CASE STUDY

Engineering services from a single source for a mechanical engineering company: circuit diagram design using Eplan, SPS programming with Siemens Step 7 and a visualisation interface using WinCC flexible. Operator and maintenance training rounded off this turnkey solution.

The task entailed provision of electrical planning, development, software programming and commissioning for a machine engineering company. Background: the machinery involved a laser welding machine for the automated welding of flap tubes. Variable in length and type-based, each of the workpiece holders is situated on cycle time-based chain conveyors on the loading and unloading side: these workpiece conveyor belts transport the parts into the system. An employee places the parts into a workpiece carrier.

With the aid of a stepper motor axis, drive rollers and spring-mounted guide rolls, the components are translationally fed through a crimping conveyor to a stationary laser and pushed together. A pass-through welding station equipped with 3 stepper motors welds the components, before a feeding station with stepper motor axes conveys the welded parts to a workpiece carrier; the workpiece carrier conveyor then transports the parts out of the system. 

Insertion and removal of the workpiece holders is facilitated manually parallel to the actual system processing time.

Within the scope of the electronic design process, we first defined the interfaces and kill-switch concept. We created the circuit diagram with Eplan V5.70 and built the switch cabinet. This was inspected in accordance with EN 60204 and subsequently wired to the system.

In terms of software programming, we programmed the SPS program with Siemens Step 7 and developed the vi­sualisation interfaces using WinCC flexible. After the individual components were taken care of, we proceeded with commissioning of the special-order machine and tested the error-free operation of all its functions.

We concluded by carrying out operator and maintenance training and then handed the machine over to our customer.

• part weight: up to 1.2 kg
• part size: approx. height 44-97 mm, width: 7.5-9 mm, length 200-750 mm 
• cycle time: approx. 6 s

• Resolution of our customer’s capacitive bottlenecks
• Provision of professional know-how, ideas and solution expertise
• Assumption of all electronic design and software programming responsibilities:
  • quality assurance through provision of FMEA and/or risk analysis
  • complete resolution of the interfaces using individual components
  • full accomplishment of the electro-technical task within the respective project
  • complete clarification of the interfaces with other suppliers, e.g. of the laser, motors, etc.

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