Electricity and Control July 2023

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

A portfolio of automation solutions

Already installed in the automated factories of leading South African car manufacturers, SEW EURODRIVE’s Maxolution ® has significant potential to raise efficiencies in various sectors of the local economy.Werner Engelbrecht,Works Manager Mechatronics at SEW-EURODRIVE, highlights how Maxolution ® can help businesses automate their processes and make the most of their machinery’s capabilities.

Werner Engelbrecht, Works Manager Mechatronics at SEW-EURODRIVE.

I n addition to the automotive industry, applications extend to sectors as diverse as distribution warehousing, packaging, airports and the food and beverage sector. Engelbrecht points out that as well as supplying specific products for customers’ applications, with the Maxolution ® portfolio SEW-EURODRIVE has become a solutions provider. “Maxolution ® gives us the ability to combine all aspects of production automation, including the hardware, software, application know-how and service,” he says. “By doing this, we can maximise the efficiency and output of custom ers’ production facilities.” He adds that SEW-EURODRIVE has applied this inter nationally established system in South Africa for a decade and has the experience to understand the requirements of a range of industries. With this expertise it can offer advice on factory design and production automation to customers. “Programming and start-up are much easier with our pre-defined application modules that have evolved through years of experience,” he says. “With the specialised soft ware, we can simulate material flow in industrial systems, helping customers to achieve greater efficiency through the integration of multiple systems.” Engelbrecht says a challenge faced by many com panies that want to automate their machinery is that they spend years developing the software and trying to apply it. This route often requires costly research and development

and carries a number of risks related to the implementation of what they have developed. “We can help customers to reduce the development timeframe considerably, and save costs,” he says. “We can also remove the risk that customers face when they enter this relatively unknown territory, as we can apply our global experience from many diverse sites.” Adaptability for product variations One of the benefits that Maxolution ® can offer is cost-effective adaptability for product variations in a production line. This is achieved through easily programmable application mod ules. As customers’ products change, the machines that make them can be adapted quickly using Maxolution ® as a modular and versatile system to adapt to product lifecycles. “With traditional fixed cam systems, for instance, it can take several hours to effect a product change on manu facturing machinery,” says Engelbrecht. “However, with the MOVIKIT ® MultiMotion camming software module, this can be done in a matter of minutes – simply by changing the programming.” This has the immediate benefit of saving time and mon ey, and provides for the machines to be more productive over the long term. SEW-EURODRIVE can work with cus tomers on the planning and commissioning of their automa tion projects, he says. With its comprehensive local support capability, the company is also available to ensure that the installed system works consistently to expectation. In addi tion, SEW-EURODRIVE can conduct training for customers’ staff at its new Drive Academy in Gauteng. “With the Maxolution ® portfolio, all applications in a cus tomer’s factory can be incorporated into a single network,” Engelbrecht says. “This allows for a complete system that works synergistically – creating the opportunity to integrate new systems and allowing for existing systems to be adapt ed to the added systems and product changes.” In this way, Maxolution ® offers customers a route to auto mating their facilities with adaptability built into the system. Different elements for different applications In the automotive industry, for example, the automation solutions for the final assembly phase are inductive skillet conveyor systems, which provide for ergonomic working heights at different assembly stations. Other solutions in-

Automated solutions can include Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).

4 Electricity + Control JULY 2023