhelm recalls, looking back. In 1975 they went on to open their natural health food store “Rapunzel Naturspeisen” in Augsburg’s city centre. To begin with, the young couple’s vision and commitment were mostly laughed at, Wilhelm recounts: “We were just the crazy muesli-eaters, the ones with the knitted sweaters and sandals.”

From exotic undertaking to organic food protagonist: Rapunzel currently manufactures and sells approximately 550 brand products (Source: Rapunzel Naturkost).

From exotic undertaking to organic food protagonist

Once referred to as an exotic undertaking, Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH has since developed into an international business with over 400 employees. The company strategy itself has remained the same throughout its forty-five-year history: to produce certified organic, natural and untreated vegetarian foods. The company headquarters and production site has been the former dairy plant in Legau in Unterallgäu since 1985.

There are around 550 Rapunzel brand products. These include sweet and savoury spreads, nuts and dried fruits, muesli varieties, cereals, grains and grain products, rice, oil seeds, legumes, pasta and tomato sauces, antipasti, edible oils and fat, seasoning spices and soups, sweeteners and baking ingredients, sweet and savoury snacks, chocolate and instant beverage powder as well as wine. Of these, the nut butters in jars make up an essential part of the Rapunzel product range and play a decisive role in the company’s success. The most visible evidence of this is a constant increase in the production and filling in Legau. And this is exactly the area for which Rapunzel planned two new projects for 2020 and 2021.

The investment decision was based on the two existing spread filling and packaging lines. There was a growing need for action here, especially in the older nut butter plant 1, recalls Florian Lechner, team leader of Production and machine operator: “Its packing machine was becoming increasingly prone to failure and it was also more and more difficult to acquire spare parts. Besides this, we also wanted to achieve a higher output.” The keywords here are output and performance, and in order to meet the growing demand for nut butter a completely new line 3 was also to be built.

The search for a wrap-around packer ended at the Fachpack

Managers at Rapunzel therefore embarked on a search for a suitable solution – and they found what they were looking for at the Fachpack trade fair in Nuremberg. Florian Lechner recalls: “A+F presented exactly the machine we had in mind. At the trade fair this was packing similar jars of mustard into trays.” Among other things, Rapunzel saw a particularly convincing technical solution in the infeed and liked the fact that the entire system was arranged on one level and everything was easily accessible and cleanable. “We thought this was really good and consequently ordered two identical plants for the modernisation and the construction of the new line,” Lechner comments.

The two Rapunzel machines are based on the proven ModulLine packaging and cartoning system. The required format parts for product adaptation were individually designed and manufactured for the tasks at Rapunzel. Rapunzel also specified requirements regarding best possible hygiene and cleanability. The valve terminals for the basic machine, for instance, have therefore been enclosed and the Plexiglas doors designed without gaps.

The specified output of the wrap-around packer is 7,200 jars per hour.

Conversion during ongoing production and under Covid-19 constraints

The modernisation of line 1 started in November 2020 and the commissioning followed in December already. The given interfaces for the new packaging line were the outlet of the cooling tunnel and the transfer to hand palletising. “The huge challenge was that we had to carry out the conversion during ongoing production. This meant many hands were needed to pack the jars into the trays. And the assembly team had to be very flexible”, Lechner explains.

Covid-19 restriction measures such as wearing facemasks, distancing, disinfection and tests complicated matters further. “But everything went smoothly and there were no hitches. After the installation, power was connected to the system and the first jars started running. During the subsequent optimisation process all of the requirements we had set were fully implemented”, Lechner adds. A key tool for optimising and securing the plant’s performance is, according to Rapunzel, the option of remote maintenance, Lechner goes on to say: “We did experience an operator error once, and I called A+F on a Saturday - we were then able to solve the situation together via remote maintenance.“

Additional parts of the order included jar transport, buffer table and vacuum check

In addition to the wrap-around packer, the jar transport and a buffer table providing approximately four and a half minutes buffer time for 250 ml jars in the infeed were delivered and installed. “This is the time we have gained for removing any malfunction. However, nothing of the kind has yet occurred“, Lechner is pleased to say. A fault in the packaging machine always meant a stop in the upstream processing stage, such as cooling and filling. There was also a follow-up project, Lechner adds: “A+F developed a vacuum check system especially for us which they integrated in the infeed. This system is used to eject the jars that lose their vacuum in the cooling tunnel.”

The jars to be processed are transported from the buffer table to the packer in a single lane. A distributer system then conducts the jars from one lane to two lanes in the machine infeed. As a next step the jars are put into groups of 2 x 3 jars according to the pack format and moved onto the prefolded carton blank. In this process, a special holding system secures the grouping pattern. The carton blank is then folded around the jars and glued.

Packing of round jars with a volume of 250, 400, 500 and 750 ml in the pack format 2 x 3.

