Athader, a leading coil processing equipment manufacturer based in northern Spain, manufactures coil processing lines, mainly slitting lines and levelling and cut-to-length lines for steel, stainless steel and aluminium material. Until recently, in order to match customer specifications, Athader used a number of different brands for its drive requirements. However, becoming increasingly frustrated with reliability issues, its preference now is to use drives, motors and global solutions supplied by Emerson. According to the company, because a number of its machines are bespoke in line with specific customer needs, the adapted solutions provided by Emerson are fundamental to business success.

This is important considering the type of machines manufactured by Athader, such as steel winders/unwinders, stacking machines, rolling machines, longitudinal and transversal shears, packaging machines and cutting systems. With regard to the latter, a rotary shear device for high thickness coil is expected to work at 100 m/min, while a flying shear system for very high yield stress material (with a high pressure rating of 1100 Mpa) works at 50 m/min. Despite these elevated speeds, precision must be to within ±0.2 mm.

Aside from the high performance and reliability of Unidrive M variable speed drives, Athader says that the products provide impressive speed and response, which in turn allows high dynamic application control with repeatable precision. The intelligent modules used with the drives permit the company to manage comprehensive programs requiring motion in several axes and profiles synchronised with high precision. This involves fast and accurate movements that serve to minimise the number of rejected items and maximise production uptime, all without inducing stress on the mechanical parts.

Athader states that working with Emerson’s solutions support has allowed the company to optimise its machine designs. For instance, production speeds have increased by more than 300%, from 200 to 600 m/min for longitudinal systems. In addition, the machines can now process a wider range of materials, from 12 mm band thickness (500 MPa) in the past, to the current 25 mm thick (1100 MPa).

Emerson Industrial Automation, Chennai. Tel: 044-66918400. Email: tr.sathishkumar@emerson.com

The complete case study is available on the IPF portal: http://www.ipfonline.com/articles/detailarticles/unidrive-m-variable-speed-drives-increasing-speed-production-by-300/Technical%20Articles/6487/7462