Fredriksons

Customer profile

In Fredriksons’ new showroom in Vadstena, Sweden, packaging as known from supermarkets is transported on a plastic chain conveyor at a steady pace. The conveyor system extends over several levels – sometimes curvy, sometimes over longer distances. Everything is running like clockwork, only a quiet rattling can be heard. “Horizontal conveyor belts of this type are used in the production process, for example after filling dairy products into plastic packaging”, explains Tommy Bäck, Conveyor Solutions Development Manager at Fredriksons Verkstads. The company’s state-of-the-art plastic chain conveyors are used by one of the world’s largest packaging manufacturers, among others.

As with this model, there is often only limited space available for industrial conveyor systems. The system manufacturer must therefore choose a clever arrangement of the elements and ensure that all installed components have a slim design and efficient function. “When we were setting up our showroom around two years ago, we decided to revise and modernise our entire automation concept”, says Tommy Bäck. “After carefully considering which drive technology suits us best, we decided on the products from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS as they provide various advantages for our plastic chain conveyors.”

Project requirements

Individual and customised drive systems

NORD has extensive knowledge and long-term experience in more than 100 industries. As a system supplier with global presence, the company offers tailor-made, economical and sustainable drive solutions with modular products for all stages in the packaging process – from primary and secondary packaging to end-of-line packaging.  In addition to the compact design, one of the main reasons why the system manufacturer Fredriksons chose the drive technology from NORD was the integrated multi-protocol Ethernet interface of the drives. It supports the connection to control units of various manufacturers and the communication via different protocols – depending on what is required by the end user’s production. The system manufacturer also benefits from the different speed levels of the drives and the option of variant reduction, both for decentralised drives and in the control cabinet. Another important factor for use in the food industry is that NORD’s drive solutions are also suitable for low temperatures of up to -30 °C.

High-tech inverters for modern production

Fredriksons’ plastic chain conveyors use IE3 asynchronous motors from NORD with a NORDBLOC.1® helical bevel gear unit combined with a mounted NORDAC <i>ON</i> frequency inverter. The decentralised NORDAC ON/ON+ frequency inverters provide an economical solution for modern production environments. They are characterised by their compact design, full plug-in capability and high reliability. NORDAC ON was specially developed for applications with asynchronous motors, whereas NORDAC ON+ was developed for the combination with the IE5+ synchronous motor. The frequency inverters cover a power range from 0.37 kW to 3.7 kW. Their plug-and-play function significantly reduces wiring and maintenance of machines and systems. NORDAC ON will receive new functional safety features: In addition to STO and SS1, it will also feature SLS, SMS and SSM in the future. Further features are PLC on board for PLC functionality and drive-related functions as well as an integrated Ethernet interface. The PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT protocols can be easily set via parameters. Another advantage is that local sensors and actuators can be directly connected to the drive via digital inputs and outputs. This eliminates additional nodes for the bus.

Wherever a stand-alone solution is required, Fredriksons uses the NORDAC <i>PRO</i> SK 500P frequency inverter from NORD. The control cabinet inverter in book-size format is suitable for practically any drive application. Its variants cover a power range from 0.25 to 22 kW while also convincing with its high overload capability. Soon, the inverter will be available with a power extension up to and including 160 kW. “The various advantages of NORD products helped us to significantly reduce the number of drive variants in our systems as well as our stocks”, says Tommy Bäck. “Basically you can say: The greater the number of drive variants, the higher the costs, both for us as an OEM and for the end user.” The reduced use of materials and the ideally matched drive components allow to not only reduce the TCO but also the CO₂ footprint of manufacturing companies.

Application Solution

Well-equipped for servicing

System operators must be able to rely on the installed drive technology during operation. When selecting the drive technology, it is therefore important to not only ensure simple installation and commissioning but also easy replacement of technology in case of servicing. “In case of failure, the drives can be easily replaced thanks to simple plug-in technology, which significantly reduces downtimes”, says Bäck. In addition, the manufacturer’s drives are very robust and can be monitored using condition monitoring .

Thus, the user can keep an eye on all relevant drive data such as temperatures, running behaviour or oil levels at all times. If signs of increased wear are detected, the end customer can take preventive measures to prevent failure. Predictive maintenance in combination with the simple plug-and-play technology of the NORD drives significantly increases the predictability and operational reliability during production. With NORDAC ACCESS BT, the drive expert also offers a Bluetooth adapter for its frequency inverters and creates easy access for mobile terminal devices via the NORDCON APP . With this, NORD offers a mobile commissioning and service solution for maximum flexibility and operating convenience for the end user.

A partnership for maximum success

“Apart from many technical details, an important factor when selecting our suppliers is that the cooperation works well, and our contact partners at NORD convince us time and again when it comes to implementing individual requirements and modifications”, concludes Bäck. “At the same time, we benefit from the manufacturer’s brand new and highly modern drive solutions, which fit perfectly into the life cycle of our systems. We are looking forward to a long-term and successful business relationship with NORD.”