I Can Do Quick Recipe Changes on the Fly, Can You?

In my recent travels of the east coast from Boston to Tampa, customers have been looking for quality solutions to be able to run:

multiple products,

and multiple sizes,

and multiple form-factors,

all on one production line.

Two things about this seem to be in every application:

1. Change-over needs to be simple for the operators.
2. Management needs to see the cost/time savings, be it planned or unplanned downtime.

But how can I do multiple recipes or multiple jobs on one machine?  I have to reprogram/reposition sensors, move guide rails, swap out components, etc…

Install smart sensors and devices with communication built into them (like IO-Link).  Smart devices are the future of quick recipe changes.  Using the parameterization functionality of IO-Link devices allows you to pre-program standard recipes into the device and then store them in the controller for later.  Yes, you can store sensor programming in your controller!

For Example: Say you are interested in making sure your package is color matched for the product you are filling with.  A color sensor with IO-Link technology can be programmed to detect a certain color as “good”  So everything works great with “Product A” but then you need to run “Product B”.  All the operator needs to do is select the pre-programmed recipe from the HMI and the controller automatically resets the color sensor for “Product B.”  If the sensor is damaged, the maintenance crew just installs a new one and tells it, “Product B.”  No other setup is required!

This parameterization function in IO-Link devices solves our application needs:

1.  It makes recipe changeover for the operator an easy one touch of the HMI.

2.  Planned & unplanned downtime are reduced using parameters & diagnostics.

To see more about packaging, click  here.
Download a FREE whitepaper on Reducing Planned Downtime.