Kollmorgen Uses Hygienic Drives To Ensure Scaled Technology And Functioning Interfaces

When it came to motors, we were looking for a manufacturer that would supply us with inexpensive motors as well as a highly hygienic version,”recalls Marc Grabher, Technical Director at Swiss Can Machinery. “Some are for standard machine construction and the other for machines that are later used by pharmaceutical manufacturers. When we were looking for stainless servomotors, we finally came across Kollmorgen.”

Swiss Can Machinery is a Swiss mechanical engineering company that manufactures filling and packaging systems. In the extensive range from the drive specialist Kollmorgen, the company saw the advantage that motors can be replaced very easily without losing time in engineering.

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Despite different synchronous servomotors with single-cable connection technology, the basic programming of a system can be retained - regardless of whether coffee or milk powder is being filled. Mechanical engineering and installation with just one cable between the AKD servo controller in the control cabinet and the selected motor in the machine also remain unchanged.

Drive technology scaled precisely

Alternatively, Swiss Can Machinery could use the largest common multiple for all equipment applications. However, this way means in many applications to use a technology that would be completely covered - and thus significantly too expensive. "Different machine lines are also out of the question for us because we are simply too small for that," says Marc Grabher. The mechanical engineer founded the fast-growing company in 2013 together with his brother Michael in Berneck on Lake Constance. In view of this lean focus, the packaging specialists were looking for suppliers to develop filling, transport and packaging modules that could cover the widest possible range of applications.

Save time in development

"If we look at the whole thing from an automation perspective, we are dealing with machines that are identical in terms of control technology and are only adapted for the motors," summarizes Silvester Tribus. The CEO of TBM Automation from Widnau closely accompanied Swiss Can in engineering as a channel partner of Kollmorgen. In practice, for example, the grip on the stainless steel motor from the Kollmorgen series AKMH is reduced to adapting a flange. "We have not found a comparable manufacturer who has such a coherent and suitable range for us," confirms CTO Marc Grabher.

In addition to saving time in development, OEMs and operators alike benefit from the uniformity in the control cabinet. Standardization can also limit the amount of spare parts required. "With a single AKD servo drive, we cover many different tasks," says Silvester Tribus.

Special products in small batches

Typical tasks of the machines from Lake Constance are filling milk powder - specifically milk powder for, for example, infants with kidney diseases. "We're talking about products that can cost 100 euros in a 900-gram can," says Marc Grabher, outlining the market in which his company's systems are in international demand. They are so successful because the well-known machine builders for filling lines of high-speed machines can do 200 to 300 cans per minute very well, but are much too inflexible, too large and too expensive for smaller production quantities.

Content of the article:

• Page 1: Kollmorgen uses hygienic drives to ensure scaled technology and functioning interfaces
• Page 2: Hygienic and efficient

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