Italian packaging machine manufacturer TME has been hard at work during the pandemic. Together with Festo, the company has improved the energy efficiency of its latest generation of machines for single-serve packaging. It is worth taking a look at the so-called Packaging Valley in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where TME is based.
"The application areas for single-serve packaging are multiplying every year and are not just restricted to the food sector," explains Carlo Lamantea, Purchasing Manager at TME. "They also extend to the assembly of plastics, the pharmaceutical sector, the medical industry, the cosmetics industry and many others." The capsule packaging system HTS from TME is designed to provide large production capacities and meet the highest efficiency standards.
Easy integration of the servo drives
In addition to the production of 280 to 1200 capsules per minute, "this system allows all capsule models and different materials such as plastic, compostable material and aluminium to be processed," Lamantea adds. "This means that coffee as well as powdered drinks, teas and medicinal teas can be packaged." Festo was chosen as a partner because it offered a new range of brushless servo systems type CMMT and EMMT that integrated seamlessly with TME's control platform, which is based on EtherCAT technology.
The coffee is dispensed and sealed by a screw conveyor system driven by brushless motors from Festo. "The aim was to increase the production capacity of the (high-end) capsule packaging machines HTS with the best technological solutions available on the market," explains Gabriele Barbarini, Application Sales Engineer at Festo.
TME 和 Festo 的合作更加紧密，特别是在疫情期间。“我们在主厂房引入了最具创新性的运动控制系列，即伺服驱动器 CMMT 和电机 EMMT 的组合。这帮助我们在市场上重新确立了自己的地位，让我们在经历了历史低迷时期后，抓住机遇，恢复元气。”采购经理 Lamantea 如是说道。“疫情持续了一年半。在此期间，我们与客户的互动也发生了一些变化。公司采用了能够进行远程 FAT（工厂验收测试）的系统。这让客户感觉到他们可以尽可能地接近他们的产品。Lamantea 说道：“而且我们能够实时响应他们的需求。”
节能网络研讨会
“Festo 也为我们开发了电气自动化元件， 因此我们得以生产出高性能节能机器。” 采购经理 Lamantea 强调道：“TME 的机器主打耐用性和可持续性，并考虑到了客户的个性化需求。” “Festo 起初为我们提供气动解决方案方面的建议，之后帮助我们为 HTS 生产线开发最佳的机电一体化解决方案。他们不仅在面对面会议中为我们提供支持，而且在过去两年中，Festo 的专家们还组织了许多关于节能和机器安全等主题的网络研讨会。”
值得注意的是，20 多年来，TME 一直在工厂中使用自动关闭系统，该系统可在生产中断时发挥作用。销售专家 Alice Magnani 解释道：“这使我们能够重新利用无刷电机在制动过程中产生的能量，并将其输入公共能源总线，而且 Festo 还帮助我们优化了压缩空气管理。”
节能模块 MSE6
“TME 已经将 MSE6 系列 新模块整合至一些项目中，尤其是压缩空气优化。” Festo 项目工程师 Gabriele Barbarini 确认道。由此，我们发现了可以无缝集成到气源处理装置中的解决方案，从而可以监测消耗并减少能源浪费。