120 trays per minute

By the year 2025, packaging materials must be completely recyclable. So developments in that field are of great importance. Dampack came up with the concept for a so-called BeeMagicTray, Klebo Techniek developed the machine with a lot of Lenze technology and expertise on board. 

Packaging supplier Dampack from Werkendam developed and patented a plastic tray. The bottom of the tray contains a special honeycomb structure that reduces moisture loss and improves shelf life. And a very important aspect is that the tray is manufactured from a single material, ready for 2025. The machines that produce these trays are being built by Klebo Techniek from Holten, a machine builder with considerable expertise in thermal and ultrasonic welding processes. In that construction, Lenze may make an important contribution for the optimization of not only the output, but also the OEE, flexibility and safety of the machine. The output of the first machine was about eighty to ninety pieces per minute. The goal? One hundred and twenty trays per minute. And preferably with a system that could be supported worldwide but in which Klebo would not be dependent on a system integrator. Klebo owner Johan Klein Leetink: "When we got in touch with Lenze after a few other suppliers, it quickly became clear that we could not only put our requirements with them, but also work with the same philosophy."

Klebo Sales Director Rob Spekreijse saw how the desired approach to modularization was also commonplace at Lenze. "In all areas we saw similarities. Not only in terms of the modular approach to the controls, you see that Lenze is a family business and that atmosphere also suits our company. Short lines, no arrogant attitude, you really feel that they are committed to you and your project. We were really impressed with their approach." The entire concept of the machine was scrutinized. "The dot on the horizon, we had that," Klein Leetink says. "One hundred and twenty trays per minute. All parts of the process went under the magnifying glass. Thanks to Lenze's sizing software, we came to the conclusion that certain movements could better be done differently."

With the modular design of the drive technology and process control, the machine can be controlled at a detailed level. That in itself is very important, but Spekreijse explains that the real value goes beyond that. "We have a lot of detailed-level information available to us for the service, without needing the product information or recipe. So we can monitor very well what the status of the different parts is." In the process itself, the modular structure and the division of the process steps has also made a big difference. "The positioning of the closing sheet was not yet well under control. In doing so, Lenze's servo technology has made a real difference. We use multiple servomotors for this and with a little gimmick - the blacksmith's secret, so to speak - we were able not only to position that sheet very precisely but also to greatly increase the speed of that positioning."

A lot of different steps are involved. Spekreijse: "We have set up the individual actions as separate software function blocks, which make the layout of the machine very flexible. But the interplay has to be calculated very precisely to achieve optimal alignment of the position controls. All the processes align beautifully with what we want. For us, the added value of the cooperation with Lenze lies in several aspects. For example, Lenze has good after-sales, production in all continents, a lot of standardized, easy to program controls and there is a lot of data to read out. That helps us to further increase OEE. We see immediately at which points deviating values occur and in combination with the information about the drive systems we have our finger on the pulse. With the supply information, quality data, rejects, measurements and data from the process flow, but also from the I/O modules and sensors, you can analyze every aspect down to the smallest detail. Thanks to remote access, visualization and connection to the cloud, you can learn from the lifecycle of the machine and its impact on OEE. It's good to stay as open as possible in your analysis, because that way you can also gain direct insight into currently unknown factors. And we have also broken down that information into blocks."