PacDrive hardware

•  Controller and PC based controls
•  Decentralized servo drives
   - Servo motor with motor controller in switching cabinet technology     
   - Servo motor with integrated electronics
•  Decentralized field bus units from the market
•  Decentralized frequency converters from the market
•  HMIs and OPs with and without intelligence from the market 

PacDrive software

•  Automation toolkit EPAS-4
•  Motion toolkit ECAM-4
•  VarioCam® motion control and PLC libraries
•  IEC 61131 PLC and motion control runtime software 

 Support

•  world class sales and system consulting
•  practical training
•  intensive application support
•  extensive and simple tools
•  quick support in commissioning

The first truly integrated automation architecture

PacDrive integrates motion, logic, programmable limit switches, temperature control, even robotic kinematics in software. With PacDrive, there are no performance-degrading add-on hardware modules, backplanes or software handshaking. Centralized control assures the fastest possible response times and servo axis counts. PacDrive can handle your most ambitious throughput and changeover requirements - with power left over to serve up MES data, synchronize your line, and perform efficiency monitoring.

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We're changing the way machinery works

We are credited with enabling the development of Generation 3 packaging machinery* with its 1998 introduction of PacDrive™.

The PacDrive system replaces mechanical drivetrains with a fully integrated automation controller, digital servo drives and intelligent motors, and human machine interface (HMI).

PacDrive also replaces the functionalities of many discrete controllers in one software application running on a robust Pentium Mobile industrial processor.
 
PacDrive is eminently scalable. Our fastest controller can run up to 99 axes and thousands of I/O. Our smallest makes servo affordable for the most price sensitive machine.

*Ask for your free copy of the ARC Advisory Group report, Paving the Way for Generation 3 Packaging Machinery.
 

All the benefits of international standards

PacDrive adheres to the principles of OMAC™s Plug-and-Pack™ Guidelines* and all relevant industry standards.

Standards mean you can learn a skill once instead of relearning how to do the same task every time you use a different control system. And they make it easier to leverage the best technologies on the market.

We believe standards should be embraced. They stimulate competition for your business on the basis of performance and innovation.
 

•  IEC conforming motion and device networks
•  IEC 61131-3 compliant programming
•  Ethernet, Internet and Microsoft connectivity
•  Built-in OPC and Web server
•  UL, cUL and CE

Controllers

Productive, accurate, safe, flexible and faster production -  this can only be achieved with a modern and forward-looking automation system. PacDrive™ offers economically ideal solutions for all types of machine requirements. Whether controller or PC based systems - both concepts were developed exclusively for the consumer packaged goods industry.

Scalable controllers

Controller Types

Controller based: 

• PacDrive MAX-4 
• PacDrive C200 
• PacDrive C400 
• PacDrive C600 

PC based:

• PacDrive P600 

Open Interfaces with International Standards

LAN:
Ethernet with TCP/IP, OPC, FTP, HTTP, SMS, SMTP.
Programming interface via RS 232 or Ethernet.
Telediagnosis via modem or web server.

Field bus:
Profibus DP, CANopen, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP

Drive bus:
IEC 61491 SERCOS.
Fiber-optic technology immune to interfering.
Reduced wiring.
Up to 99 axes.

Platform Features

Motion control with highly dynamic servo drives

With conventional PLC-based concepts, all drive components have to be integrated individually, which is very time-consuming.

For the machine builder, this means ever increasing engineering costs and shrinking profits.

With PacDrive™ everything is easier. All components are fine-tuned to each other: INTERNET, COMMUNICATION, HMI, PLC and DRIVES - everything matches.

Easy handling and completely fine-tuned data transparency round off the automation concept. The result: A maximum of customer benefits.  

So easy: 

• Automatic drive detection
• Program and parameters in one central location
• Very easy controller setting, only one parameter
• Complete data access via Internet
• Full integration in EPAS-4 automation toolkit
• Reduction of engineering costs 

Robotics integration

The integration of robotics into the machine control solution is one of the outstanding aspects of the PacDrive automation system. On the software side, the integration of robots is made simpler by an IEC-compliant library with Equipment Modules (EMs) and Application Function Blocks (AFBs) for motion programming and transformation to all commonly used kinematics. Thanks to the availability of complete robot arm mechanics, there is also no longer any need to develop customer-specific kinematics or to integrate third-party products. This permits even faster creation of robot-enabled machine designs.
  
 
  

• One controller can control machines and multiple robots
• Software integration using Function Block library
• Fully integrated IEC 61131-3-compliant software, no additional programming tools
• Easy access to process parameters
• One development environment for machines and robots
• Transformation modules for popular robot kinematics: Gantry, Scara, Portal, Articulated, Delta 

 
Integral automation structure components

The PacDrive system supports an almost unlimited variety of kinematic configurations, allowing robotics to become an integral part of a machine's automation architecture. The high performance C400 and C600 automation controllers are capable of synchronizing up to 16 or 99 axes respectively into a real-time multiaxis system. From the controller perspective, therefore, a robot is reduced to a motion control system with a corresponding number of servo axes, which can operate under demanding real-time conditions. In this way, the controller can manage one or more robots in addition to other machine functions within an IEC 61131-3-compliant program.

PacDrive engineering tools

Today's requirements quickly push purely mechanical machine concepts to their limits, as modern packages are becoming increasingly material-saving, flexible and small. In the future, only intelligent software will be able to guarantee the necessary flexible combination of functional and motion developments. 

The elements of the PacDrive engineering tools:

•  EPAS-4 Automation Toolkit for project creation and programming
•  ECAM-4 Motion Toolkit for cam design and drive dimensioning
•  HMI Toolkit ProDesigner to generate screen surfaces

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