PC-based control becomes the standard for sheet extrusion applications
Graham Engineering, Pennsylvania, USA
It’s impossible to imagine the world without plastic products – and, despite ongoing discussions around conserving resources, demand continues to rise. However, requirements for the sustainable production of plastics and a circular economy are increasingly becoming drivers of innovative technologies and processes in the industry. The need for plastics machines to meet high product quality and efficiency standards, but reduce resource consumption at the same time, is met in all applications with innovative control technology from Beckhoff: from injection molding and blow molding to extrusion and thermoforming.
Your head start in the plastics industry with Beckhoff:
- competitive advantages through innovative technology and industry-specific product developments
- end-to-end solution for all plastics applications
- competent advice thanks to in-depth industry expertise
- seamless integration of industry-typical standards according to Euromap and OPC UA
Optimize plastics machinery with PC-based control
Our technologies for your plastics machine
PC-based control optimizes plastics machinery
Beckhoff’s open PC-based control technology offers comprehensive solutions in various performance classes for all areas of plastics machine automation. On the hardware side, PC-based control uses freely scalable industrial PCs for all control tasks. This includes process control, HMI integration, and motion control as well as all tasks in the areas of robotics, safety, and measurement technology or vision and IoT integration. In combination with the modular and real-time-capable TwinCAT software platform and ultra-fast communication via EtherCAT, PC-based control provides an automation solution for your plastics machine that is both powerful and future-proof.
As an open automation platform, PC-based control enables seamless integration of Euromap and thus ensures reliable machine-to-machine communication between heterogeneous system parts as well as secure data communication to higher-level systems. From individual components to complete solutions, you benefit from our expertise in plastics processing, whether it’s for a new machine series or retrofitting existing systems.
EtherCAT: global standard for plastics machinery
We launched EtherCAT technology in 2003 and made it available as an open automation technology standard. With outstanding performance, flexible topology selection, comprehensive diagnostics, and simple configuration, EtherCAT is ideally suited to use in plastics machinery. We supply the largest number of EtherCAT-compatible automation modules for both I/Os and drive technology.
EtherCAT is one of the most widely used standards in plastics technology. A large number of EtherCAT-compatible sensors and actuators are available on the market, which guarantees a high level of investment security. Easy integration of third-party drives is particularly useful for electrically driven injection molding machinery. Other fieldbus systems can also be integrated as communication layers via EtherCAT.
TwinCAT: the integrated engineering and control platform
TwinCAT 3 is the software platform for PC-based control technology from Beckhoff. This allows you to transform industrial PCs into efficient real-time control systems for all the engineering and runtime processes you need to automate your plastics machinery. In other words, TwinCAT enables you to implement complete control intelligence in one platform. The automation software is modular by design and can be expanded with countless functions. This is the key to flexible and high-performance automation solutions. As a central platform solution, TwinCAT sets market-wide standards in terms of speed, synchronization, ease of operation, and scalability.
How you benefit from TwinCAT:
- central software platform for all engineering and control tasks in the plastics industry
- seamless integration of Euromap as a standardized M2M interface
- includes comprehensive software libraries, such as those for analytics tasks in the field of measurement technology, or for motion control and robot kinematics
- TwinCAT Plastic Framework as an industry-specific software toolbox
Our product highlights for your plastics machine
The software toolbox for innovative plastics machinery
Significant work is involved in developing efficient control systems for plastics machinery and making them a reality. That is why we offer a modular software toolbox in the form of our TwinCAT 3 Plastic Framework, with industry-specific solutions that minimize the work that development requires. This gives you a competitive edge right from the engineering stage.
The Plastic Processing Framework (TF8540) enables software-based temperature control in plastics machinery. The Plastic HMI Framework (TF8550) is an HMI package with graphical objects and a large choice of functions and controls for the processes involved in plastics processing. The Plastic Technology Functions (TF8560) offer software modules for typical motion applications in plastics machines.
How you benefit from the TwinCAT Plastic Framework:
- minimum development work: reduces engineering effort and costs
- shorter time-to-market: application-specific solutions and HMI modules speed up development and commissioning
- central platform: industry-typical solutions for programming, visualization, and control
Multi-touch panel PCs for your plastics machine
The CP22xx and CP32xx multi-touch Panel PCs, developed specifically for the plastics industry, are the perfect complement to the TwinCAT 3 Plastic Framework. The 19-inch display gives you enough space to control your plastics machine. The freely configurable push-button extension, the integrated control wheel, and the large number of LEDs offer a high degree of flexibility for controlling the machine. The emergency stop switch provides the necessary safety. User management can be implemented via the built-in RFID reader to make it easier to log in to the controller.
The CP2219-1025-0030 is available as a built-in variant. The CP3219-1093-0030, on the other hand, offers a mounting arm adaptation.
Features at a glance:
- Intel® Celeron® G4900 3.1 GHz, 2 cores (TC3:50)
- 3½-inch motherboard for Intel® Celeron®
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM, expandable to 64 GB
- 40 GB CFast card, 3D flash
- on-board dual Ethernet adapter with 2x 100/1000 BASE-T connectors
- file exchange via USB 3.0 interface
Seamless integration of hydraulic axes
Many plastics machines work with hydraulic drives. TwinCAT 3 MC3 Fluid Power expands TwinCAT 3 MC3 Base to include complete hydraulic integration in TwinCAT. It offers manufacturer-independent control of position, speed, and pressure/force.
