Additional simplicity and compactness are gained because no programmable logic controller is involved. Both logic and motion are governed by the PacDrive automation controller.
Z Automation is also among the first to use Elau’s iSH Series Intelligent Servo Modules. Each self-contained servo module receives power and communication from a cable coming out of a nearby distribution module. The distribution modules are fed by a shared power supply in the control cabinet. This approach means Z Automation is able to do away with something found in a more conventional configuration of servo motors: the encoder cable and the power cable extending from each servo motor back to the control cabinet.
According to Momich, the servo technology supplied by Elau brings another important machine characteristic: flexibility.
“Changeover from a one-count to a 10-count, or anything in between, is done in 10 minutes or less, which we believe to the fastest in the category,” says Momich. “And no tools are required. It’s a matter of picking from a menu on the touch screen. You select the recipe you want, and all the adjustments on the machine are made automatically.”
One last characteristic of the new cartoner is its balcony design, which isolates drive components from the operating area. This allows work to be done on the machine without having to clean or sterilize it afterward. This appeals to drug makers or other manufacturers that have a special need for strict sanitation.
