The right drive for woodworking
Complete solution for precise movements
Whether it is a matter of tool selection or the completion of the wood profile – in woodworking, precision is particularly important. In order to be able to ensure this throughout the entire manufacturing process, KEB Automation relies, among other things, on the efficient design of a servo motor in a specific application.
The production of a wood profile takes place in several stages: First, suitable wood parts must be sorted out from unsuitable ones by a turner. Two conveyor drives on the turner ensure that the profiles are moved on to the next step in the production process via a conveyor belt. Wood parts that are not suitable for further processing are conveyed out by the turner before the final station of the turning movement.
A height adjustment of the belt conveyors is integrated in the machine to stabilise and clamp the wood profiles if necessary. With these different tasks, the entire process must be as dynamic as possible. The goal here: a fast throughput time. This requires a smooth process within the system and an optimally coordinated interaction of the individual axes.
Software facilitates planning
For an optimal result, KEB carries out the design of the axes directly with the customer. The tool "KEB-Drive" developed by KEB, which contains all information about the gear and motor programme, proves to be very useful again and again. With the tool, stepfiles can be generated in a very short time, which are used for planning in the design.
In this way, a suitable servo system can be configured at short notice. With KEB-Drive it is possible to choose from an extensive catalogue programme and to adapt different drives with a multitude of options to the application. Special attention is paid to a compact design and simple operability.
Among other things, this was the basis for selecting the perfect equipment for the specific installation of the reversing drive for wooden profiles. KEB's portfolio includes the compact COMBIVERT S6 inverter in book format especially for servo applications – modern, flexible and available for a rated current of 2.6 A to 12 A in two housing sizes. The motor matching the drive controller was found in KEB's TA series.
Behind it are servo geared motors that offer all the features of current servo technology and a wide range of different options and are available mechanically graded in five different sizes.
Servo technology for increased efficiency
Servo technology in combination with the industrial modular gearbox system creates servo geared motors of the helical, parallel shaft, worm-helical, bevel-helical and planetary gearbox types. A major advantage: the direct input into the gearbox reduces the effort for the otherwise usual connecting coupling. This increases efficiency and service life. Last but not least, this enables a particularly compact design. The dynamics and robust mechanics of the TA motor could be fully utilised in the case of the woodworking machine.
In addition to a stand-alone servo motor for height adjustment, a motor from the TA series with directly mounted spur gear was also used to drive the tedder. In the realisation of the overall system for the woodworking machine, it was advantageous that KEB was provided with all components from a single source and thus already coordinated with each other.