Setup time is reduced to approximately fifteen minutes

The packing process is for round jars with volumes of 250, 400, 500 and 750 ml. A specific carton blank is used for each jar type, i.e. there are altogether four carton blanks in use. In the new line the cartons are also to be adapted to the product. “This means a further increase in the variety to be processed. A+F has already tested this successfully”, says Lechner. With the new cartoner the actual set-up time is reduced to just about fifteen minutes per format. This makes it possible for Rapunzel to first change over and clean all upstream stations. “In this way, we can start the line up again before bothering about the cartoner. Our employees then have more time for the more complex work“, says Lechner, summing up the advantages.

Up to 120 jars per minute

The upgraded line 1 operates with an average output of 50 jars per minute. By comparison: the specified output of the wrap-around packer is 7,200 jars per hour. With a pack format of 2 x 3 jars this amounts to 1,200 cartons per hour or 20 cycles or 120 jars per minute. The question that arises here is: why did Rapunzel invest in a higher output than was actually required? Lechner goes on to explain: “Rapunzel just wanted to have the same machine in both lines. Here the key words are operation and maintenance. And in the new line we are certainly going to need the 120 jars per minute.”

A vacuum checking system specifically developed for Rapunzel, which automatically ejects any jar that is not tightly sealed.

Condition Monitoring as a useful tool

Another identical feature is that both wrap-around packers boast the Condition Monitoring module. Condition Monitoring automatically records comprehensive data from the production, machine and machine environment. This also applies to status messages, warnings and machine malfunctions as well as production data. All of this data is stored on a stand-alone industrial PC, archived and displayed on a dashboard that can be accessed using any up-to-date browser. The system architecture can thus be integrated into a company network without the need for additional hardware. “I have already used this option to specifically analyse the performance of line 1,” says Lechner. And with a very positive result for Rapunzel: “When the preliminary processes are all running well we have a significant increase in performance of up to twenty percent. We can therefore now increase the filling capacity because the packaging step no longer limits us as it did before.” Does this positive effect translate into an equally positive overall bottom line? Lechner agrees: “We are very satisfied in every respect – and I am already looking forward to the startup of the second wrap-around plant in the fourth quarter of 2021.”

Florian Lechner, machine operator and team leader of Production is fully satisfied with the project: “I already look forward to the startup of the second wrap-around plant in the fourth quarter of 2021.”

Tricky conditions: an inclined area, fluctuating dimensions, irregular orientation

The Sachsenmilch dairy automates its cheese wedge packaging using a Flexpicker

Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GmbH is one of Europe’s most modern dairies and one of the largest investment projects in the history of the Theo Müller Group. Over one billion euro has been invested in the new development and in expansion projects since the takeover. A further investment was successfully concluded at the beginning of 2021. The goal was to automate the previously manual packing of cheese wedges.

With some 2,800 employees Sachsenmilch processes around 1.8 billion kilogrammes of raw milk a year into a wide range of products that, besides milk, butter, yogurt and cheese, also includes whey derivatives for baby food as well as bioethanol. The food products are sold under the brand names Sachsenmilch, Müller und Loose, among others.

An impressive sight: with some 2,800 employees Sachsenmilch processes around 1.8 billion kilogrammes of raw milk a year into a wide range of products.

Cheese wedges vary in size significantly

About half of the raw milk supplied is processed into cheese and packed in packaging variants to meet the customer demand. Sachsenmilch’s 450 g cheese wedges, which are machine cut from cheese wheels of approx. 12 kg according to a defined pattern, play an important role in this process. The square-shaped middle cut which produces three wedges, is always identical. These sections can always be identified in that they only feature two sides of rind and not three, as is the case in the wedges cut from the edge. The size of the middle wedge is always the same, whereas that of the outer wedges varies significantly. The reason for this is as follows: although all cheese wheels have approximately the same weight, they vary in diameter and height due to the maturing process. If the diameter of the wheel is smaller, for instance, then the edge wedge is shorter and wider, whereas with a larger diameter the segment is longer and thinner.

The compact and high-performance Flexpicker with integrated cartoner

At Sachsenmilch the cheese wedges have until now been put into shipping cartons manually. “This type of work has great potential for automation. We were therefore looking for a solution that would enable an efficient mechanical packing of the cheese wedges,“ recalls Katharina Rossow, Project Engineer for Technical Projects at Sachsenmilch. During the initial planning phase, it was even considered changing the entire cheese wedge production to mechanical processing. “The packer, however, would then be so big that it would exceed the available space at the planned site”, Rossow comments. Sachsenmilch therefore focused on the main cheese type that accounts for approximately two-thirds of the production. The remaining third was to continue with manual insertion into the trays.

