Sigmatek
Visualize movement
Aluminum windows are precision components whose accuracy of fit contributes to the energy efficiency of a building. Highly automated production with a sophisticated drive and operating concept helps to maintain high quality standards.
Müller TB builds systems for the fully automated processing of aluminum profiles.
© Müller TBThe production of profiles for aluminum window construction consists of several processes. The entire process includes knurling (pressure forming process), rolling (cold rolling process), foiling through to brush and seal assembly of the aluminum profiles. One manufacturer of modern machines for insulating aluminum profiles is the Swiss company Müller TB Technologies AG. Founded at the end of the 1960s, the innovative family business manufactures high-quality machines and systems for insulating aluminum profiles that are used in window construction worldwide. Managing Director Urs Müller says that the main difference between the company and its competitors is the high degree of automation of the systems.
The DC 061-1 servo modules from Sigmatek take up little space in the control cabinet.
© Lion CommunicationIn a fully automated system for aluminum window production, the profile management system is therefore an important component for flexible production with short changeover times. This is because the stops and tools have to be repositioned each time a different window profile is changed. Depending on the machine, this task is performed by actuators with up to sixteen servo axes. In the previous version of the current PVS-SG3 profile management system, these were stepper motors with an integrated drive controller and CAN bus connection. The new generation now uses servo drives. A fully equipped production plant with the PVS-SG3 - together with the roll-in machine and the knurling machines - can comprise around 40 servo drives. The modern automation system comes from Sigmatek and consists of a controller, servo drives and web control panel. The visualization is programmed with Lasal VisuDesigner, which uses well-known web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript and is therefore flexible and platform-independent.
Drive solution in the smallest space
The reason for switching to Sigmatek was, on the one hand, that the previous manufacturers were discontinuing their products and, on the other, that the existing solution was relatively expensive. The challenge was not only the implementation of the new control platform, but also the requirement for backwards compatibility so that the older stepper motor technology could also be integrated into the new control world. After an evaluation phase, the Austrian automation specialist was selected as the overall system provider.
Sigmatek's compact drive solution was a decisive factor in the choice. In the specific example of the PVS-SG3 machine, there is space for 16 'DC 061-1' servo drives in a control cabinet measuring 1,000 mm × 500 mm (W × H) - including the S-Dias controller and a power supply unit. These servo baying modules measure 12.5 mm × 104.2 mm × 72 mm (W × H × D) and can be mounted on a standard top-hat rail. They supply up to 6 A continuous current and up to 15 A peak current with a 48 V(DC) supply. A resolver input for position feedback (12 bit) and a two-channel enable input for STO (Safe Torque Off, SIL 3/PL e, Cat 4) are integrated into the slimline modules.
Overview image of the rolling machine with setting options for the positions of the servo drives.
© SigmatekThe 'AKM Low Voltage' servomotors with resolver feedback for speed and position control, which are optionally available with a holding brake, are used to match these compact axis modules. Permanent magnets made of neodymium magnet material are installed in the rotor of the low-voltage servomotors. Fine gradations ensure optimum tuning.
Intuitive user interface
Overview of a fully automated production system for aluminum window construction from Müller TB.
© Picture: Müller TBAs a beta tester, Müller TB received support from the engineering team at Sigmatek Switzerland when programming the user interface with the web-based Lasal VisuDesigner. Entering and saving the data for a new profile is intuitive for the operator. Since an external drive can be connected, numerous recipes for profiles can be saved. During the project, the functionalities of VisuDesigner were continuously expanded by the development department at Sigmatek's headquarters in Austria. This had the advantage that they corresponded to current market requirements and were tested in practice. The open system architecture also allows the programming of customer-specific controls that are tailored to customer requirements. At the end of the project, a fully developed user interface was available.
Newly developed rolling-in system for more complex profile geometries and shorter changeover times.
© Lion CommunicationA special feature is the integration of an additional servo axis via the visualization. The user does not need a separate programming tool for this, but can create, parameterize and save the additional drive via drag & drop on the user interface. This shortens the commissioning of the system and therefore also the associated costs. Visualization via a standard web browser provides additional benefits for end customers during remote maintenance.
Further development in the direction of IoT
The author: Ingrid Traininger is Head of Marketing at Sigmatek in Lamprechtshausen, Austria.
© SigmatekMüller TB's production systems are constantly being developed further. Managing Director Müller sees the greatest potential in functions relating to AI. "We want to move even more towards digitalization in the future, i.e. recording and evaluating production data and using it to optimize our products and processes. Predictive maintenance will also become more of an issue. It is in our own interest to supply machines that have as few breakdowns as possible and thus increase customer satisfaction."
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