Case Studies

Controls for Industrial Roll Slitting Product

Slitter-Rewinder
Posted in Consumer Goods, Embedded Development & Programming, Manufacturing Automation and Intelligence, Product Development

Summary

DMC worked with its client to develop the program for a new high-performance narrow web inspection slitting and winding industrial product.  DMC developed the control algorithm and Human Machine Interface (HMI) for the product.

Slitter-Rewinder Product

Slitter-Rewinder Product

Slitter-Rewinder System

Slitter-Rewinder System

Solution

This product is used to unwind and slit a roll of product and rewind the result into several rolls. The operator loads the roll, sets the slitters to the appropriate locations, and sets the parameters such as material density, line tension, line speed, and roll width. The control algorithm includes several advanced features, such as auto-tensioning on rewinder axis, length counting, and the ability to stop at a precise point. DMC produced an intuitive touch-screen HMI program that helps operators easily setup and run jobs. A PLC state-machine was developed which both handles the control algorithms and calculates run-time parameters. Speed and run commands are sent over MODBUS to a Yaskawa V1000 drive. This system is a significant upgrade over the client's previous product and provides the means for future improvements and expansions.

Customer Benefits

  • The addition of new, industry-first features, such as rewind automatic tension control, give the client a competitive advantage over competitors.
  • The intuitive operation of the HMI screen layout facilitates quicker system training.
  • The flexibility and robustness of the system's state machine architecture facilitates future expansion and improvements.
  • The ability to adjust system parameters through the HMI results in reduced technical support requirements

Technologies

  • Automation Direct DirectLogic 205 PLC
  • C-More EA7-S6C Touch Panel
  • Yaskawa V1000 Drive (VFD)
  • Serial Communication over MODBUS