In Modena, Italy, a software-enabled, highly efficient capping machine has been dubbed the “magic machine.” The name was chosen by Tetra Pak’s pilot customer, impressed by the reliability, performance and flexibility of the Tetra Pak Cap Applicator 40 Speed Hyper. But what is the source of this sorcery? Here, Mark Richards, UK sales manager at automation specialist Beckhoff pulls back the curtains to reveal the clever technology that keeps the magic alive.
In the food and beverage industry, packaging machines must meet ever-tougher demands for speed, flexibility and efficiency. With a cunning combination of Beckhoff’s XTS linear transport system and PC-based control technology, Tetra Pak’s Cap Applicator 40 Speed Hyper defies mechanical boundaries and uses software to do the heavy lifting.
Under pressure
Tetra Pak is a world leading food processing and packaging solutions company. With this comes the expectation to deliver higher production volumes with machines that take up less space, use less energy and minimise operational downtime.
Traditionally, applying caps to portion-sized beverage cartons has been a mechanical process limited by inflexible hardware and physical cams. According to Gianmarco Di Eusebio, product owner at Tetra Pak, standard systems typically top out at around 9,000 cartons per hour, meaning that to hit targets of 25,000 units per hour, producers would need multiple lines running in parallel adding complexity, footprint and cost to the operation.
In Modena, Italy, Tetra Pak engineers turned to Beckhoff’s XTS to match these demands. This linear transport system has movers that each act as an independently controlled servo axis, giving way to instantly flexible motion profiles. Combining this with TwinCAT means changeovers between cap formats are handled in software with no mechanical refits or line stoppages.
Don’t stop me now
Does the magic machine travel at the speed of light? Not quite, but with two parallel 4.5 m XTS tracks and 55 movers each, the Cap Applicator 40 Speed Hyper runs at up to 25,000 cartons per hour. Nearly tripling the output of conventional solutions means the producers can meet demand without expanding factory floor space or adding new lines.
In order to sustain these high speeds, synchronised groups of movers in batches of six apply hot-melt adhesive and press caps onto cartons in perfect alignment. The in-built quality control uses a vision system to detect any deviations and automatically adjusts glue patterns and force profiles accordingly without the need for manual stops or wasteful downtime.
This is all orchestrated by Beckhoff’s PC-based control running on two ultra-compact C6032 Industrial PCs. The control architecture relies on TwinCAT software for motion, vision and PLC tasks, with millimetre precision and microsecond response times.
The show must go on
High packaging speed means little without consistent uptime. Tetra Pak’s new system can adapt instantly to changing product formats, cap types and packaging lines. The process doesn’t just move faster, it runs more reliably too. By replacing complex mechanical parts with software-defined motion, mean time between failures (MTBF) has doubled.
With a software backbone, the magic machine takes advantage of predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring and diagnostic data available at any moment. Any deviation triggers automatic adjustments, ensuring that minor issues don’t become show-stopping breakdowns.
This level of transparency is invaluable for maintenance teams looking to gain clear insights into system performance and wear. This means scheduled interventions can be planned rather than forced during costly downtime.
To get over rising demands, tighter margins and greater product variation, Tetra Pak’s magic machine is ready to deliver non-stop under pressure to keep the show going.
Find out more about Beckhoff’s collaborations and their on-site support on the website: www.Beckhoff.com