Module Connect ensures fast maintenance in the packaging industry

• What was needed: Fail-safe complete system for energy supply
• Requirements: Small installation space, simple and fast maintenance, dependability
• Products: readychain® harnessed energy chain, Module Connect
• Fields of application: Mechanical engineering, packaging industry
• Success for the customer: The customer received a complete system from igus that was ready to install and thoroughly tested, and was able to greatly reduce its maintenance times thanks to the Module Connect interface concept

About the automatic packaging machine GBK 440:GHD Hartmann offers machines for slicing, packaging, sealing and grouping as well as for the transport and handling of baked goods and foodstuffs. For a present day packaging machine for industrial bakery products, for example toasting bread, the appropriate power supply components had to be found. The automatic packaging machine GBK 440 offers the safe packaging and sealing of product bags in one operation. A wide variety of food formats can be packaged on the machine with short cycle times. The speed can be varied according to your requirements and application. The machine is designed for up to 80 cycles per minute.

Solution

The limited installation space available for the energy chain required a very small bend radius of 63 mm maximum. For this reason, an E4.1L energy chain, which can absorb very high forces, is optimally suited for the application. In addition, highly flexible chainflex cables are used – the servo cable CF10.UL.05.04 with a minimum bend radius of 5xd, the control cable CF9.03.04.INI and the measuring system cable CF113.028.D. A 6-mm pneumatic hose and two other CF9 sensor cables complete the range, and the customer receives a ready-to-install and fully tested readychain system.

Maintenance was planned in advance with CF.Q. Sensors of various types record the status of the igus components and report this to the so-called icom module, which transfers the data to a cloud system. Thereby maintenance and service assignments become more predictable and therefore more efficient. The CF.Q module specifically monitors the cables used on the machine and informs the user at an early stage if a cable replacement is necessary.
Initial tests of the CF.Q System on the GBK 440 series machine indicate that the time interval until the next maintenance is expected to be significantly longer.

In case of maintenance, igus has provided a plug-and-play system to enable quick maintenance. Previously, maintenance work took about four hours, which could often only be carried out by two employees. A replacement of the energy supply system now takes about 45 minutes with just one person using the new interface concept, the Module Connect from igus.
 
GHD Hartmann is one of the first customers to use the Module Connect connector. End customers of GHD Hartmann easily replace the energy supply with the plug-in connector from the modular system.