Logix Flying Shear/integration

[noxcuses 0]

I'm planning on upgrading a paper tube machine that is pretty basic with exception of a "flying shear" to cut the tube to length. I really would like to use a Logix style processor to do it all, but have read on here the PLC might not be fast enough. I will be using the same processor to handle secondary processes, but nothing intensive at all. My plan is to integrate this machine and surrounding equipment into a work-cell using one HMI to control all. If in fact it's not advisable to use a motion card/PLC to do the "flying shear" portion, I'd still use a Logix processor to do everything else. Is there someone who has done a cut to length flying shear with logix? If not, is there a simple inexpensive motion controller that would handle only cut to length and PLC communication? I'm not sure of line speed, but it only makes about 1-2 cuts/ second. Edited 25 Feb 2010 by noxcuses

[TimWilborne 108]

Give us some more details of the flying shear application. Speeds, travel distances, tolerances, etc

[Ken Roach 194]

I worked on a flying saw application for composite I-beams with the original 1756-L1 and 1756-M02AE modules ten years ago that worked really well. The machine was so fast and scary when you mounted a saw on the beam that it was nicknamed "Grendel". And I've seen cardboard tube rolling machines running as almost an afterthought of the 1756-L62 controllers that were controlling the winders they were supplying. Logix integrated motion (the analog -M02AE modules and the SERCOS modules) are very well integrated with the controller and are well suited to general purpose motion control. Much more depends on the mechanisms and speeds and masses and motors and gearboxes. As long as there's no gotcha in the control system like "the knife shuttle runs on an open-loop VFD and the feedback is via proximity switch on the chain sprocket" then Logix motion is very good platform that is very capable of "balance of machine" control as well.

[Peter Nachtwey 15]

This is an example of how a flying shear is done using our RMC controller: http://www.deltamotion.com/peter/Videos/Fl...FlyingShear.mp4 As you can see the program is pretty much done and the program is very short since we can do the whole motion with two motion commands. No cam tables are required. We use the PLC Open "clutch by distance" commands. This means one can change the cut length on-the-fly if desired. Just a few parameters to need to be set. If you provide the the stroke limits, cut length and the line speed I can change these parameters so you can see what the motion profile will look like. The RMC75 can run stand alone or communicate with a Control Logix using Ethernet/IP. It is very powerful. It has a PowerPC with 64MB of ram. Another nice feature is that the user program runs deterministically and synchronously with the control loop which improves repeatibilty. I almost forgot to post a link http://www.deltamotion.com/products/motion/rmc70/index.php Edited 26 Feb 2010 by Peter Nachtwey

[noxcuses 0]

The machine is being retrofitted for a new product of which I don't know the specifics yet. We try to keep the tolerance less than +/- .03". The current carrage has about a 3' travel. I know many factors are missing which will determine if logix processor can handle the application or not. AB's integrated motion can get very expensive when axis count is low, so if a inexpensive motion controller exist that communicates well with logix that would probably be the best bet. I then move down to a L35 Compact that would be fine.