2007-10-07 Manufacturing News

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Automation system customized for packaging machine concepts

Features of ELAU’s new PacDrive automation system meets many requirements and are customized for modern, packaging machine concepts.

Introducing two new versions of the PacDrive controller series, ELAU once again has upgraded the scalability of its automation system. The C200 A2, designed for applications with one to two axes, rounds off the lower end of the series. It allows ELAU packaging machine customers to use it even for the automation of machines without servo axes! The C400 A8 for 8 servo axes represents a strategically sensible scale below the C400 A16 for 16 servo axes.

Scalable automation is designed to automate cost effectively, eliminating any unnecessary complexity. A scalable system performs all the functionalities required in the application on one platform without any redundant interfaces and features, and without paying for unneeded performance.

ELAU’s PacDrive* automation system meets both requirements. Its features are customized for modern, mechatronic packaging machines. All PacDrive controllers combine motion control, PLC and communication functionalities on a hardware platform. The servo drives’ function is limited to controlling the servo motors. All motion functionalities are centralized in the controller, which communicates with the servo drives via the SERCOS motion bus and with the field devices via the standard fieldbuses.

Thanks to improved scalability in CPU performance, the PacDrive C200 A2 and C400 A8 controllers provide a foundation for cost-optimizing automation solutions. Click Here for High resolution image. photo: ELAU

Scalability is based on the performance of each PacDrive controllers’ CPU. The range starts with the C200 controller, now scaled into versions A2 and A8. The new version A2 represents an economical solution for one to two servo axes while still combining PLC, motion control and communications functionalities on a single platform for almost all packaging concepts. Version 8 is perfectly suited for packaging machines with up to 8 servo axes.

In addition, the PacDrive C400 controller adds a new A8 version suitable for servo systems with up to eight axes, while offering significantly more CPU power. The C400 A8 provides far greater scalability between the C200 A8 controller and the standard C400 A16 controller, which is still available. The C400 A16 enables the synchronous operation of up to 16 servo axes. The C400 A16 integrates PLC functionality with a processing rate of 1000 bits in 5 microseconds, by far exceeding the performance of conventional PLCs. Moreover, an almost unlimited number of continuous, cyclical or event-driven user tasks can be controlled.

The PacDrive controller C600 can synchronize up to 99 servo axes and supports the implementation of virtually all packaging machine concepts. All PacDrive controllers support the integration of robot technology. The C600 even supports controlling several robots parallel to the packaging machine on a shared platform. The integrated PLC processes 1000 bits within 5 microseconds, and in addition to the DC bus two further fieldbuses can be connected.

Running MS Windows, the P600 controller is the platform of choice for integrating control and HMI. With a performance comparable to the C600, the P600 can control up to 22 servo axes and run Windows XP applications.

* PacDrive is a registered trademark of ELAU AG, a company of Schneider Electric.

Read a recent press release about - Respected, international market research company credits ELAU AG with leading the way in packaging machine automation.

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