WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 02/2018

Krones’ Sleevematic
TS labelling
machine can label
up to 50,000
containers per
hour with just
one unit
service life of approximately five million cuts, the
present two perforation knives are designed for up to
70 million cuts.
Trust in proven components
03 Height adjustment
of hold-down device
with SLW-2080 special
solution from igus.
The igus energy chains
undertake the guidance
of the cables
Even though Krones has developed new technology for the Sleevematic
TS, the machine manufacturer still continues to rely on certain
proven components from the previous models, like the lubrication-free
plastic solutions from the motion plastics specialist igus
for moving components and various other adjustments. Since the
most important safety standards for the protection of consumers
are applicable in beverage and food technology, it is important for
designers to be able to rely on products that do not require external
lubrication, thus eliminating contamination of the food or beverage.
Therefore a wide range of igus products are used in the Sleevematic
TS. From dry operating drylin plastic nuts and drylin linear
bearings for round shafts (drylin R) in the belt station and the sleeve
brush, and drylin profile guides (drylin W) in the inlet and outlet
sensor, up to complete drylin SLW lead screw lift tables with hand
wheel for manual adjustment in the preliminary shrinkage as well
as the height adjustment of the guide rollers. The guide rollers are
also supplied by igus to Krones as a complete system solution consisting
of two xiros polymer ball bearings and an anodised aluminium
tube. In the past, Krones used metal bearings here. However,
this was not smooth enough, sometimes making the complete roll
stop and the label band would slip over it. Due to the lower mass in
the xiros ball bearings from igus, these problems are a thing of the
past. Here glass balls are used as rolling elements, which are held
by plastic ball races in the bearings. Inner and outer rings of the ball
bearings consist of xirodur high-performance plastics, which are
distinguished by excellent friction and wear values.
For these guide rollers, igus also offers on its website a configurator,
by which the user can configure their components easily with
a few clicks and order the required length online. The advantage
here is that this complete solution saves considerable assembly
time, because igus pre-assembles the guide rollers. “We are dependent
on partnerships, where the quality has to be right, but it must
be something more than the pure product,” explains Josef Mayer.
“Therefore, it is also very important for us if our suppliers not only
offer good products, but also complete assemblies or systems. And
this also works very well with igus.”
Krones and igus now have more than 25 years of partnership. “The
collaboration is great,” concludes Josef Mayer. “The support right
here on site works very well. You look sometimes in the catalogue
somewhere else and think that the concerned product might roughly
fit. At igus, however, you have a personal contact and always receive
straightforward and suitable solutions immediately, even during
prototyping.” However, igus is also benefiting from the cooperation
- new ideas and initiatives of the customers are also creating new
products, whereby the flow of innovation always remains in motion.
Photographs: lead photo Krones AG, igus GmbH
www.igus.de
WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2/2018 33