PC-basiert gesteuert zu mehr Flexibilität und Modularität in der Kabelverarbeitung
Komax SLE in the German town of Grafenau, a company of the Swiss Komax Group, manufactures standard machines and customer-specific systems for the automated processing of data lines, primarily in the automotive and industrial sectors. The ever-increasing requirements for data processing play a crucial role – and can only be managed with high precision, reliability, and quality in the production of vehicle electrical systems. Specialist Komax SLE achieves this with its Lambda X machine platform, including new bus systems and even process automation for large-volume processing. In its work, it relies on PC-based control and, in particular, on the XTS linear transport system from Beckhoff.
In modern vehicles, numerous interconnected function control units send their data to the central on-board computer via long cable runs. The growing range of functions over the years has resulted in complex E/E (electrical/electronic) architectures that are very difficult to expand. In addition, their numerous and long cables unnecessarily increase the weight of the vehicle and take up valuable installation space. Automotive Ethernet connector systems and data cables, which transfer even large volumes of data at high speed in the multi-gigabit range, provide a solution here. In addition, new concepts for a simpler communication infrastructure are emerging. These include zonal gateways for data processing in real time, which are an essential prerequisite for the next level of autonomous driving, among other things.
In terms of production efficiency, these new vehicle electrical systems also offer great potential for optimization, as Manuel Eggersdorfer, head of R&D at Komax SLE, explains: “In contrast to the complex wire harnesses that are currently tailor-made, the smaller, simply structured cable harnesses of zonal vehicle electrical systems are ideal for automated production. This approach significantly increases productivity – while maintaining consistently high quality.” Michael Schreiner, product manager at Komax SLE, adds: “Automated wire harness production enables lower tolerances to on-board electrical system interference, greater precision in conductor processing and connector assembly as well as miniaturization through smaller conductor cross-sections and shorter strip lengths, resulting in connectors that are smaller and lighter. With the Lambda X – featuring XTS as the new transfer technology between the individual process modules – the machine footprint is up to 45% smaller, with the length reduced from 20 to 10 m, and the Ethernet assembly is extremely flexible.”
Customizable machine platform for complex processes
The Lambda X machine platform was designed by Komax SLE as a modular and highly flexible basis for the semi-automatic or fully automatic assembly of multi-stage contact systems, i.e., complex connector systems. The modular structure in terms of hardware, machine control, and visualization enables efficient and intuitive operation. The process modules are freely configurable and can be arranged according to the assembly requirements of the different connector systems and cable types. The high degree of automation is also a basic prerequisite for the very high requirements regarding 100% testing and track and trace that are prevalent in the automotive industry especially. Manuel Eggersdorfer explains the details: “Our 100 or so process modules are characterized by a high degree of standardization. However, the parts that come into contact with the product are generally interchangeable, making it very easy to create cable-specific variants.”
Komax SLE has also implemented the platform and modularity concept with regard to the software, as Michael Schreiner explains: “The Solutions Software Framework provides a comprehensive standard portfolio of software functions that not only relates to the Lambda machine series, but is also used at other Komax locations. This covers an increasingly diverse range of applications, including not only cable processing machines, but also taping machines, for example. In order to be able to offer an optimum user interface that is not overloaded, we rely on highly flexible Beckhoff technology featuring various IPC configurations, for instance.”
The numerous process modules used in the Lambda X illustrate just how complex cable processing is. The process begins with a stripping module, supplemented if necessary by a rotary stripping module to strip the cable sheath in stages. In addition, there are crimp modules, camera modules, and force monitoring devices for quality control as well as the specific processing steps for shielded cables or twisted pair cables. Another machine element is the coiler, which coils cables up to 15 m long to enable them to be transported through the machine in the first place. Prior to its development, this involved a time-consuming manual process for all cables from a length of around 1.5 m. Manuel Eggersdorfer adds: “The development process was definitely challenging, not least because of the heavy weight to be moved. Coiling is precisely controlled via a Beckhoff AX5000 servo drive and the TwinCAT 3 NC Camming software function.”
A leap in development through intelligent product transport
Michael Schreiner sees the XTS linear transport system from Beckhoff as a decisive leap in development and market advantage for the Lambda X, as the process sequence no longer depends on a fixed cycle and the process modules can be placed in the machine with an extremely high packing density. In addition to the 45% smaller footprint mentioned above, another outstanding feature of XTS compared to conventional product transport is that it enables reverse movements. These are used in smaller machines, for example, to approach a stripping module multiple times, thus avoiding the need for an additional module. The system also offers significant benefits over previous drive technology in terms of wear and susceptibility to errors – in keeping with the machine longevity achieved by Komax SLE.
Depending on the configuration, an oval XTS system up to 9 m long with 38 to 62 motor modules is used in the Lambda X. Up to 60 XTS movers are used for product transport, which, according to Schreiner, are sufficient to keep the machine fully loaded, avoid waiting times during processing, and prevent negative influences on the scheduled cycle time. In addition to the optimized module configuration, XTS offers another decisive advantage in his opinion: “We can build the modules as small as possible ourselves and are free from previous restrictions when positioning them. And the processing position in relation to the individual module can also be selected freely and to perfectly match the overall structure. Previously, each module had to be aligned very precisely to ensure optimum machine operation. With XTS, software makes this process much easier. In addition, significantly less mechanical, pneumatic, and sensor-related work is required at the transfer points than in the conventional case. XTS and TwinCAT ultimately also save time when converting to a new cable assembly.”
With XTS and additional rotary axes, a Lambda X quickly achieves over 100 precisely controllable motion functions. The basis for this is high-performance EtherCAT communication, which, according to Manuel Eggersdorfer, also offers the advantages of a free approach to topologies, a high level of reliability, and a wide range of third-party components. The rotary servo axes are implemented via AX5000 servo drives and AM8000 servomotors or EP7211 EtherCAT Box modules and AM8100 servomotors, the benefits of which Eggersdorfer describes as follows: “In the motion area, we benefit both from the high performance of EtherCAT and the efficient Beckhoff One Cable Technology (OCT). In addition, the compact drive technology with the EP7211 EtherCAT Box modules offers us the opportunity to reduce the amount of control cabinet space required as far as possible.”
System-integrated energy measurement and future-proof IPC technology
The fact that PC-based control from Beckhoff also provides seamlessly integrated energy measurement offers further benefits for Komax SLE. Eggersdorfer explains: “The Lambda X uses an EL3443 power measurement terminal and three SCT1111-0032 mini ring-type CTs. However, we use system-integrated energy measurement even more in our own test benches to determine the energy requirements of the individual process modules. Based on this data, the total energy requirement, the carbon footprint, and even the associated CO2 equivalent for each cable produced can then be specified according to the respective machine layout. This information is becoming increasingly important for our customers.”
At the heart of the Lambda X control system is the C6032 ultra-compact Industrial PC, which was chosen on account of its small size and high computing power. Michael Schreiner explains: “The C6032 uses a powerful Intel® Core™ i7 processor which is almost fully utilized for control, visualization, and traceability via the SQL database. This high level of utilization makes the continuous further development of PC-based control, for example using TwinCAT Core Boost, all the more important. We see future potential here if we distribute the entire application more consistently across several processor cores and set the respective core clock frequency appropriately. We anticipate additional support from TwinCAT MC3 as a multi-core and multitask-capable motion control solution.” He adds that the operating solution is also future-proof on account of up to two customer-specific CP3921 multi-touch Control Panels that are efficiently connected via CP-Link 4. These are not only robust and of high quality, but also perfectly tailored to the users of the Lambda X with the push-button extension including RFID reader and, above all, ensure long-term availability.
