High Speed Packaging Retrofit Improves Synchronization | Cybertrol

A dry foods manufacturer was using Jones Pouch King machines to form and fill pouches at rates of up to 700 pouches per minute, but there were a number of issues with the system. Cybertrol aimed to improve synchronization and registration with motion control, PLC, and HMI.

Challenge

The hardware of the system was outdated, hard to replace, and challenging to maintain. The client called on Cybertrol to upgrade the system on an accelerated timeline.

Solution

The Allen-Bradley (A-B) ControlLogix platform was selected to replace the original control system. The solution featured:

• Easily shareable I/O and data among multiple processors via ControlNet
• Motion control integration with PLC ladder logic
• Ability for multiple tasks to be run on a timed schedule
• Ability for multiple processors to be placed in a single chassis for added processing power

Results

The project included Rockwell HMI operator software running on touch screen computers. Custom graphic displays made machine operation intuitive and minimized operator training time. An A-B servomotor was added to feed paper into the Pouch Kings, which was also electronically geared to the case packer.