“Click” and “tsssch” - New beer can filling machine automated with Siemens

17Jan

An Italian company has used Siemens components not only for classic automation technology but in particular when it comes to motion control.

The CFT SpA (Catelli Food Technology, CFT) Group based in Parma, Italy, manufactures processing lines for a wide range of products including beverages. Its MasterBrew machine was developed for filling beer cans. CFT customers benefit from space savings coupled with improved power density, an end-to-end automation concept and simple plant engineering.

CFT specialises in the development and construction of suitable processing lines for all kinds of raw materials such as fruit, milk or canned vegetables, as well as filling plants for beverages, cooking oils and lubricants. The corporation which owns the Manzini, Comaco, Sima and SBC brands is based in Parma in Italy. One of the Italian machine builder’s latest developments is the beer can filling plant MasterBrew. This monoblock machine is able to fill 20,000 beer cans an hour and combines both the filling and sealing process. With its 36 filling valves, it is ideally suited for small and medium-sized breweries. The control and drive systems are provided by Siemens.

Tried and tested cooperation

“We’ve worked with Siemens solutions for many years already, starting with controls, the Human Machine Interface (HMI), and I/O modules through to motors. In MasterBrew, alongside classical automation components, we’re making particular use of Simotion motion control with Safety Integrated. And the Sinamics G120C frequency converter is used to simplify transportation,” says Filippo Tedeschi, Packaging Automation Manager at CFT. Automation in the Masterbrew is based on the distributed I/O ET 200SP and Simatic CPU S7-1513F with Safety Integrated. As a standardized engineering environment for the controllers, motion control, safety and HMI (Human Machine Interface), the TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation) enables cross-system telediagnostics. The integrated safety concept allows a reduction in the dimensions of the control cabinets and also in the amount of cabling work required.

Successful premiere

The MasterBrew uses the Simotion D425 for motion control with an integrated Sinamics S120 drive system. All the components are connected over Profinet using the Profisafe protocol. Transport functions in the plant are simplified using Sinamics G120C, whose compact design requires around 30 percent less space while providing up to 40 percent higher power density. “Among the innovations is the W700 Scalance family, which allows for easy connection of the machine via WLAN and saves money because the cabling is reduced. In addition, the RCoax radiating cable system for signals going to the rotating part of the machine makes it less susceptible to interference in the customer’s factory,” explains Tedeschi. Simotics 1FK7 synchronous motors and Simogear asynchronous geared motors were used for the first time by CFT in one of its machines. The Nanobox 227E-PC and19-inch multi-touch motor are used for machine operation.

All-round carefree package

“We are delighted with our collaboration with Siemens, which has been key to ensuring the resounding success of our machine – not only in terms of the technical elements but also in terms of the support we received, from project planning through to the testing and acceptance phases,” sums up Giuseppe Colombi. The company plans to go on using Siemens for future projects.