MX-System with modular machine concept for electric motor production
Winding coils is a task that has to be carried out billions of times in industry. Fast, precise, and reliable processes are therefore very important. However, increasing requirements in terms of cost efficiency and new manufacturing structures are placing significant demands on machine builders. In this regard, the MX-System from Beckhoff opens up completely new possibilities for Aumann, as demonstrated by the implementation of the first control cabinet-free machine for electric motor production.
Whether it is for transformers, electric motors, or solenoid valves: when it comes to winding coils, nobody can beat Aumann. The machine builder has been making production machines for this purpose in Germany for around 90 years – for industries such as the automotive, electrical, mobile communications, IT, and medical technology sectors. The company’s range of products covers almost all common winding techniques – and more besides. “Over time, we have added peripheral processes such as pre-assembly, contacting, testing, bonding, and joining,” explains Jürgen Hagedorn, Technical Manager Winding Technology at Aumann Espelkamp. “In some of our systems, the winding process only accounts for 20 to 30% now.” According to the company, it is the only supplier in the world that covers the entire value chain from wire enameling and winding to the final assembly of the products – and supplies the appropriate automation technology at the same time.
As the demands on the wound coils increase, the requirements for the production technology naturally grow as well: winding must be precise, repeatable, and reliable – but also extremely fast and perfectly tailored to the product being manufactured. This is where the Espelkamp site comes in. It is precisely this kind of sophisticated winding solutions, primarily for electric motors, that Aumann Espelkamp GmbH specializes in within the Aumann AG group of companies.
More flexibility for the user
What is becoming evident is that, in addition to productivity, end users are increasingly focusing on flexibility. This in turn has a major impact on the basic set-up of the machines – for example, in the orthocyclic needle winding of rotors for electric vehicles. “This type of winding is very demanding,” explains Christian Gerkensmeier, Head of Mechanical Design and Winding Technology at Aumann Espelkamp: “The wire has to be laid down perfectly in layers.” For this reason, the manufacturer relies on a special combination of servomotors and a mechanical crank drive that produces sinusoidal needle strokes – up to now, primarily in large machines capable of winding up to eight components horizontally at the same time.
“The moving masses are quite high, however, which limits the speed,” Christian Gerkensmeier points out. “By moving the winding process to a vertical position on the new A-NWS/V machine, we have significantly reduced the moving masses.” The dimensions are also significantly smaller, as only two to three coils are wound at the same time. “The new procedure enables a much higher winding speed combined with greater precision,” emphasizes Jürgen Hagedorn. Instead of the previous 60 windings per minute, the A-NWS/V achieves more than 250 cycles.
Aumann is following a modern approach in this regard: instead of using one large system permanently designed for a fixed number of components, the idea is that the user positions several compact winding cells next to each other. Connected by gantry, they take up no more space in total than a horizontal multiple winding system. However, the number of cells and thus the dimensions of the overall system can be flexibly adjusted as required. This also requires an exceptional solution in terms of electronics and electrical engineering, because a classic control cabinet – either directly on the machine or in its vicinity – would again significantly restrict the modular freedom. It was therefore clear to Aumann that a truly new approach was needed.
Paradigm shift for the industry
“Beckhoff has been our preferred partner for automation for many years,” says Christian Gerkensmeier. When designing the new machine in close collaboration with Beckhoff, attention quickly turned to the MX-System and the underlying potential of control cabinet-free automation – heralding nothing less than a paradigm shift in automation technology. The user chooses the right function modules for their application from an extensive modular system, attaches them to the standardized baseplate, and screws them into place. Nothing more is needed to implement all the automation and switching technology of a machine in a decentralized and IP67-protected manner. All modules are integrated into the EtherCAT network and supplied with power via standardized interfaces.
“Aumann was one of the first Beckhoff customers to explore the MX-System in detail, as the potential it holds for future machines became clear early on,” notes Marvin Düsterhus, Product Management MX-System. At the heart of the Aumann solution is the MC6030 IPC module with an 11th generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor and 16 GB RAM. The MS1132 system module with main switch, fuse protection, and power supply provides 3-phase 400/480 V AC and up to 32 A system-wide. There are also various other modules, e.g., for drive control or the EtherCAT communication connection. As the MX-System is very compact, it was easy to integrate into the substructure of the new machine. Networking within the machine is implemented – in addition to the MO6224 MX-System communication interface – consistently via decentralized EtherCAT Box modules of the EP series. Not only does this eliminate the need for a classic control cabinet, it also makes the otherwise usual terminal boxes superfluous. In addition, the cabling effort is reduced significantly.
Advantages on both sides
“Focusing solely on efficiency and performance is not enough in today’s world,” says Christian Gerkensmeier. “We have to take costs into account increasingly too.” As Aumann Espelkamp has outsourced the control cabinet design, a lot can be achieved with the MX-System. The entire cost block is eliminated – a saving that the machine builder can pass on directly. At the same time, it brings an important part of the value creation back in-house. Furthermore, the time-to-market is shortened. The modular, pluggable concept of the MX-System speeds up not just assembly, but also engineering.
“Space requirements, effort, costs, and delivery times: all of these are reduced. We also need fewer specialists and are no longer dependent on external service providers. All in all, a huge amount of benefits.” At the same time, Christian Gerkensmeier is keen to stress: “The customer still has a choice of course. They can order their machine with or without a control cabinet.” But the Aumann expert believes he knows which option will prove more popular: “I am convinced that our customers will largely opt for the MX-System in the future.” Ultimately, control cabinet-free automation offers major advantages on both sides – for the machine builder and the end user.
Automation in familiar surroundings
Another important argument for both sides is that the automation remains the same except for the form factor. “We have a lot of experience with Beckhoff technology,” explains Jürgen Hagedorn. “The fact that engineering, PLC programming, and drive control continue to take place as usual in TwinCAT, with virtually no differences to other Beckhoff products in terms of parameterization and programming, is therefore a valuable advantage for us. It means that, from a purely technical point of view, the switch to the MX-System is not a big leap.” As a result, the solution fits seamlessly into the rest of the machine’s automation and drive technology.
The servomotors of the AM8000 series, which move all axes of the wire laying system and the rotor holder, are directly connected to the MD8xxx servo drives of the MX-System. The aforementioned EtherCAT Box modules from Beckhoff’s EP family form the connecting link for communication and the connection of sensors and actuators within the machine. Of course, the operator interface also plays an important role. “Aumann has been using Beckhoff Control Panels for a long time,” says Robin Bertling, who works in sales at Beckhoff. “For the A-NWS/V winding machine, however, the HMI – a CP3916 multi-touch Control Panel – was redesigned: ergonomic and user-friendly as before, but with a customer-specific design that corresponds to the Aumann look and feel.” The machine builder has also put the automation technology to the test in a number of other areas and has revised and modernized it – for example, with the integrated TwinSAFE safety solution or with pre-assembled, standardized cables.
Further references in sight
Aumann is now planning to implement further solutions with the MX-System. “We want to move towards series production,” states Jürgen Hagedorn, “because the vertical needle winding machine has shown that we are on the right track. We will therefore not only be applying the modular design systematically to future machine generations, but will also be taking the MX-System into account from the outset.” Aumann also sees promising opportunities for control cabinet-free automation when it comes to special machine construction. “Some customer projects lend themselves well to being our next reference, because they are planned with Beckhoff technology throughout anyway,” says Christian Gerkensmeier, looking ahead. For example, there are plans for a fully automated production line featuring the MX-System. “If we implement complete systems in this way instead of individual processes, it will be easier for us to prove to end users that control cabinets are a thing of the past!”
