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

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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.

Will Healy III is enthusiastic about smart manufacturing & workforce development. A Purdue University mechanical engineer, Will loves to share his passion for automation as a leader with Balluff Worldwide & Cincinnati's Advanced Manufacturing Industry Partnership. He speaks from experience about creating value through workforce, IIoT, sensors & automation solutions.

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