More performance in less space

For machine builders today, performance, costs, and design and development effort exist in a delicate balance. At the same time, demands regarding the flexibility, precision, and output of modern packaging machines are on the rise. Lenze demonstrates how modern servo inverters address precisely these challenges, becoming a pivotal factor in the creation of high-performance packaging machinery.

Rapid setup – along with a wide spectrum of precise, customized movements across all critical machine axes – is emerging as a key decision-making factor in the market. Concurrently, compact machine design is gaining prominence as a means of efficiently utilizing limited floor space in production halls. Machine builders are tasked with selecting the most suitable automation components for these purposes, rapidly adapting machine designs to meet individual customer requirements, and pushing the boundaries of performance in applications involving precise synchronized movements.

"The growing regulatory and economic demands facing the industry can only be successfully met if machines are designed to be significantly more flexible and compact," says Marian Köller, Global Industry Manager for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). "Our servo inverters serve as a crucial enabler in this regard, as they combine motion intelligence, performance, and compactness within a single solution." As a specialist in drive and automation technology, Lenze combines decades of application expertise with high-performance servo and drive technology, thereby offering application-specific motion control solutions tailored to every machine architecture within the packaging sector.

Modern servo controllers – such as Lenze’s i950 – enable highly dynamic, precise movements while simultaneously minimizing space requirements; in doing so, they make a significant contribution to achieving higher machine throughput and consistently high packaging quality. Particularly in high-cycle-rate applications – such as carton erectors – optimized servo control systems, combined with highly dynamic motors, lay the foundation for exceptional performance levels. For the customer, this translates into higher output per unit of floor space and assured process stability. A key added value lies in the integrated motion intelligence embedded directly within the servo inverter. Based on pre-configured technology applications, the i950 can be easily integrated into modular machine solutions. Complex motion profiles – such as camming movements – can be realized directly within the drive itself. This capability eliminates the need for mechanical motion guides, thereby simplifying machine construction and making the overall design significantly more compact.

Synchronous axis movements for maximum machine performance

Lenze servo inverters truly demonstrate their strengths when handling synchronous movements across multiple axes. High-end packaging machines achieve their impressive output levels only because numerous movements occur simultaneously and are precisely coordinated with one another. Solutions such as cost-efficient dual-axis drives featuring "One Cable Technology" ensure high repeatability combined with maximum dynamics. For machine builders, this reduces wiring complexity; for machine operators, it boosts system speed and reliability.

The i750 cabinet servo inverter is designed specifically to meet these requirements, offering everything needed for precise and dynamic motion control in complex multi-axis applications. Furthermore, intelligent data-driven functions and IIoT capabilities enable the implementation of innovative motion control concepts. Whether configured as a single-axis or dual-axis drive – and paired with the appropriate power supply unit – the i750 cabinet integrates seamlessly into the Lenze automation system. It particularly excels when operating in conjunction with Lenze controllers and the FAST Application Software Toolbox – even in complex robotics applications such as high-speed pick-and-place cells.

Moreover, Lenze servo inverters support modular machine concepts. Thanks to an open architecture – as well as consistent functions and interfaces spanning controllers, HMIs, and I/Os – motion, logic, and HMI functions can be executed reliably and in parallel, even as machine complexity increases. "Rapid machine design and quick setup are increasingly becoming key competitive factors," notes Köller. Our servo drives are designed to enable precisely this speed.