Product category:
Drives, motors and power transmission, couplings, clutches
News Release from: ZF Great Britain | Subject: ZF Hysteresis units
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 December 2003
Hysteresis drive units speed up label
printing
Retrofitting hysteresis units to its printing machines gives precise tension control that allows multiple layers of material to be passed through seven printing and cutting operations at 50m/min.
Skanem, well known for their ability to manufacture custom labels, has recently started retrofitting ZF Hysteresis units to their Gallus printing machines in order to match changing industry demands The precise tension control provided by the ZF system allows multiple layers of material to be passed through seven printing and cutting operations at a speed of 50m per minute, with a standard of repeat accuracy high enough to eliminate wastage
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 15 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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'We fitted the first ZF hysteresis brake and clutch system 12 months ago after consultations with Bedfordshire based systems specialist, DJ Automation' explains Peter Coutts, maintenance engineer at Skanem Cardiff.
'A customer had asked for a special peal-and-seal type label which required us to feed an extra layer (web) of film into one of our Gallus machines.
When you take into account that the Gallus is capable of producing over 3000 colour labels a minute from a 2000 metre roll, precise tension control becomes a priority in the retrofit design'.
Further reading
Clutch and brakes offer alternative for winding
Operating with hysteresis brake and clutch components, ZF's ERM control unit offers users the flexibility of a number of operating options when compared with servomotor systems.
ZF appoints Home Counties distributor
ZF Industrial's unique range of hysteresis tension control products is now being supplied through DJ Automation, over an area centred on Bedfordshire.
Hysteresis clutch and brake range is available
The appointment of Newton Tesla (Electric Drives) as ZF Industrial's distributor for the north of England ensures that the ZF hysteresis range is available from specialist suppliers in the UK.
'Following the success of the first conversion we have installed the ZF system on three different types of presses all offering both ease of set up and integration' continues Mr Coutts.
'We traditionally used a friction based control system, but this did not have the accuracy and flexibility needed for the complex upgrades'.
Depending on the type of label being produced, the Gallus machine will perform between four and seven different operations, including the application of seven colours, hotfoil and rotary cutting processes.
Making sure that webs are fed into the machine with an even tension can make the difference between a highly efficient set up and large amounts of wasted time and materials.
David Levett, sales manager at DJ Automation explained that 'the rolls of film are 20cm wide and fed through the machine at a rate of 50m per minute.
This required us to specify an EBU brake on the 'off' wind and an EKU series clutch for the 'on' wind operations with both controlled by a ZF ERM unit.
The beauty of the system is that, once it has been programmed, it acts as a standalone unit, facilitating set up and minimising maintenance'.
'We also supplied a customised motor gearbox for the rewind' he continues, 'and installed Honnigman sensors in the roller end shafts, allowing the ERM unit to precisely monitor speed and adjust tension accordingly.
The system is one we recommend for a broad range of tension control applications from manufacturing computer cables to medical dressings, and due to its non-contact operation, has proven itself in a multitude of other clean-room applications'.
The non-contact operation of ZF's hysteresis brakes allows for an extremely long service life and avoids the creation of dust particulates, making them ideal for test rigs and production environments where levels of air-born contamination have to be minimised.
The ZF range of brakes includes a high power series that offers (continuous) slip powers from 250 to 2000W and peak capabilities of twice these figures.
ZF's range of hysteresis clutches are especially useful for winding-on applications in paper or food packaging industries and the four different versions available cover most requirements with torque capacities ranging from 0.08Nm to 520Nm.
The range is backed-up by ZF, one of the most respected manufacturers of driveline technology in the world with production centres, partners and representatives on every continent.
In the industrial sector, ZF is at the forefront of developments, from individual units to complete systems solutions for all types of machinery and production units, including those used in robotic systems and the factory automation sector. Request a free brochure from ZF Great Britain ...
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