The gripper system must be able to pick up composite cuttings and PU cores of different sizes for this purpose, in some cases preform them and place them down again. This in turn necessitates ultra-flexible handling, so that different linear positions can be approached without any mechanical retooling. WITTENSTEIN small servo drive systems were a logical choice to control the gripper spider: they convinced the developers at FILL with their compact design, the low weight of the motors and the fact that the servo regulators integrate easily into the handling system’s PROFINET fieldbus environment.

FILL uses a total of nineteen size 32, industrial grade small servo motors from the cyber^® dynamic line family, each of which is teamed up with a simco^® drive servo regulator, in this handling unit. They enable precise motions to be executed steplessly and independently of one another. Nine of these small servo motors each position a suction cup vertically via a spindle drive. These cups allow the gripper spider to pick up PU cores of various sizes as well as different composite cuttings which are preformed in preparation for the processing process. The other cyber^® dynamic line motors position the suction cups horizontally according to the format, also with the help of a spindle drive. The complete structure is built up layer by layer in a single mold. The result is a composite part where no complicated treatment or laying is necessary between the usual process steps.

These composites are used, for example, in the automotive and aerospace industries, in the sports and energy sectors and in wood and building. All the top producers of skis and snowboards trust in FILL and about eighty percent of all European cars are built using materials that were made on the company’s machines. Established in 1966 as a family owned firm, FILL currently employs around 700 people.

We supported FILL’s developers during the motor selection process with on-site consulting as well as load calculations using the cymex^® 5 sizing software. We also made drives available at short notice for test purposes.

Perfect combination for non-stationary machine architectures
An unbeatable technology constellation with high performance potential – our compact simco^® drive servo controller and the innovative small servo motors in the cyber dynamic line family are tailor made for anyone seeking a space-saving drive solution. The fact that the regulator and motor are both available from one suppler results in technically optimized solutions – with no interface risks. Various bus systems allow free connectivity to a higher-level controller. Thanks to the electronic identification plate, there is no need to parametrize the system, so that the time for commissioning is shorter. The single-cable concept adopted for the controller-motor connection guarantees quick, economical wiring. It also saves weight – as does the power dense version of the small servo motors themselves. Finally, the performance of the servo controllers is perfectly matched to that of the motors – for the highest levels of performance whatever the application.