Summary: Shriram Automation in Thane, India, created a motion control system for a fast, highly accurate variable hole-punch machine using a UniStream® 7”All-in-One PLC + HMI paired with two Unitronics AC Servo Drives; the machine can be remotely controlled via any mobile device.
Shriram Automation, a system integrator in Thane, India needed to create a motion control system for a demanding application that required a powerful PLC, two Servo drives, a color-touch HMI screen—plus the ability to access the machine and application remotely via mobile. Engineer Sunit Gupte selected a UniStream® 7”All-in-One PLC + HMI paired with two Unitronics AC Servo Drives to do the job.
“Unitronics controllers are the ‘KING’ of all PLCs”.
The project was for a machine that comprises 3 independently-controlled hydraulic presses. Each press punches holes that are spaced and sized according to an individual profile; the profile of each press varies from job to job. When an operator feeds a channel into the machine, each press automatically punches holes according to the currently selected profile. The servo drives handle the channel positioning – one to push the channel and one to pull it—and the positioning must be near-perfect. The holes must be positioned within a tolerance of 0.5mm—or fail the quality check.
The goal of this project was to increase production by enabling the machine to punch all three types of holes on a channel during a single feed. Shriram reached this goal: the machine can completely process an 8 meters long channel in only 40 seconds.
This efficiency was achieved by the precise positioning and accurate motion control capabilities of the UniStream PLC together with Unitronics Servos. The controller automatically calculates the positioning for the servo pusher and puller as per the hole distances. When the pusher servo reaches its end limit, the puller servo takes action by pulling out the remaining part of the channel out from the punch die, while the controller performs calculations to plot the remaining holes.
Unitronics Servo motors provide absolute encoders, which do not require doing homing after power failure. The program can resume from the last position a power on. The user can enter Servo parameters via the UniStream’s built-in HMI panel, or access it via VNC on a mobile phone.
Engineer Sunit Gupte reported that selecting Unitronics products paid off in time-saving advantages. UniLogic™ All-in-One software enabled him to setup, configure, and tune his Servo drives and motors in the same environment that he used to build both his control and HMI programs. Another benefit was the communication between PLC, HMI and Servo – transparent, automatic, no setup required.
Mr. Gupte found that procuring all motion control components from Unitronics streamlined his purchasing process, enabled all devices to communicate transparently, and brought an additional benefit—comprehensive, professional service from Unitronics’ Tech Support engineers. He summed up his experience with Unitronics as follows: “Unitronics controllers are the ‘KING’ of all PLCs”.
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