Machine Builder (OEM) Solutions
What Matters
Performance Matters
More Speed For Greater Volume
In manufacturing, time never stands still. Rockwell Automation understands this and has designed state-of-the-art, high-performance control solutions that will help your customers double, triple, or even quadruple their speed without adding floor space.
- Basics. As your foundation for speed, maximize the electronic content of your machine to provide improved accuracy and higher speed with fewer parts. For example, our integrated motion solution provides a Gen 3 Packaging Machine solution with fewer parts and simplified design and maintenance.
- Scalability. Achieve faster communication through a single platform for machine logic and motion, drive and process control, with the nanosecond communication of the Allen-Bradley® ControlLogix® platform.
- Results. The world's fastest cigarette packing machine, which can process 20,000 cigarettes/minute, uses the A-B® ControlLogix processor with integrated motion.
Smaller Footprint Machines
Help your customers maximize their available space and speed installation with small, powerful control systems, ON-MACHINE™ technology, and the latest Rockwell Automation networking standards.
- Space savings. ON-MACHINE solutions free up valuable real estate by placing automation devices and components directly on a machine. Rockwell Automation motor starters, drives, sensors, contactors, and HMIs have enhanced environmental ratings, internal intelligence, and plug-and-play capabilities.
- Big punch, small package. Pack high performance into a smaller form than traditional mechanical components by integrating multiple control disciplines. Instead of trying to manage separate control families for different machines, the Allen-Bradley Logix platform offers a consistent way of performimg control, regardless of the size or complexity of the application.
- Results. Traditional systems, with machines and control cabinets as separate units, require massive amounts of wiring and manpower to interconnect the two. But by using networks, premanufactured wiring assemblies, and by placing automation equipment on the machine, OEMs and end-users can reduce installation time by up to 30%.
Improved Flexibility
Rockwell Automation electronic solutions allow you to increase machine flexibility by slashing changeover times — an hour versus a day, a half-day versus a week, etc.
- Fewer parts. With electronic machine control, the parts count drops from 30% to 70%. Any additional cost for electronic parts is more than offset by reduced assembly time.
- Speed and versatility. No need to choose between the two. Allen-Bradley ControlLogix integrates multi-axis servo control and logic control, and a PanelView™ Plus operator interface provides a graphical interface for operator control. Changing machine parameters is as easy as pushing a button.
- Results. For a typical packaging application, changing machinery from one carton size to the next can take hours. Triangle Package Machinery Co. used ControlLogix to help slash product changeover from four hours to less than 10 minutes.
Product Highlights
CompactLogix: High-performance control solutions for smaller machines.
CompactLogix™ brings together the benefits of the Logix platform — common programming environment, networks, and control engine — in a small footprint. Combined with Compact I/O™, the CompactLogix platform is perfect for tackling smaller, machine-level applications, with or without simple motion. CompactLogix is ideal for systems that require stand-alone and/or system-connected control over EtherNet/IP. Think of every place you need economical, reliable control. With a user memory ranging from 64Kb to 1.5Mb, CompactLogix connects to the NetLinx™ Open Network Architecture with integrated serial, EtherNet/IP, or ControlNet™ (future) channels, modular DeviceNet™ communications, and local I/O capacity that can range from 8 to 30 I/O modules. CompactLogix comes equipped with a CompactFlash card to provide removable and portable nonvolatile storage for user programs and tag data.
The use of a properly loaded CompactFlash offers several benefits to machine builders:
- send out preloaded cards to end-users so they can upgrade or add functionality easily
- upgrade/troubleshoot control programs and implement them at your customer site without leaving your desk
- load your firmware and program, and go into run mode in one step, saving time and minimizing the risk of user error when installing a new controller
New ControlLogix Controllers: Ensure the best in performance for your machine.
The 1756-L61, L62, and L63 (L6x) are the latest additions to the ControlLogix® controller family, providing the memory, speed, and processor capabilities designed to meet the demands of even the fastest machines. The performance of a 1756-L6x controller is particularly suited for high-speed motion and drive-system applications. You can now run more motion axes at lower coarse update rates. You can also run more demanding logic in the same processor with motion.
The 1756-L6x controller has an advanced CPU with a high clock speed and a built-in floating-point math coprocessor. This combination executes discrete logic up to twice as fast as the 1756-L55 controller. Function blocks and REAL data type math execute 4 to 5 times faster.
The 1756-L6x controllers offer the following fixed memory choices:
- 1756-L61 (2 Mbytes)
- 1756-L62 (4 Mbytes)
- 1756-L63 (8 Mbytes)
ControlLogix comes equipped with a CompactFlash card to provide removable and portable nonvolatile storage for user programs and tag data. More information...
Kinetix 6000: Multi-axis drive built for motion control.
Kinetix® 6000 multi-axis servo drives are designed to work with ControlLogix and SoftLogix™ controllers as part of the Rockwell Automation Kinetix Integrated Motion solution. The Kinetix 6000 series is designed to lower hardware cost and greatly simplify motion control from installation and programming through operation, diagnostics, and servicing.
Kinetix 6000 drives are ideally configured for packaging, converting, assembly, material handling, and other applications with continuous amperage requirements from 4.0 amps to 49 amps. The integrated design provides dramatic termination and wiring cost-savings, eliminating as many as 395 terminations in a typical 8-axis cartoner solution.
Other performance features include:
- Velocity bandwidth — greater than 400 Hz
- Current loop bandwidth — greater than 1300 Hz
- Compatibility with high-resolution/absolute feedback motors
- High-resolution digital commands
- Fast servo loop closure
- Support for multiple-loop configurations
The Kinetix 6000 is also built for ease of use, with power rail mounting for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 axes — the integrated axis module powers itself and other axis modules. Absolute feedback simplifies machine power-up. Smart motor technology automatically identifies specific motors, which is especially helpful during maintenance. And, the Kinetix 6000 system supports 32 axes per ControlLogix/SoftLogix controller with 16 axes per SERCOS card. And you can add an axis in less than a minute.
Finally, the Kinetix 6000 enclosure is smaller than traditional servo solutions, allowing it to fit under or even inside a machine, rather than across the aisle or on a catwalk — allowing more flexible design of motion applications. More information...