“We decided in favour of a cooperation with A+F due to their sound and reliable technology and the positive experience from many joint projects especially regarding the individual customised solution and project implementation “, Rossow points out. The key element of the solution is a so-called Flexpicker with integrated cartoner. This Flexline design combines two proven product groups in one machine frame, both mechanically and regarding the control. The result is first of all a significant synergy effect in the control – one system is all that is needed for both tasks. Secondly, the machine boasts a very compact design which is another bonus, and not just for Sachsenmilch. This is because with existing buildings there is always the challenge of finding a machine that fits into the available space conditions. Rossow emphasises: “This worked out perfectly. Operation and maintenance of the plant can be carried out easily from all sides. The solution simply meets all the requirements originally set out by Sachsenmilch.“

Gripper system, sensor system and condition monitoring make their debut

Unlike the components of the basic machine, the sensor system and the gripper system for the cheese wedge product had to be developed from scratch. “At Sachsenmilch we were not familiar with the chosen technology, but it quickly became our preferred solution. And we were confident that it would do the job”, Rossow adds.

The condition monitoring module also made its debut at Sachsenmilch with this project and was integrated in the Flexline packaging machine. Condition monitoring automatically records comprehensive data on the production, machinery and surrounding area. This also applies to status messages, warnings and faults in the machine as well as to production data. All of these data can be stored and archived on a stand-alone industrial PC and displayed in a dashboard that is accessible via any current browser. The system architecture can thus be integrated in a company network without requiring additional hardware. Rossow: “This tool was a particular requirement of our maintenance department. It also gives us the opportunity to optimize the plant performance thanks to the accomplished transparency. This is really very helpful.”

Rapid action unit: a total of four Delta-3 Pickers fill the cartons according to a nested packing scheme in three or four layers.

Cheese wedges are not aligned upstream of the packer

The entire project was carried out by A+F on a turnkey basis, including the operator training. Besides the Flexline, the order included the mechanical and control-side connection to the cheese cutter, the thermoforming line as well as the remaining manual removal that forms the actual interface. “It had to be implemented in such a way that we could continue using manual removal for the remaining third of our cheese wedges. Operation can therefore take place via manual removal or the machine. Everything is functioning very well”, Katharina Rossow sums up.

The plant components were delivered as planned on 02.02.21. Just one week later the first cheese wedges were passing through the plant. These are conveyed from the remaining manual workstation to the Flexpicker by a product conveyor. Instead of being aligned they are left arranged in a rather “chaotic state”. At the infeed a barcode recognition system checks the cheese wedge from below for the correct product allocation. In addition, the cheese wedges are scanned for any intermediate top film roll changes from the upstream thermoforming line. Cheeses with an incorrect barcode or a detected top film change are discharged.

3-D inspector detects shape, position and orientation

After the inspections the cheese wedges are distributed on two lanes. On both lanes a 3-D inspector records the wedge shape, its position and the orientation of the cheese. This information enables the Delta-3 picker to approach the cheese wedge in the right position, pick it up and place it in the unfolded shoulder tray. The wedge is picked up by a vacuum that is generated using compressed air by means of the Venturi effect, similar to a water jet pump. This allows the suction head a freedom of movement that would not be possible with a vacuum pump.

Identical control for basic machine and robot arm

The actual Delta-3 Picker is a servo-driven robot arm which besides the x, y and z axes has a rotary axis and a tilting axis. In this way it can move to any position in its operating range. Both the basic machine and the robot arm have an identical control system which is beneficial for the customer regarding operation and maintenance.

The wedges passing the first picker, which are within the respective movement radius but cannot be detected in the time window, are then processed by the second of all in all four pickers. The wedges not picked up by the second picker are then picked up by the third picker and those not picked up by the third picker are finally picked up by the fourth picker. If a cheese wedge cannot be picked up due to drawn in secondary air, it is discharged via a chute into a discharge box downstream of the fourth picker.

Satisfied in every respect: “The solution simply corresponds to all the requirements set out by Sachsenmilch“, says Katharina Rossow, Project Engineer for Technical Projects at Sachsenmilch.

“We at Sachsenmilch are very satisfied with the implemented job“

The carton erector integrated in the plant with a folding station as special version doubles the cardboard at the front access to the product parallel to the packing process. The ready-sealed cartons are placed on an inclined carton conveyor. The control cycles these cartons corresponding to the filling level in the infeed. The carton stream and the cheese wedge stream flow in opposite directions. Each of the four pickers has access to two cartons. If, for example, one of the cartons is filled and moves to the shoulder closer, this design allows the picker to continue feeding the second empty carton. If, on the other hand, a carton that is not completely filled moves on one position further, the cheese wedges are packed into this carton by the next picker. By way of a counting function, the pickers know exactly how many cheese wedges still need to be inserted into the respective carton.

