SIKO system solution for changeovers

SIKO Products Asia Pte. Ltd. was established in 2013 in Singapore to handle the distribution and technical support for customers and distributors especially in the Southeast Asian region. It is the newest addition to Germany-based SIKO’s global subsidiaries. At ProPak Asia from 13-16 June 2018, the company presented its range of products including a system solution for changeover. Jacky Tan, general manager for SIKO Products Asia Pte. Ltd explains how this system works, highlighting the ease of use for the semi-automated equipment.

In this video taken at ProPak Asia, Jacky Tan, general manager for SIKO Products Asia Pte. Ltd explains how the changeover solution works for a semi-automated equipment.

Which changeover works for you?

Making the choice to deploy manual, electronically monitored or fully automatic size changeover depends on a number of factors.

Manual size changeover solutions

For setting positions in a machine that rarely needs to be adjusted, a classic mechanical and digital position indicator is provided. They are inexpensive, and the accurate display of the actual value makes setting the spindles reproducible. The setup times – i.e. the machine’s downtime during a product change – are the highest with this solution, however, as each position has to be set manually. The settings must also be checked manually and possibly verified in a test run of the system before series production can be resumed.

Mechanical position indicators are inexpensive and allow reproducibility of machine settings.

Monitored size changeover with bus capability and electronic position display

Bus-capable position indicators, such as the SIKO AP05, with setpoint/actual value comparison and status display of the manual adjustment, offer certain technical advantages over purely mechanical position indicators, making them “smart”. The machine operator can thus see from far away the brightly lit LEDs, indicating whether the machine axis is already set correctly or must still be converted. Red indicates that the machine axis is not set correctly, and green indicates that it is. This leads to high process reliability and reproducibility. Integrated LEDs also display the direction in which an axis has to be adjusted. The position indicators obtain their basic parameters and the desired setpoint position from the machine control system via a fieldbus.

Clever users set the machine such that it can operate only when the axes are set correctly, i.e. when all axes "are indicated green".

Electronic, bus-capable position indicators

It makes sense to use electronic, bus-capable position indicators when several size changeovers per day are required. The integrated setpoint/actual value comparison leads to improved process reliability. Their use is considerably more intuitive than purely mechanical solutions.

Automatic size changeover with compact positioning drives

Compact actuators have short clock and setup times, so they guarantee exact and fully automatic positioning of machine axes. This leads to higher productivity, continuity of production and enhanced profitability. Integrated fieldbus and industrial Ethernet communication interfaces make the drives flexible in integration.

Are actuators a lot more expensive than mechanical positioning devices?

A cost comparison of fully automatic size changeover and manual changeover for machines often shows that the differences are insignificant. In practice, these were found to be less than one percent of the machine price for fully automatic size changeover with SIKO drives. One reason for this is that poorly accessible positions no longer have to be made accessible by removing mechanical components, such as bevel gears, to enable manual changeover.

Intelligent networking

The connection of actuators or electronic position indicators to different fieldbus systems allow multiple devices with a single communication interface to exchange data with the control system. The range of available interfaces extends from a simple and inexpensive RS485 protocol, the SIKONET5, to the tried and tested bus systems Profibus and CANbus. Standard technologies in the field of industrial Ethernet are also provided with Profinet, Ethernet IP, Powerlink and Ethercat.

To facilitate system integration, SIKO offers users numerous software tools, such as function modules, add-on instructions and different libraries as well as technical support.

In spite of their highly compact dimensions, the forward-looking compact-positioning drives are available up to a torque of 14Nm (type AG24). The drives have a hollow shaft with a clamping ring for easy and quick installation.

Depending on the version, the standard AG series comes equipped with an integrated 2-line LCD display and a built-in keypad. Not only can the individual IP addresses be assigned; the current actual value and the respective setpoint can also be directly monitored in order to maintain an overview in the case of diagnostics. Furthermore, via the display and the keyboard, each stored parameter can be checked and adjusted if necessary. Possible operating data can be read out and errors can be diagnosed without an analysis via the fieldbus being necessary.

Intelligent and compact actuators are therefore the first choice for all users whenever frequent size changeovers with high quality demands are made. They are essential Industry 4.0 components for current and future machine designs.

Attachment compatibility of positioning devices

For common hollow shaft dimensions of 14mm or 20mm, SIKO has a range of position indicators and actuators that can be combined and mechanically interchanged with each other, making them mechanically compatible. This results in a not-to-be-underestimated advantage for the machine manufacturer! The machine builder can flexibly and individually offer the degree of automation of machine to be manufactured, according to the customer’s requirements. Each machine axis can, depending on requirements and changeover frequency, be equipped with a position indicator or a positioning drive, even retrospectively (retrofit).

Retrofit

For integration in existing machines and equipment, SIKO a new business sector specialized in machine optimization and retrofitting and that offers not only consulting and service for component integration, but also ready-to-use Plug & Play solutions. Thus, for example, with the Siko HMI ETC5000 you can quickly and simply optimise electronic position indicators and actuators with existing machine designs. ETC5000 stands for "Easy Touch Control 5000" and can be operated independently without any knowledge of programming and without connection to a PLC.

SIKO offers a comprehensive package of positioning solutions, and will handle the engineering, integration and commissioning of in-house products, up to after-sales service.