Pilz provides holistic support to the packaging industry!

Bernd Müller, Senior Manager Business Development

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The requirements of the packaging industry include the necessary flexibility and, above all, high productivity with short downtimes, for maintenance for example. And very high process speeds. That’s exactly why the operator must be protected from the hazards of the machine. It’s very important that downtimes for setup, operation and maintenance are low. And when the packaging machines are delivered, they should perform their “on site” tasks efficiently, reliably and safely. Machine builders must implement a reliable and sustainable automation and safety concept, even as the machine is being designed. The Machinery Directive and new Machinery Regulation form the basis.

Flexibility and connectivity as key factors
The market is characterised by a wide range of different machine types, which we always consider holistically. Pilz advises and supports the packaging machine industry with our expertise in safe design, safeguarding of process cycles on machinery and data protection. For this we offer complete product solutions, for safe cardboard feed for example. Pilz works for and with the customer to develop a suitable concept for safe plant automation – with Safety and Security included.

Our holistic safety concepts for the packaging industry mostly have a decentralised structure. This reduces the wiring and enables fast, safe communication between the built-in sensors and the safe small controller PNOZmulti 2. The Pilz solution with the small controller enables a variety of application scenarios: standalone or with a higher level standard or motion controller. Its application range allows it to operate with a high degree of flexibility on complete production lines as well as compact plants.

What does Pilz “do” on the machine?
Pilz ensures Safety and Security on the packaging machine. Our solution packages combine products from our sensor and control technology portfolio. These are joined by other products from the control elements range, as well as our software solutions. They can be assembled individually for all packaging types in this industry – primary, secondary or end-of-line packaging.
If the small controller PNOZmulti 2 is connected upstream of a higher level controller on the packaging machine, for example, it monitors the signals from all decentralised sensors and signals the safety status to the process controller in real-time. Pilz offers open solutions: PNOZmulti 2 can communicate with these higher level controllers via standard fieldbus systems. In addition, our safe process guarding system with the coded sensor PSENslock 2 protects the gates from unauthorised access. This new generation of Pilz sensor is characterised by a holding force of 1000N. PNOZmulti 2 monitors this safely.
In conjunction with sensors, the small controller can safeguard further specific packaging applications. Cardboard feed, for example. PNOZmulti 2 shuts down the hazardous movement as soon as the number of cartons in the feed opening falls below a minimum amount. As such the process step is safe and does not endanger operating personnel.

Safety and Security are critical success factors for the safe automation of packaging plants. With the specific implementation on the machine, therefore, it makes sense to consider Safety and Security jointly. Because: there's no Safety without Security, and without Safety, people are not protected! Pilz provides the right holistic solutions for the packaging industry.