In 2016 Axis Controls were asked to upgrade the control system and motors on a Krehalon Eldec DB50 slitter machine by MJ Howard Technical Services.
The existing Heenan drive system was very erratic, with spares being hard to source, so the decision was made to replace these with new AC closed-loop vector motors.
Parker 890 AC drives with a common rail DC bus for dynamic load sharing were selected, each with encoder feedback. We replaced the drive motors with new Siemens IE3 vector motors.
We opted for a Siemens ET-200SP PLC, and the operator control desk was based around a Siemens 9" Comfort HMI, with a second smaller HMI at the rewind end.
We used a Sick FlexiSoft safety system for monitoring emergency stops, guard switches, a light curtain, and rope switches. The Sick Flexisoft also had a motion input from two shaft encoders - allowing us to mute the light curtains during a safe low speed condition whilst the operator threaded the web path.
The rewind diameter calculation feedback came from two Sick UM30 ultrasonic sensors.