In Europe’s largest ice-cream plant, variable-speed drives from Control Techniques play a crucial role in the production process. They can be found wherever precise motion control is required, from portion control and assembly, through to the packaging and palletising sections.
“We have supplied drives to the Algida ice-cream plant in Caivano for some years,” explains Gregorio Del Vecchio, Control Techniques’ area manager. “In the last year alone, we have supplied around 60 Unidrive SP AC drives, for a range of control and positioning applications throughout the factory.”
Control Techniques is the preferred drives supplier for the Italian ice-cream factory, which produced some 680 million portions last year. In many applications, Unilever has specified Control Techniques as the only drives supplier, particularly where the highest precision is required.
On the 100-metre long Magnum and Solero lines, for instance, around 50 Unidrive SP AC drives in servo mode and fitted with programmable SM application modules are twinned with Unimotor servo motors for a range of multi-axis position control applications. The ice-cream is produced from a range of ingredients, including cream, sugar and flavourings, then mixed and frozen. Special-purpose machines, along the line, portion and shape the ice-cream and add additional components, including chocolate or fruit-juice coatings, and insert the stick. The completed ices are wrapped, sealed and packaged prior to palletising ready for dispatch.
At each stage, Control Techniques drives provide the precision and control for the multi-axis machines. For example, a six-axis machine provides the exact portioning of each ice-cream, using a flying-shear cutting technique, with cam software ensuring that the correct length, speed of flying shear and right angle is achieved. A fine tolerance must be achieved in order to maintain the minimum weight required for portion control and this target was achieved with the help of a Control Techniques engineer.
Further machines with Control Techniques multi-axis servo control include packaging machines that plastic wrap, seal and insert the ice-creams into boxes.
Unidrive SP is an advanced ‘solutions platform’ AC drive, configurable in five operating modes, connectivity to most industry standard networks and accepting 14 position feedback protocols. With a range of plug-in module options, its on-board PLC can be supplemented with high-end PLC processors, customer programmable application modules are also offered with a library of software solutions.
Control Techniques drives are also specified for portioning and packaging applications in two other Unilever ice-cream plants in Cisterna and Cagliari as well as at Caivano. Drives are sold both directly to the plants and indirectly through integrators. As a result, Control Techniques Drive Centres have accumulated considerable experience in the particular requirements of the ice-cream industry.
Smarter motor technology for high-performance industrial automation Adroit Technologies
Motion Control & Drives
Adroit Technologies is bringing Mitsubishi Electric’s EM-A series permanent magnet motors to Africa, offering servo-like speed and position control at a lower cost by combining patented sensorless control with the FR-E800 inverter to eliminate encoders while achieving IE5 efficiency.
Read more...A smarter approach to simplifying motion architecture
Motion Control & Drives
n motion system design, the wiring and drive placement between motor and drive are often decided by default, yet they shape a machine’s cost, footprint and adaptability. Kollmorgen sets out how single-cable and decentralised architectures simplify the cabinet.
Read more...Robotic case packer achieves 99% uptime Rockwell Automation
Motion Control & Drives
DCC Automation designed a new robotic case packer for a nutrition supplement manufacturer using delta robots and a unified Rockwell Automation control platform, cutting changeover time from 45 minutes to 5 minutes, and achieving 99 to 99,5% uptime against the previous 10% per-shift downtime.
Read more...igus puts 3D-printed wear materials to the test igus
Motion Control & Drives
A new igus white paper compares its tribological iglidur 3D-printing materials directly with conventional POM, reporting lower wear, more stable friction and up to ten times longer service life in gear testing for customised, low-volume and replacement components.
Read more...SEW-EURODRIVE’s expanded local engineering capability SEW-EURODRIVE
Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives
At Electra Mining Africa, SEW-EURODRIVE demonstrated how its expanded local engineering capability, digital technologies and lifecycle support strategy help customers improve reliability, energy efficiency and total cost of ownership across the full life of their drive assets.
Read more...Latest Danfoss automation drive Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
Motion Control & Drives
BMG has launched the Danfoss iC7-Automation enclosed variable speed drive range in South Africa, backed by significant local stockholding of 400 V models up to 710 kW, approved warranty workshops, and DrivePro digital asset management support.
Read more...Severe-duty workhorses powering mining
Motion Control & Drives
Mining machines such as rock crushers, pumps and conveyors need motors that combine high torque with robust enclosures, seals and cooling. WEG Africa explains how severe-duty motors deliver more than a decade of reliable performance in harsh conditions while meeting modern energy-efficiency standards.
Read more...Looking beyond the spec sheet when choosing motion architecture
Motion Control & Drives
When machine builders focus only on torque, speed and price, engineering time, integration effort and long-term maintainability get overlooked. Kollmorgen explains how thinking at the system level, not the component level, leads to better motion architecture choices.
Read more...Economy drive system closes the drive gap in the entry-level segment Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives
Beckhoff has launched an economy drive system pairing its new AX1000 servo drive and AM1000 servomotor with the AF1000 dual-axis variable frequency drive on a shared EtherCAT platform, targeting series machines and price-sensitive markets without sacrificing TwinCAT integration or functional safety.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version