WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 02/2018

Digitalization on track
MOTION AND DRIVES
Along with digitalization, new approaches in
mechanical design and motion control hardware are
required to achieve true mass customization and
batch-of-one production. Breakthrough innovations in
design and hardware are at the heart of Acopostrak,
an intelligent transport system that enables flexible
production.
Manufacturing companies are on constant lookout for solutions
that get new products to market faster and make them
more competitive in global markets. The crux of the challenge is
finding a way to maximize overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
and productivity, even when mass producing customized products
in batches of one. “The much discussed topic of digitalization
based on communication technology and software takes too narrow
a focus,” contends Robert Kickinger, Mechatronics Technology
Manager at B&R. A new generation of requirements also calls for
radical new thinking in the way products are transported through
machines and production systems – and B&R has stepped up to the
challenge. “In developing the intelligent Acopostrak transport system,”
he says, “we have set the stage for revolutionary new machine
concepts.”
Diverter: the pivotal component
So, what is it that makes the intelligent transport system so uniquely
suited for automating adaptive processes? “The diverter is – quite
literally – a pivotal component of the system,” explains Kickinger.
Author: Carmen Klingler-Deiseroth, freelance journalist
“It is 100 % electromagnetic and therefore entirely free of wear.
“Like a highway junction, the Acopostrak diverter allows product
flows to diverge and converge. “The diverter allows the shuttles to
switch tracks at full speed with no compromise in productivity,” he
emphasizes. Mass-produced items such as bottled beverages can
be grouped on-the-fly into custom six-packs – three of one flavor,
two of another and one of a third – without any changes to the hardware.
The diverter also allows defective products to be sorted out as
soon as they are identified, rather than continuing on to the end of
the line as they would in a conventional system. This has a positive
effect on overall productivity.
Makes parallel processing possible
Acopostrak and its diverters also add a new dimension of flexibility
for implementing parallel processing. The product flow can be
divided, pass through multiple processing stations and then converge
further down the line. This way, production speed is no longer
throttled by the station with the slowest processing time. “The end
user can increase productivity without an increase in machine footprint,”
Kickinger explains. In other words, Acopostrak boosts output
per square meter. “Ultimately, that means a higher ROI,” he adds.
When you build a machine or line using this intelligent transport
system, you have the modularity and flexibility to add individual
track segments and processing stations in response to changes
in demand. Acopostrak based manufacturing systems are also
exceptionally fault tolerant. If there is a problem with one valve in a
bottling line, the bottles are simply no longer sent to that valve. The
defective valve does not result in waste, which makes a big difference
in the OEE quality factor. Thus, the truly adaptive and scalable
machines envisioned for the Industrial IoT now become a reality.
Changeover with zero-downtime in production
The hot-swappable shuttles can be replaced tool-free and
on-the-fly for complete availability. When switching products,
all the operator has to do is place the wheels of the new shuttle on
40 WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2/2018