Packaging
Controlling Processes with Extreme Precision
Tuesday 16. December 2008 - OYSTAR Hassia Relies on Inductive Sensors to Optimize Processes
Intelligent packaging equipment must be capable of identifying objects by shape, size, and position and responding to irregularities if all processes are to run as smoothly as possible. OYSTAR Hassia, based in Ranstadt, Germany, uses high-precision inductive sensors in its equipment for position sensing.
OYSTAR Hassia, part of the OYSTAR. The Process & Packaging Group, Stutensee, Germany, has been constructing machines for forming, filling, and sealing plastic cups for many decades. In total, over 5,000 machines produced by the company in Ranstadt, Germany, are in use worldwide. While many of them were developed individually to meet particular customer requirements, all share one thing in common: Customers can expect processes to be controlled securely and expertly, even at high speeds.
For this reason, OYSTAR Hassia uses high-tech sensors that are not only precise but also robust thanks to their stainless steel housing. This applies primarily to the initiators, which come into contact with hot water, steam, and chemicals during the cleaning processes, whether CIP (Cleaning in Place) or SIP (Sterile in Place). The main tasks of an inductive sensor in a form-filling and sealing machine are referencing during machine start-up and positioning during the machine’s processes. Cup filling can only commence when the sensor reports that the collecting trough is positioned correctly beneath the dosing unit.
During cleaning, the trough has to move into various positions, which is signaled to the control system by several sensors. At the same time, other sensors ensure that the guide rails of the dosing unit have been removed before cleaning commences and are no longer in the machine when the program starts.
The deep-draw process and simultaneous inline labeling and cup filling processes are scanned so that they can also be monitored in real time. When the filled cups are sealed, sensors check that the covering foil is automatically aligned over the cups without exceeding certain adjustment paths and end positions of the sealing unit. The cutting station ensures that the cups are separated at exactly the right cutting position to guarantee the product’s famous quality.