In this way, the four Delta 3 pickers fill the cartons in three or four layers according to a nested packing scheme. The shoulders are then closed on the filled carton before it is moved to the take-off roller conveyor for manual removal. There are two operators on duty per shift to ensure a safe and reliable operation of the automatic cheese wedge packaging. “We have now gained so much potential that we can mechanically pack our maximum cutting capacity”, Rossow comments. Does this positive outlook also mean an equally positive conclusion for the project? Absolutely, Katharina Rossow stresses: “Everything was carried out according to schedule and within budget. Putting it in a nutshell: At Sachsenmilch we are very satisfied with the job done, both on the production and on the maintenance side.“

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Published in: International DAIRY magazine, December 2021

Five modules for maximum transparency

At A+F Automation + Fördertechnik GmbH Digital Packaging has long become the norm

As with steam, electricity and automation, digitalisation is set to revolutionise the way we work. This applies most particularly to complex processes such as the packaging of beverages and food. A+F Automation + Fördertechnik GmbH was quick to address this challenge and has already launched two digital tools with its modules “Digital Twin” and “Condition Monitoring”. Both of these modules represent the first building blocks leading up to a fully digitalised packaging line. The mission of this digital packaging strategy is to optimise the overall performance of a plant or machine throughout its life cycle. Digital packaging therefore starts with the design of a machine or plant; it incorporates the continuous status diagnosis and ultimately ends with its proactive performance.

In its final stage, the digital packaging programme will include the following five modules:

• • Digital Twin
• • Condition Monitoring
• • Performance Diagnostics
• • Predictive Maintenance
• • Digital Spare Parts

The five modules complement each other and can therefore be implemented successively. The upgrading of existing plants or machines is also possible in many cases.

The Digital Twin module

The digital twin module has been applied successfully for several years now. With this tool a computer simulation is used ahead of an investment in order to clarify how the task set by the customer can be implemented in both a technically and economically viable manner. If, for example, completely different brands are to be inserted inline in a tray, all relevant sorting systems can be assessed objectively prior to a real machine test. However, this digital twin offers a lot more than just computer simulation. The tool is designed to drive exactly the same PLC that will be used by the customer, and this in turn drives the simulation. The findings acquired during these tests - practically under operating conditions - help optimise the machine design as well as the later commissioning at the customer’s site.

The Condition Monitoring module

The condition monitoring tool was launched in 2018. Like all of the digital packaging building blocks it is an A+F in-house development. It is used directly at the customer’s site and forms the basis as well as the interface for all of the digital packaging modules. The condition monitoring tool automatically records all data relating to the production, the machine and to the surrounding area. This applies, among other things, to status messages, warnings and machine malfunctions as well as production data. All these data are stored on a standalone industrial PC where they are archived and displayed in graphic or tabular form on a dashboard. With these data it is possible to carry out detailed monitoring of the plant. The service technician and the machine operator are provided with in-depth diagnostics options. Comprehensive production process data are also made available for the production planning. Practice has shown that consistent use of the condition monitoring tool increases the line availability by two to four percent per year on average. Another advantage is that the dashboard can be accessed with any current browser. The architecture can thus be integrated in a company network without necessitating additional hardware or software. The condition monitoring module can also be optionally accessed via the internet.

The Performance Diagnostics module

The third module “Performance Diagnostics” is currently in prototype status. The concept here is to equip the machine with a video system. This system monitors the machine around the clock and saves recordings from ten seconds before up to three seconds after the error as a video in the condition monitoring database. Here it is coupled with the error message. The result is a video on each and every documented error, showing exactly what has happened.

The modules Predictive Maintenance and Digital Spare Parts

Development of the predictive maintenance tool is already well advanced. This module lets the operator zoom into the machine via a dropdown menu, right down to the lowest level: the actuators. General information such as the original data sheet as well as the current status is available for this purpose. For instance, information is provided on the number of strokes performed by a valve. This value is automatically compared with pre-set reference values. When the first value is reached the status display jumps from green to yellow, indicating “Caution”, and when the second value is reached it jumps to red for “Action”. Another example is the power consumption of a servomotor. If this increases significantly it is an indication that damage is likely to occur. The customer therefore no longer conducts a service based on a “feeling” or according to a specified interval, rather on the basis of concrete data. It is planned in the next step for the predictive maintenance tool to independently send e-mails with a status report, also indicating the need for respective action to be taken. The planned Digital Spare Parts module is also located in the service and maintenance sector. The focus here is on the development of electronic parts lists directly on the machine.

Summary

All five digital packaging modules have the same common goal. They are aimed to make the condition of a machine or plant transparent from deep down inside. The data required are already available. The innovative A+F digitalisation is now converting them into hard facts and clear actions – in the interest of both investors and machine builders.

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Published in: LVT Lebensmittelindustrie / August 2021