Thermoforming is the most common method for producing trays, dishes and packaging from plastics at low cost; however, many consumers take a critical view when it comes to using plastic as a packaging material. Renewable cellulose is an excellent alternative, which is why Hamer has joined forces with Beckhoff to develop a thermoforming machine for water-based cellulose pulp.
When asked what prompted Hamer to embark on such an ambitious project, Joan Ferrer from the electrical and software department says, “Concern for the environment led us to develop a technology for fully recyclable and environmentally friendly cellulose packaging. The special feature of the technology is the way the cellulose is dried out by means of a specific combination of pressure and temperature. This creates dimensionally stable packaging with clearly defined contours that can be adapted to the dimensions and shape of the item it contains, making it suitable for a wide range of products. With the HP96 thermoforming machine for pulp, we can now offer our customers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging for the first time.”
The process is entirely environmentally friendly, both in the extraction of the raw material, and in the way it is subsequently recycled. The packaging material is biodegradable and 100% compostable. The fact that cellulose does not become electrostatically charged means it can be used to package electronics safely too.
The Hamer HP96 also offers a host of advantages in terms of technology and productivity. Running four cycles per minute, it outperforms comparable machines on the market by more than double, with a forming area of 900 x 600 mm and a forming depth of up to 100 mm. The machine can process up to 300 g of cellulose per cycle, equating to around 72 kg per hour, or 576 kg per shift.
Extensive vertical integration, plus an open automation platform
Hamer can look back on four decades of experience in the packaging industry. Boasting a high level of vertical integration, the company maintains firm control over all processes, including design and automation technology. The latest evidence of this can be found in wet fibre thermoforming, which Hamer has developed together with Beckhoff. “The development project was really challenging, technically speaking,” recalls Octavi Marti from the sales team at Beckhoff’s Barcelona branch. The business relationship between the two companies was very close throughout the project, with Beckhoff’s comprehensive automation portfolio attracting the interest of the Hamer team.
Wet fibre thermoforming for sustainable packaging
The process starts with preparing the fibres, which involves mixing the basic materials with water to achieve the required consistency. A vacuum absorption process then transports the cellulose pulp from the main tank into the thermoforming machine. This is where high-quality 3D-moulded products are created in the thermoforming mould, through sophisticated control of the temperature, pressure, pressing time, vacuum, and hot drying. The result of this process is packaging with a high level of mechanical strength, along with an ideal surface finish and shape. Any remaining production materials flow straight back into the production cycle via closed conveyor and water circuits to cut down on both material consumption and disposal costs.
The anodised housing and high IP69K protection rating of the servomotors in the AM8700 series offer ideal protection against the large amounts of steam and water that are produced during the process. What’s more, the One Cable Technology (OCT) of the servomotors also cuts down on wiring work. Other key elements for the development manager include the IP65-protected CP3916 control panel and TwinCAT HMI (TF2000). “Both of these allow intuitive control of all processes performed with the equipment, while also increasing the efficiency and safety of the thermoforming machine,” notes Ferrer. The visualisation is based entirely on HTML5, and is therefore platform independent, making Hamer’s HMI futureproof, since the machines can be operated from any PC or other mobile device. Implementing TwinCAT even makes it possible to extract machine data in a variety of different ways, object-oriented programming makes it easier to reuse code, and Git version management software is also incredibly beneficial.
This project is an important milestone for Hamer, and demonstrates how innovation and collaboration can lead to unique and effective solutions. “I am confident that our collaboration will produce more innovative and efficient packaging solutions going forward,” says Ferrer. “In fact, we have already identified the Beckhoff technology that we have our sights set on next, namely TwinCAT Vision, TwinCAT Analytics, and TwinCAT Cloud Engineering.”
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