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The company GHD Georg Hartmann Maschinenbau is one of the world's leading manufacturers of machines and systems for slicing and packaging baked items and foodstuffs. Those in charge were looking for a reliable energy supply with pneumatic and electrical cables for the further development of a packaging machine with high processing cycles. Today, a monitored smart solution is used here, which indicates faults even before the machine fails. In addition, the modular connector system Module Connect ensures quick and safe replacement of the ready-to-install readychain energy chain system during maintenance.
GHD Georg Hartmann Maschinenbau GmbH offers machines for slicing, packaging, sealing and grouping as well as for the transport and handling of baked goods and foodstuffs. From individual machines to customised turnkey complete plants, the company supplies everything from a single source: planning, production, commissioning and service. On the basis of a very high level of vertical integration, customers appreciate the constant availability and first-class supply of spare parts and wear-resistant parts.
The right power supply components had to be found for a current packaging machine B. for industrial baked goods such as toasted bread. The automatic packaging machine GBK 440 offers the safe packaging and sealing of product bags in one operation. A wide variety of food formats can be packaged on the machine with the shortest possible cycle times. The speed can be varied according to your requirements and application. The machine is designed for up to an incredibly fast 80 cycles per minute, which is significantly more than one packaged unit per second.
The machine works with really high stroke rates in a relatively small installation space. Therefore, highly bend-resistant cables are required that must not exceed a bend radius of 63mm. In addition, we had to find a preventive warning system to avoid a possible cost-intensive breakdown of this machine with its high output.
In order to implement the particularly small bend radius, the choice fell on an energy chain of the E4.1L series, which is characterised by a high force absorption and is thus optimally suited for the application. In addition, highly flexible chainflex cables are used. The shielded chainflex cable CF10.UL.05.04 with a minimum bend radius of 5xd is used as a servo cable for the highest demands. The CF9.03.04.INI is used as the control cable as well as the chainflex measuring system cable CF113.028.D with a minimum bend radius of 7.5xd. A 6mm pneumatic hose and two additional CF9 sensor cables complete the range, the customer receives everything, including the chain, as a ready-to-install and fully tested readychain system.
Despite the guarantee of up to 36 months service life or ten million double strokes for each chainflex cable, the high cycle rate of up to 80 double strokes per minute for the automatic packaging machine was outside the standard guarantee. That is why the cables are supplemented with intelligent solutions for predictive maintenance. isense sensors together with the CF.Q module continuously monitor the condition of the cables. The device recognises the beginning of a core rupture by the changes in the electrical specifications. The report is then sent to the so-called icom module, which transmits the data to a cloud system.
In addition, a plug-and-play system had to be made available for maintenance in order to carry out this task quickly. This is where the Module Connect, a new type of connector concept for connecting electrical cables, fibre optic cables and pneumatic hoses, is used. Thanks to the simple modular principle, an individual plug-in/disconnection point can be configured as a module from several connector housings. The replacement of a pre-assembled energy chain is therefore extremely simple and absolutely safe from concealment.
Industry: Automotive
Which smart plastics technology is used?
P4.1 roller chain, i.Sense EC.B, chainflex cables
Why is it used?
Increase in plant safety and availability; complete project implementation from a single source; smart early warning system.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
i.Sense EC.P for permanent monitoring of the system
Why is it used?
The system includes intelligent sensors for monitoring the pull/push forces, which can be used for an emergency shutdown in the event of increased forces.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
Roller energy chains with the iSense EC.P pull/push force detectio.
Why is it used?
To avoid system damage and failures through preventive maintenance or remote intervention.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC.P for push/pull forces, EC.B for chain breaks, CF.P for measuring tensile force on cables, EC.M for movement data and EC.W for measuring abrasion and a predictive maintenance system.
Why is it used?
The customer now has full control, overview and safety.
Industry: Automotive
Industry: Transport
Industry: Packaging
Which smart plastics technology is used?
E4.1L e-chains® and chainflex® cables pre-assembled as a readychain, CF.Q isense sensors, Module Connect connector.
Industry: Robotics
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC.M sensor for motion data and EC.W sensor for the measurement of abrasion along the energy chain
Industry: Mining
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC. P System as a cleaning or maintenance reminder.
Why is it used?
The heavy dust arising during the movement of bauxite is an enormous stress, especially for moving machine components.
Industry: Wastewater and sewage treatment plants
Industry: Agriculture
Our intelligent e-chain® systems are already reliably in use in hundreds of thousands of applications worldwide - from beverage machines and CNC machines to steel mills.
Smart plain bearings are great for sensitive or hard-to-reach spots on a machine, since they allow the bearing's condition to be assessed at any time.
Whether a new project for Industry 4.0 or efficiency-driven retrofitting - our smart plastics solutions are available as universal modular systems and can be individually adapted to any system.
