Controlling It All... Motion And Machine

GlobalPack's unique head articulation lets the design operate around a small, single axis. The small footprint allows close coupling for less manpower needs. The Hartness GlobalPack is a sophisticated rotary packing system that is also simple in design. The result: a high-speed system capable of extreme service without major service. The optional high-speed laner provides precise metering for a variety of Hartness Systems. Standard-Knapp's Continuum TrayPacker/Integrated Shrinkwrapper uses ControlLogix with three axes of motion. A Douglas Machine MW4 Multi-wrapper aligns loose packages and wraps them with clear or printed film. Motion and machine control: One platform, one program. That's what packaging professionals are saying sets Rockwell Automation's Integrated Architecture apart from its predecessors. Bringing those two worlds together helps ease programming and troubleshooting, boost equipment speed and accuracy, add flexibility, and cut costs. One of the first packaging machinery manufacturers to see the benefits inherent to the integration of motion into Rockwell Automation's ControlLogix platform was Hartness International, Greenville, S.C. The company's equipment, including vertical loading, continuous motion, and rotary packers, is designed to package virtually any rigid container — regardless of shape, size, or material — into nearly any case or tray, plastic or corrugated. "We've been using PLCs in our equipment for many years," explains Dwight Crotty, engineering manager. "About three years ago when the ControlLogix processor was being introduced, we were in the market for new control systems for our servo machines. Rockwell was instrumental in helping us convert, providing the needed resources and training." The heart of the system, as far as Hartness is concerned, is its integrated motion-control capabilities. Traditional motion-control servo applications use a PLC for machine control, factory interface, networking, safety circuits, and so forth. A second dedicated controller coordinates motion through programmable servo-axis and motion commands. The PLC simply tells the controller when