smart plastics in the packaging industry | igus

• Application: Bread wrapping machine
• What was required: smart energy supply system
• Requirements: Preventive cable monitoring
• Product: CF.Q DIN rail module
• Field of application: Automation of any kind
• Success for the customer: The company GHD Georg Hartmann Maschinenbau was looking for a reliable energy supply system for one of its automatic packaging machines, including preventive monitoring to avoid machine failures.

The challenge

Million cycles but safe

The company igus offers 36 months guarantee or 10 million double strokes on every chainflex cable. However, the high cycle rate of the GBK 440 packaging machine was beyond the standard guarantee. With up to 80 double strokes per minute, the guarantee limits would be reached within a few months.  
 

Solution

Predictive maintenance planning with CF.Q

One other important component in the isense family of sensors is the CF.Q module that performs cable monitoring. Used in the right places, cable ruptures can be avoided, even in the bread packaging machine from GHD Hartmann. Here a second, identical cable from the same production batch is used in addition to the measuring system cable used. The CF.Q system continuously monitors the additional cores of this measuring cable. By means of the stored algorithms, the device recognises the beginning of a core rupture by the changes in the electrical specifications and signals this via the normally open contact. Thanks to the many tests carried out in the igus test laboratory, the system is able to identify an incipient core rupture at a very early stage and thus inform the user early of the need for a cable replacement. The system is delivered by igus pre-calibrated to the specific system situation and is ready for use from the first minute without costly "machine learning" effects. The CF.Q system is part of the GBK 440 series machine and initial tests estimated a significant extension of the time until the next maintenance. This information is evaluated in the customer control system and output via messages on the Human Machine Interface (short: HMI). With this concept, it is possible to operate the chainflex cables far beyond the igus guarantee period.