The packaging production line is getting louder and louder. What role does the servo control system play in the realization of flexibility? Our magazine invited Mr. Zhong Ruihua, product manager of Rockwell Automation's Automatic Control and Information Products Group, to explain this realization process to readers.
In the process of industrialization of the packaging industry, manufacturing technology has achieved scale and diversification, and the demand for diversification and even individualization has further intensified market competition. In order to reduce production costs, packaging companies have considered establishing flexible production lines to achieve flexible manufacturing. The servo control system gives support.
Several factors to realize the flexibility of packaging production line
Control and integrated products/technologies play an increasingly important role in the development of packaging lines.
1. In order to achieve higher speed and more flexible production targets, functions traditionally performed by mechanical components are now increasingly implemented by servo systems. For example, electronic cams and electronic gears replace mechanical cams and gears, and there is no need for high-precision synchronization of "hard/mechanical" connections between multiple axes. Therefore, the packaging production line not only requires interlock control, but also requires fast and high-precision servo control. The integrated controller/system that can simultaneously satisfy the above functions will bring more benefits to the user in terms of programming, debugging and maintenance than the control scheme of the independent PLC+ independent servo controller.
2. In order to achieve flexible production, it is required that the various process sections in the packaging production line are closely coupled with each other, and the packaging production line and other production lines are required to interlock with each other. Since different controllers control different process segments or production lines, this brings about problems of coordination between different controllers. Therefore, the International Packaging Association User Organization (OMAC/PACML) proposes a structured, standardized machine state management function for object packaging. Accordingly, the control system integrated with this function can ensure that the user can complete the whole line in less time and cost. And even the coordination of the whole plant production.
3. Achieving flexible production also means that the real-time data of the control system should integrate the two-way communication with the relational database of the factory production information management system. That is to say, the production control instructions from the order pool generation and production scheduling management software should be timely transmitted to the packaging production line control system; and the packaging production line control system should send the operating status and production status back to the production information in a timely manner. Management system.
4. In order to achieve continuous production and reduce system recovery time, more and more users are aware of the value of packaging line control systems that can support module hot plugging, rapid access to diagnostic information and centralized maintenance management. And benefits.
Efficient servo control system is the first choice
For fast, highly flexible packaging lines, Rockwell Automation's Kinetix integrated servo control system is becoming the first choice for more and more users. Kinetix consists of Logix multi-function controllers and K6000, Ultra or PowerFlexS series servo drives assembled via the international standard SERCOS fiber optic networking. Kinetix has the following benefits:
1. Logix multi-function controller with integrated servo control (MotionPlanner), sequence control and process control. This means that users can develop PID, servo and sequence control at the same time in a development environment. They no longer need independent servo controllers and PLCs like other systems, and no need to consider the data between PLC and servo controller. Exchange communication, greatly saving time and improving efficiency. A single Logix controller can achieve up to 32 axes of servo control, and multiple Logix controllers can achieve coordinated control of more axes on the same control backplane. It can also be implemented via Synclink or IEC61158EtherNet/IP standard industrial Ethernet. Range, distributed collaborative control (> 254 axis).
2. Logix multi-function controller adopts "object"-based data automatic memory management mode, control programming "what you see is what you get", no longer need to consider memory allocation and management like using PLC, the program is clear and easy to read, the corresponding document work Also greatly reduced. Similarly, the parameters, status and diagnostic information of servos, IOs, and field devices (locally or via DeviceNet, ControlNet, and EtherNet/IP industrial networks) can be used directly by control programming. Moreover, the user can access, configure and maintain all the devices in the Kinetix system through the above network through any point of direct or remote access.
3. The Logix Multi-Function Controller with built-in “PhaseManager†supports the structured, standardized machine state management functions of object packaging proposed by the International Packaging Association User Organization (OMAC/PACML). By simply configuring the function blocks, the user can not only realize simple and simple single machine management, but also realize the synergy of different controllers of the whole line.
4. Kinetix integrates related software, not only realizes monitoring integration, supports real-time standard data interfaces such as standard OPC, but also directly realizes fast and stable bidirectional data with various relational databases such as SQLSever, Oracle, etc. or ERP systems such as SAP. transfer. For the user, no software development or programming is required, just a simple graphical configuration.
5. The modular, serialized Kinetix offers a package line solution that is “tailor-made†and cost-effective for applications based on control scale and performance requirements. For example, large ControlLogix and medium-sized CompactLogix controllers are available for users to choose from; K6000, Ultra or PowerFlexS series servos with different voltage levels, different power levels, and different expansion modules are available for users to choose from; rack-mounted 1756IO, rackless 1769CompactIO The 1794FlexIO/1734PointIO with integrated terminal block and the 1738 ArmorPointIO with IP67 protection are available for user selection (IO can be distributed locally via DeviceNet, ControlNet or EtherNet/IP).
Servo control system compatible with legacy systems
Kinetix is ​​well-suited for compatibility with legacy systems in terms of retrofitting and upgrading packaging OEMs and entire production lines. The user can take a direct replacement or a step-by-step replacement, such as partial replacement of the PLC controller, partial replacement of the PLC controller and IO or partial replacement of the servo control system. Because the Control Logix rack communication backplane itself is an intelligent communication routing platform that can be plugged into any number of communication modules (limited by the number of physical racks) to connect to the corresponding industrial network and equipment. The communication modules are available in a variety of formats to support all current mainstream industrial networks and control systems.