Smooth Packaging Drives Solutions

Multi-Pak is renowned for designing, engineering, developing and supporting its own packaging machines. These particular machines are typically used for cosmetic samples. Having developed robust and reliable foil pouch filling machines using mechanical web tensioning and liquid filling processes, the electronically controlled alternative solution from Lenze Americas had to show significant benefits. The Lenze Americas solution uses PositionServo drives as master and slave to provide web tension, PositionServo drives with Lenze Servo Gearboxes and MCS motors for pump control, and SMVectors running the main unwinding reel.

The PositionServos control the rollers that "draw" the material into the area where the bottom is heat sealed, then the liquid is pumped into it and the material indexes down to the next area where the sides and top are heat sealed.

The SMVector controls the main shaft, which also functions as the timing for the sealing dies. Both processes use mechanical cams and/or stepper motors to achieve the moves.

Changing products or moves is very time consuming for each set up. Multi-Pak saw a significant increase in machine speed and a significant reduction in set up time by running many different products sequentially.

Multi-Pak liked the flexibility of adjusting the move distance easily for different products. Multi-Pak employs a Maple touchscreen with serial comms connected to the servo to adjust for different lengths of packages. Multi-pak also uses a simple operator station with selector switches to adjust the index degrees.

PositionServo Series Benefits:

• Replacement of mechanical control
• Improved speed and accuracy
• Integrated servo and inverter solution
• HMI used as a controller