Efficient material flow with its conveyor and palletising technology subareas is an integral part of today’s logistics for optimising in-house material processes. Whether items are carried from A to B with pinpoint accuracy on rollers or belts; whether small parts are stored and picked at full speed, or whether palletising robots meticulously assemble and load packaged end products onto conveyor systems – the coupling plays a major role in all of these applications ensuring precise, smooth processes.
Storage and retrieval units, palletising robots
Dynamic and accurate positioning of storage and retrieval units as well as of palletising robots
Thanks to their servo drive technology, modern storage and retrieval units for small parts run dynamically with high acceleration rates. Due to their resulting high lifting and driving speeds, they ensure efficient storage and order picking for a broad variety of small parts. Low mass and high precision are a must for the relevant compensating couplings. The Servoflex coupling gain points in this case, as a result of its design with extremely low rotational inertia combined with its zero backlash and high torsional stiffness. These couplings are also the perfect choice for multi-axis palletising robots in charge of soring, assembling and palletising packages with pinpoint accuracy.
Roller conveyors, belt conveyors
Space-saving for compact roller conveyors
Roller conveyors are mostly required to carry lightweight, small-sized items. Items are conveyed on conveyor rollers arranged transversely to the conveying direction. Driven systems are used when an item to be conveyed is to be stopped and carried further at a later point in time. For this reason, these conveyor systems often run at varying conveying speeds or in fixed-cycle operation. The conveyor rollers are driven by servo-motors in conjunction with series Semiflex couplings. In order to obtain complete conveyor systems, single modules are combined and connected in a modular system. Small-sized couplings are often used as radially mountable couplings with split clamping hubs. As a result of the high displacement capacity of precision couplings, the conveying level of each sub-module can be adjusted.
Synchronising single segments in belt conveyors
Belt conveyors are used to continuously convey items such as packages, workpieces or containers. Conveyor belts move on support rollers as circulating belts. In addition, by selecting belt coverings and the corresponding coefficients of friction, inclines can be overcome without the conveyed items slipping.
The complete system is divided into several segments with different applications, lengths and speeds; redirecting stations allow the items being conveyed to be carried in curves. Due to their precision, couplings from the Semiflex range ensure synchronisation and matching of the single segments. The compact design of the coupling promotes the compactness of the entire conveyor system.
Table drive
Precise thrust in the table drive for plastic films
Table drives are often required to accurately convey plastic foils. They ensure that these films are properly and precisely conveyed to the final laminating process for various plastic carriers. For these high positioning requirements in the conveying process, multi-disc couplings Servoflex make it possible for films to be meticulously carried forward thanks to their high torsional stiffness and precision, while compensating for any shaft misalignments.
Storage systems
Axial guidance applications in efficient storage systems
Efficient storage systems ensure first-rate use of space and turnover speed. They usually run at high driving speeds in order to ensure the required movement of goods.
A requirement for the couplings in the transverse drives of bearing systems is that, in addition to torque transmission, they also perform axial guidance. This task is taken over by the axially stiff couplings of the Loewe GK Torque series.