Foreword
The larger a machine is, and the more flexible the options it offers, the more it benefits from modular electromechanical units comprised of hardware and software. The increasing complexity arising from the application of numerous axes and safety technologies further exacerbates the demands on automation solutions. B&R has introduced the ACOPOSmotor into its automation products to precisely handle these applications. This system is currently the only motor-mounted servo drive on the market that can handle an entire machine module independently without derating.
ACOPOSmotor combines all key components, including motors, encoders, high-precision reducers, and servo drives, into an extremely compact drive unit.
B&R's automation experts have developed an extremely compact motor-drive combination – the ACOPOSmotor – that delivers the same dynamic performance as standard drives, while offering the convenience of a single power cord. The company's continued expansion of its already impressive portfolio of motion products aims to meet the evolving needs of today's modular machinery.
For this growing market segment, B&R has already developed an innovative product, ACOPOSremote. Nevertheless, some applications still require more compact solutions. The challenge of directly mounting actuators on a rotating disk with a packing device is making the most of extremely limited space. Furthermore, ultra-compact motor-drive solutions are equally important in many other applications requiring integrated safety features and local POWERLINK Hubs for additional I/O components. In Parma, Italy, ACOPOSmotor has proven to be precisely the solution customers have been seeking.
The Parma region is world-renowned for its cuisine. For nearly 60 years, it has been home to OCME, one of the world's largest manufacturers of packaging and filling systems.
OCME's machines are highly flexible and demonstrate a high level of technological maturity, with over 25 patents attesting to the company's innovative strength. With its innovative back-end system, OCME continuously pushes the limits – particularly in terms of machine compactness and energy efficiency. Therefore, the key requirements for the DryBlock system were very clear from the early stages of development.
Customer needs – the only true measure
For the DryBlock system, OCME needed a drive unit that was more compact than what was available on the market. Antonio Mosca, Electrical Development Manager at OCME, relayed this to Davide Beviglieri, Key Account Manager at B&R. “We were looking for a solution that integrated the motor and servo drive into a single compact unit,” Mosca explained.
Antonio Mosca, Electrical Development Manager at OCME
"The installation of servo drive systems on ACOPOSmotor motors is a huge step forward for us. We can increase production while reducing energy consumption and costs."
The DryBlock system represents a radical transformation in the way packaging production lines are developed, built, and managed.
Ultimately, OCME's ambition lies in revolutionizing the way packaging production lines are developed, built, and managed. This includes new technologies that make product handling more flexible and prevent product-to-product contact. Individual machine modules – labelers, heat shrink packaging machines, palletizers – can be operated via a single multi-touch panel, and machine control, communication, and synchronization can be optimized using OCME's PackML standard. This approach relies entirely on modular, distributed I/O and motion control. Beviglieri contacted Alois Holzleitner, manager of B&R's Motion division, and described the application requirements. "We have been working on solutions for this application," Holzleitner replied, outlining the project progress and current product development status.
San Benedetto, a well-known Italian beverage producer, relies on OCME's packaging system.
Retain the mature parts, innovate the rest.
B&R's goal was to utilize the existing ACOPOSremote concept as much as possible. Through conceptual design, simulation, and experimentation, it quickly became clear which components could remain essentially unchanged. On the other hand, managing temperature within such a confined space proved to be a significant challenge. Electronic components housed within the enclosure could reach temperatures of up to 110°C during normal operation. Under these conditions, conventional components could not continue operating without any additional measures. After all, empirically speaking, the failure rate doubles for every 10°C increase in temperature.
Reducing the surface area available for heat dissipation also increases the load on the motor. Various conventional methods for resolving this conflict were considered. However, after water coolers, Peltier coolers, and other fans proved to be expensive and unsuitable, B&R's developers conducted a wider range of experiments to find the optimal solution.
The requirements for motors and electronic components are extremely high.
The test motors used to simulate the thermal characteristics of the final product were subjected to extreme workloads, and then the temperature distribution in the coils, bearings, and especially the encoder was analyzed in detail. What were the results? Without modifications, the test results for the existing motors would be unacceptable. The operating and limiting temperatures of every electronic component—more than 1,000 in total—were measured. Which options were available quickly became apparent. The higher the temperature that the power electronics could handle, the more sensitive the highly integrated digital devices became. The same applied to many passive components, especially the DC bus capacitor, which also needed to be very small to meet size requirements. Small size and correspondingly low capacitance meant an additional risk of resonance in the DC bus.
“One of our main goals remains ensuring the interoperability of all B&R components,” Holzleitner explained. “This allows our customers the freedom to choose between ACOPOSremote and ACOPOSmotor in different projects. Our customers need to be able to scale their solutions at any time.” The B&R development team achieved a breakthrough by cleverly arranging components, dividing the equipment into different temperature zones, and bringing in key component manufacturers.
ACOPOSmotor has stood the test.
The results were exactly as expected. B&R ensured that the rest of its ACOPOS drive was fully compatible with the motor without any derating. A single hybrid cable directly transmits POWERLINK communication data and power from the ACOPOSmulti DC bus to where it's needed. IP67 connectivity is compatible with the X67 I/O series modules – including safety components – and the SafeMOTION function, as defined in IEC 61800-5-2, is also available. Remote shafts can be safely stopped – independent of the STO signal on the hybrid cable – or operated at safe speeds during startup or maintenance. OCME's Electrical Development Manager stood alongside B&R's Davide Bevigeri in front of the DryBlock equipment, looking quite proud of their work. The system equipped with the ACOPOS drive had been operating at high speed for several days in ambient temperatures approaching 50°C. "This drive is a huge leap forward for us. We are now steadily achieving our goal of increasing output while reducing energy consumption by 36%," Mosca concluded.
OCME utilizes its PackML standard to optimize machine control, communication, and synchronization. The DryBlock system's HMI also conforms to the PackML standard and runs on B&R's multi-touch AutomationPanel.
Advantages
The remote servo actuator is available in three sizes, from 1.8 to 17 Nm.
-->Optional with or without an additional speed reducer
Seamlessly integrated into the ACOPOSmulti servo drive system
--> Save on cabling