Three drive technologies are supported:
- valve-regulated drives
- pump-controlled drives
- variable-speed drives
The software ensures equally deep integration of electrical and hydraulic axes and enables seamless interaction, precise synchronization, and flexible integration across different hardware platforms. With the scalable platform from Beckhoff, TwinCAT 3 MC3 Fluid Power can be used for a wide range of applications in the plastics industry, from isolated hydraulic solutions to complete machine control systems.
Are you looking for solutions for special areas of application?
Efficient control of extrusion systems
Depending on the material and end product being processed, the requirements for extrusion processes vary a great deal, from precise temperature control with a short settling time to process control for melt throughput, wall thickness, or film thickness. Detailed energy recording is absolutely necessary for sustainable production. With open control technology, Beckhoff meets the requirements of extrusion systems – whether they are used in recycling, tube, and profile extrusion or blow film extruders – for performance-oriented and cost-effective solutions. In addition to software-based temperature control, for example, special I/O modules are also available for measurement applications such as gravimetry or layer thickness measurement, as well as condition monitoring.
Our solutions for your extrusion machine:
- control panels in different form factors – including customer-specific executions
- industry-specific software blocks that control temperature for extrusion barrels and nozzles with high heat capacity
- open interfaces for integrating Ethernet, CANopen, IO-Link, or PROFINET, for example
- seamless integration of Euromap as a standardized M2M interface
Open automation technology for blow molding machines
Beckhoff has been a partner of leading companies in extrusion blow molding technology for many years. Our hardware and software components are used worldwide. Beckhoff’s extensive know-how in hydraulic drive technology leads to ideal results with axes that are demanding in terms of control. Servo-electric concepts are modularly integrated into the software architecture: machine programs for hydraulic, electric, or mixed drive technology are created and maintained in an identical development environment. The core component of blow molding machines, parison control, is carried out with high precision in the entire range of different machine concepts.
Our solutions for your blow molding machine:
- wide portfolio of panels for an optimally tailored user interface
- IP67 modules for space-saving coupling of sensors, e.g., directly on the thermocouple
- EtherCAT as a fast data connection between I/Os and system components
- universal motion control architecture for electric and hydraulic axes
- TwinCAT Plastic Application Components as an application layer between the blow molding process and the standard functions
Maximum precision and energy efficiency for injection molding machines
Injection molding machines require fast response times, precise switching between injection and holding pressure, reliable temperature control, and seamless integration of heterogeneous peripherals. Beckhoff provides an open automation solution with high-speed communication via EtherCAT that enables highly precise changeover times – improving product quality and reducing material consumption. This is complemented by a comprehensive I/O portfolio, software-based temperature control with TF8540, and universal motion control architecture for electric and hydraulic axes. Support for manufacturer-neutral standards (such as Euromap and OPC UA) facilitates integration into heterogeneous production cells.
Our solutions for your injection molding machine:
- EtherCAT as the standard for the injection molding machine industry
- cost-optimized I/O architecture for large-volume applications
- seamless integration of Euromap as a standardized M2M interface
- short sampling times for high-precision switching over to holding pressure and mold securing
- sustainability through machine learning interfaces
Flexible automation solutions for thermoforming
In thermoforming, temperature control, mechanical elements, and material behavior must be precisely coordinated. This is exactly where our automation solutions excel. Precise software-based temperature control ensures uniform heating, synchronized servo movements and a deterministic EtherCAT connection enable reproducible molding cycles, while high-frequency sensors and image processing ensure inline quality. Supplemented by open OPC UA interfaces for simple line and MES integration, PC-based control ensures higher system availability, faster product changes, and data transparency for targeted process optimization.
Our solutions for your thermoforming process:
- industry-specific software blocks for precise temperature control (TF8540)
- EL3314 for precise temperature measurement
- seamless integration of Euromap as a standardized M2M interface
- scalable drive technology, also available as an economy variant
- EtherCAT as a fast data connection between I/Os and system components
Precise control technology for additive manufacturing of plastic parts
The essential element of additive manufacturing machines is the mechatronic execution of the discharge units, such as the extruders, which determine the part geometry. Flexible solutions for component carriers are also required. Beckhoff covers the drive technology required for precise movement with a wide range of motors and servo drives. In the various thermocouple terminals, a plug-and-play solution for plasticizing tasks is available in conjunction with the TwinCAT temperature controller. Additive manufacturing processes enable highly flexible production processes with small numbers of items. The control and monitoring of the manufacturing process requires a vertical connection to master computer systems. TwinCAT offers the appropriate solution for this with the integration of Euromap interfaces and corresponding IoT tools for cloud protocols.
Our solutions for your additive manufacturing:
- extensive drive technology portfolio for different machine designs
- TwinCAT as a universal engineering tool for all motion control tasks
- TwinCAT Vision for quality control and thermal imaging cameras
- precise, fast nozzle control with XFC technology
Open automation technology with Euromap interfaces for production cells
As the efficiency of plastics machines increases, the integration of production cells and the independent communication between individual machines and plant components are becoming increasingly important. To ensure data is exchanged securely and reliably between the heterogeneous parts of the plant, the components must communicate via an interoperability standard on the basis of OPC UA in accordance with the Euromap companion specifications.
Our solutions for your production cell:
- Special devices can be omitted due to the consistent implementation of all functionalities as software modules.
- EtherCAT as a fast fieldbus forms the backbone for production cells with Beckhoff technology. Subsystems can be easily integrated using interfaces to all common fieldbuses.
- The Beckhoff safety architecture supports the design of a modular safety concept from a single source with additional customization.
- Integration of Euromap and OPC UA enables end-to-end M2M communication.
