Engineering Team Solves Complex Machine Build

Joe Drilling owns Drilling Technical Services (DTS), a virtual engineering company that specializes in the mechanical, electrical, and process engineering of mid-width and narrow web printing, drying, converting, radio frequency identification (RFID), and digital print equipment. The company also provides web transportation, die-cutting, and laminating services.

Drilling Technical Services Inc. is a machine builder specializing in the mid-width and narrow web press market.

During a recent project for a customer in label and filmic product solutions, DTS was commissioned to develop a mid-width, web roll-to-roll die cutter with various unique substrate manipulation functions. The substrate’s physical parameters, especially the desire to reduce material thickness, represented particular challenges to the DTS team. DTS utilized its “QC Mod Cut Series” modular web transport system and quick change die cassette technology as the design platform.

Every aspect of the work was to be done to the customer’s strict system specifications for equipment criteria, including die cutting accuracy, line speed accuracy, tension control, and wound roll precision. These process functions were to be controlled by the machine’s Human Machine Interface (HMI). The first machine was required from DTS on a short time schedule for the customer’s showroom, and then the customer was providing a second machine along with its branded substrate materials to the initial end user. Long-range plans call for this machine to be implemented into a worldwide marketing effort by the DTS customer.

Based on previous experience with Siemens, the DTS engineering team looked to integrate electronic line shafting and process control functions that could be achieved with standard component architecture. Having a local and experienced distributor of Siemens components, Richard Equipment Company (RECO), the investigation into a process solution began. As DTS owner Joe Drilling noted, “The worldwide support of Siemens was an additional factor in our decision and really gave us that comfort zone in selecting them for this project. Our customer is itself a world player and so we felt confident in Siemens’ ability to provide components and service wherever needed.”

To achieve the desired accuracies in every machine function, DTS utilized the Siemens Simotion D435 motion controller, a compact, drive-based platform that incorporates motion control, logic control, and drive control in a single hardware unit for drive mounting. In this manner, the drive became the control for the entire machine’s functionality. Feeding off this platform are the multi-axis control drives of the Siemens Sinamics family, as well as Simatic I/O components and runtime software, plus the related HMI hardware, as supplied by RECO.

Components were selected by the DTS engineers using the Siemens Converting Toolbox, a suite of product specifications and application software that allows an engineer the flexibility to customize portions of a machine build, then recall and reuse them or make modifications for subsequent builds. The reduction in subsequent machine design engineering time, according to Drilling, reached approximately 80% on the second machine and he anticipates a repeat of that scenario every time.

According to Drilling, “With our more simplified layout of components and the flexibility we enjoyed with the Converting Toolbox, the learning curve shortened tremendously. Product and Matrix winder modules were able to be configured to allow the diverse web tension ranges and accuracy required. And, the shaftless drive system we implemented allowed our web transport roll design on the individual machine sections to become much easier, faster, and completely repeatable.” The end result is very accurate web control and re registration capability. Siemens system training and project development took place on-site at DTS.

Drilling Technical Services
www.drillingtechservices.com

Siemens
www.siemens.com

::Design World::