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Flying Shear Application

A flying shear solution that synchronizes motion for fast, accurate cuts while your conveyor keeps moving. - [Implementation time: 45 minutes]
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Closeup tire conveyor belt at modern industrial manufacture working process. Automated robotic technology of tyre production automation in automotive warehouse. Auto machinery industry concept
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What is this for?

Flying shears are used in a variety of industries like Glass, Plastic & Rubber, fiber, etc to cut product to specified lengths. Their unique design allows product to be cut on the fly as it moves past the shear Productivity is optimal because the belt never stops during the cut.

 

Is this useful for me?

The Master Axis (conveyor) may be servo driven, to synchronize speed and position with the slave Axis, an encoder is mounted on one of the Master axis’ (conveyor) drive rolls. This encoder becomes a feedback only axis in the Motion controller.

The Slave Axis is typically servo driven. Its speed and position are synchronized with the Master Axis (conveyor) during the cut.

The Shear Axis (perpendicular with conveyor) may be servo driven. Less costly system may use open loop pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders to traverse the Shear across the cut zone. In these open loop applications, programmers use on delay timers to allow enough time for the cut.

The entire slave/shear assembly is typically raised during the retract move to prevent the knife from cutting the belt. Accuracy for raising and lowering the assembly isn’t critical; therefore servos aren’t used for this operation.

 

Downloads

Please note: You will need to agree to the Terms & Conditions for each download.

Downloadable file ›
Legal Disclaimer Acceptance. ROCKWELL AUTOMATION WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO ROCKWELL PRODUCTS (BEST PRACTICES, APPLICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE) ON THE CONDITION THAT YOU ACCEPT AND COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT BY DOWNLOADING, INSTALLING, COPYING, OR OTHERWISE USING PRODUCTS. IF YOU ARE ACCEPTING THESE TERMS ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON, COMPANY, OR OTHER LEGAL ENTITY, YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU HAVE FULL AUTHORITY TO BIND THAT PERSON, COMPANY, OR LEGAL ENTITY TO THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD, INSTALL, COPY, ACCESS, OR USE THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE AND/OR CLOUD SERVICES. 1. Rockwell Automation retains full ownership and title to all Products and related documentation. No rights or licenses are granted other than those set forth in this Agreement. Company grants to Rockwell Automation a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-revocable license to use any feedback Company provides regarding the Products, even if Company has designated the feedback as confidential. Rockwell Automation will be entitled to use the feedback without restriction or compensation to Company. 2. Company may not lease sub-lease, assign, license, sub-license or otherwise transfer any of the Products without the prior written consent of Rockwell Automation. Company may not assign or otherwise transfer access rights to the Products without the prior written consent of Rockwell Automation. Any reverse assembly, reverse engineering, decompilation, and creation of derivative works based on the Products by Company is prohibited. 3. Company acknowledges that Products provided under this Agreement are Rockwell Automation’s Confidential Information and are covered by effective or pending copyrights, patents, trademarks and/or trade secrets of Rockwell Automation, and Company agrees to maintain confidentiality by not disclosing Products or documentation to any third party without the prior written consent of Rockwell Automation and to protect the confidentiality of the Products as it would Company’s own confidential information. Company agrees that its obligation of confidentiality under this paragraph shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement. 4. Company agrees that Products provided under this Agreement are prototypes and examples and its application and results may vary depending on each customer and project conditions. Rockwell Automation do not warranty the same results. This Agreement shall in no way be construed as a commitment by Rockwell Automation at any time to manufacture and/or offer Products for sale. There is no explicit or implicit service level agreement associated with using the Products. Rockwell Automation does not warrant that the functions contained in the Products will meet Company’s requirements. Company agrees to use all Products only in accordance with the instructions and only for the intended usages identified in the documentation. 5. EXCLUSION OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. THE PRODUCTS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS". ROCKWELL AUTOMATION DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ROCKWELL AUTOMATION EXPLICITLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF NON- INFRINGEMENT AND EXPRESSLY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PRODUCTS, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WILL BE ERROR FREE OR FREE FROM SECURITY VULNERABILITIES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ROCKWELL AUTOMATION BE LIABLE FOR (i) LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, DOWNTIME, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR (ii) ANY PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY OR IN TORT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE. 6. COMPANY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HARMLESS FROM ALL COSTS, AWARDS, DAMAGES, EXPENSES AND FEES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS FEES) RESULTING FROM OR RELATED TO ANY THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS (INCLUDING EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS OF COMPANY) AGAINST ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, ITS DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS OR EMPLOYEES FOR PERSONAL INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH), PROPERTY DAMAGE OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE RELATED TO OR RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCTS. 7. In the event a Product is exported, Company agrees to comply with all applicable United States Export Control Law and Regulations, and the applicable export control laws of other countries. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of Wisconsin. This Agreement is the complete and exclusive Agreement between Rockwell Automation and the Company, and supersedes all prior agreements, whether written or oral, relating to the Products.
 


Need Help?

If you need help with an application or have feedback from the Innovation Center, please contact us.

 

How can I make it work?

Requirements: products, tools, prior knowledge.

Hardware

  • Kinetix Over Ethernet 

Software

  • Studio 5000 (V30 – V35) 

Knowledge

  • Knowledge of Motion Control.
 
 
 
 
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Implementation Guide

 
Open All Close All
Step 1
 

Open the Studio 5000 project that you downloaded from the Downloads section of this page.

Step 2
 

Replace the Physical Drives in the configuration and keep the actual Names.

 
Step 2 - screenshot

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Step 3
 

Rung (2) in the Web Control Routine is used to detect the product registration mark.

Its PC bit advanced the State Machine after the event is captured.

Step 3 - screenshot

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Step 4
 

Rung (3) isn’t required. It’s included to count registration events for diagnostics.

 
Step 4 - screenshot

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Step 5
 

Rung (4) isn’t used in this lab. It can be employed on an actual machine to compensate for mechanical inaccuracies or for product slippage (i.e. registration mark doesn’t occur at the axis rollover point).

 
Step 5 - screenshot

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Step 6
 

Rung (5) starts the flying shear. It consists of (2) MAPC instructions. Let’s examine each MAPC in detail.

 
Step 6 - screenshot

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Step 7
 

The first MAPC executes the Acceleration Cam Profile. It executes once, every time a product registration occurs.

 
Step 7 - screenshot

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Step 8
 

Click on the Cam Profile configure button.

 
Step 8 - screenshot

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Step 9
 

Update the Cam Profile according the values of your application. Click Apply and OK.

 
Step 9 - screenshot

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Step 10
 

Download and test the application.

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Flying Shear Application

Version 1.1 - May 2026

 
 
 
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