trends in automation

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Issue 30 trends in automation
Impulse 12 – 13
“The Multi-Carrier-
System anticipates
three trends of the
future: batch size 1
as standard,
flexibility in the
software and
intelligent, self
learning machines.”
Rainer Feuchter, Managing Director of Optima
need to be filled, such as bottles, cans or
flacons, move one by one on carriers that
can handle multiple formats and are
individually actuated. The self-propelled
carriers are driven by linear motors. In
order to avoid jams, they move according
to the rules of swarm behaviour and in
synch with the process – either
individually or in groups. The carriers can
be freely and seamlessly fed in and out of
the Multi-Carrier-System. Linking to an
existing intralogistics system couldn’t be
simpler. The carriers can be accelerated,
slowed down and freely positioned,
independently of one another. Thanks to
integrated RFID chips, they carry all the
information that the machine needs to
produce the end product. As a result,
single-unit productions are thus,
mechanically speaking, possible.
The Mult-Carrier-System in action
The Optima packaging machine comprises
three modules: filling, closing and laser
engraving. The modular machine design
requires flexible transport: the machine
can fill six bottles during transport and
subsequently seal two of them at the same
time. This means that carriers need to
move in groups of two so that production
can continue without pile-ups. For
customised laser engraving, the system
requires only one carrier – something that
can be easily achieved with the Multi-
Carrier-System.
The possibilities are endless
The Multi-Carrier-System travels at up to
3 m/s and achieves acceleration of up to
40 m/s² – completely jerk-free and with
optimum precision. Shorter set-up times,
reduced maintenance costs, lower rates
of wear, and the ease of cleaning are
further advantages of this versatile
transport system.
The potential applications of the Multi-
Carrier-System are practically unlimited; it
is suitable for all industries that manage a
large product diversity. These include the
cosmetics industry with its huge number of
product variants, the food and drinks
industry with its quick seasonal changes
and industrial manufacturing of one-off
products ordered by end customers using
an online configurator.
Linear motion control enables
format adjustment at the push
of a button.
Application example: Optima
filling and packaging machine.