Products inside: Packaging OEM offers multi-touch enabled machines

Edson Packaging InteleVüe is a multi-touch enabled packaging machine interface that uses a 24-in. CP3924 multi-touch Control Panel and the C6930 Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff Automation.

By Shane Novacek March 18, 2014

The Edson Packaging InteleVüe is a multi-touch enabled packaging machine interface that uses a 24-in. CP3924 multi-touch Control Panel from Beckhoff Automation. With InteleVüe and multi-touch software from Copa-Data running on a C6930 Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff Automation, the Edson Packaging machine can store many file types that can be enlarged with typical multi-touch gestures such as zooming, scrolling, flicking, and others.

The C6930 Industrial PC (IPC) has a third generation Intel Core i7 processor (2.3 GHz, 4 cores).

"This powerful IPC is designed to match the vibrations specifications and operating temperature requirements for Edson Packaging machinery," said Calvin Wallace, Western Ontario sales manager for Beckhoff Canada. The C6930 is compact, sleek, and saves cabinet space, and it offers options for nonrotating storage media, Wallace continued, explaining that Edson uses a "64 GB solid-state drive in the C6930, which further cements stability and reliability while providing 15 to 25 times more storage capacity than the previous solution."

Edson Packaging began its InteleVüe initiative to use Beckhoff multi-touch technology shortly after participation in the Beckhoff VIP+ event held concurrently with Hannover Fair 2013. Jeff Werner, Edson vice president of technology, expressed appreciation for the Beckhoff program.

"The increased resolution we received from the Beckhoff CP3924 enables us to put meaningful trend data up on the screen," Werner explained. "We and our customers appreciate a very slim and sleek-looking display; that exactly describes these CP3924 Control Panels," he said.

The need for operators to go inside the machine for changeovers and maintenance has been drastically reduced because of the amount of information available via the CP3924 when paired with a web cam or high-speed camera.

Edson can implement the CP3924 Control Panel on a swing arm that pivots around a central point, but some machines, such as the one demonstrated at Pack Expo 2013, can feature a linear rail system for the display to glide it back and forth. This mechanical add-on permits full travel of the CP3924 down one side of the machine with an approximate 10 ft travel range. Because of the video feed on the CP3924, required power cycles to the safety circuit have decreased by at least 25%.

"We will continue developing and improving our InteleSuite offering, including many new installations and even retrofits using the CP3924 24-in. multi touch Control Panel from Beckhoff," Werner said.

"However, we are also evaluating Beckhoff as a complete automation solution provider for our new top load Edson Packaging Raptor case packing machine," he concluded.

– Shane Novacek is marketing communications manager, Beckhoff Automation. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

ONLINE

Also read the full case study, with more photos, linked below: Packaging OEM offers multi-touch enabled machines.