The pillow packaging machine is a highly capable continuous packaging machine suitable for a wide range of specifications in both food and non-food packaging. It supports not only packaging with unprinted film materials but also high-speed packaging using pre-printed roll films with logos. With advantages such as high stability, high production efficiency, suitability for continuous packaging, and adaptability to multiple packaging formats, it has gained widespread adoption in the packaging industry.

The motion controller serves as the core of the control system, while the high-performance Ω6 A series servo system acts as the execution component. This combination enables the packaging equipment to operate at high speeds with precise positioning, ensuring a safer and more reliable control system that meets current production requirements.

Schematic Diagram of Pillow Packaging Machine:

Structural Components:

The pillow packaging machine primarily performs forming, positioning, packaging, and sealing functions.

● Heating System:
The system requires heating of both the transverse sealing blade and longitudinal sealing blade, along with temperature control. Thermocouples or temperature controllers can be used to monitor and regulate the sealing blade temperature.

● Transverse Sealing and Cutting Axis:
A servo motor drives the roller to rotate or reciprocate, performing transverse sealing and cutting. During transverse cutting, synchronization between the cutting shaft, feeding shaft, and film feeding shaft must be maintained.

● Longitudinal Sealing and Film Feeding Axis:
Drives the packaging film, clamps and transports it, and performs longitudinal sealing, ensuring the film moves synchronously with the product.

● Feeding Axis:
The feeding system, driven by a servo motor, works in coordination with the transverse cutting system to meet synchronization requirements based on technical parameters such as bag length. It transports the product into the packaging film at the required speed. The spacing between products is maintained by fixed stops on the conveyor belt, ensuring accurate positioning when inserting products into the packaging film.

Control Requirements for Three-Servo Pillow Packaging Machine:

The key control challenge in a three-servo pillow packaging machine lies in the synchronized coordination among the feeding, film feeding, and transverse sealing/cutting axes. Developed from the dual-servo model, the three-servo pillow packaging machine replaces traditional mechanical cams with the electronic cam function in the motion controller, enabling precise coordination between transverse sealing/cutting, film pulling, and product feeding. It requires the transverse cut to be accurately positioned at the printed color mark on the packaging bag.

Control System Configuration for Three-Servo Pillow Packaging Machine:

● Packaging speed: Up to 300 cuts per minute
● Packaging accuracy: ±0.5 mm

PS: Actual speed depends on mechanical conditions and bag length

Solution Features:

The use of a motion controller with powerful motion control capabilities allows full utilization of its characteristics, significantly improving the overall equipment efficiency.

● Fast Command Response:
Supports high-speed modules and high-speed closed-loop control modules, with action command response under 20μs, greatly enhancing machine speed.

● Exceptional Computing Performance:
The controller features a quad-core CPU with a maximum clock frequency of 1GHz, combined with an FPGA specifically designed to accelerate data processing. This enables a minimum axis cycle time as short as 120μs.

● Rich Motion Control Algorithm Library:
The self-developed STEP Automation Studio offers powerful functionality, including electronic cam, flying shear, probe, and virtual axis functions, ensuring precise synchronization for pillow packaging machines.

Another highlight is the use of Sigriner Ω6 series servo drives:

● High Performance, Ready-to-Use:
Advanced servo auto-tuning and commissioning-free features reduce equipment setup time by up to 90%. High-speed I/O with 1μs response easily meets color mark sensor requirements. Online inertia identification and parameter auto-tuning handle inertia ratios up to 30:1. Features such as V-notch suppression, endpoint vibration control, and adaptive notch filters quickly resolve endpoint jitter and mechanical resonance.

● High Positioning Accuracy:
Equipped with a 23-bit optical encoder, providing 8,388,608 resolution and a maximum speed of 2.5M. The servo drive uses two-degree-of-freedom control combined with pseudo-derivative feedforward control, achieving both high-speed response and strong disturbance rejection. A 16M pulse control interface increases control precision by four times, comprehensively solving high-accuracy positioning challenges.

● High Safety Protection:
Products comply with CE certification and meet safety requirements for equipment in European and American markets. Built-in dynamic braking prevents runaway. Passed over 160 rigorous tests in HASS and HALT experiments, ensuring stable operation under various harsh conditions.

During production, the pillow packaging machine achieves a maximum speed of 300 cuts per minute with a packaging accuracy of ±0.5 mm. The stable and safe operation confirms that the Ω6 A series servo drives effectively ensure high efficiency, high precision, and operational safety for pillow packaging machines.

Packaging Process:

● Transverse Sealing and Cutting Method:
Using the SC30B motion controller, a dedicated cam module is designed for the packaging industry's flying shear and cross-cut applications, enabling more precise control. Currently, there are three main mechanical configurations for transverse sealing and cutting axes:

(1) Flying Shear: The cutting mechanism performs circular motion in the same direction as the material. Cutting length is adjusted by changing the speed of the cutting mechanism.

(2) Cross-Cut (Pursuit Shear): The cutting mechanism is parallel to the material and performs reciprocating linear motion. Cutting length is adjusted by varying the speed during non-synchronized phases.

(3) Reciprocating Type: Operates on the same principle as flying shear but differs in mechanical structure. The reciprocating cutting mechanism can currently achieve speeds up to 300 cuts per minute.

● High-Speed Color Mark Tracking Function:
A color mark sensor detects the printed mark on the packaging bag. An automatic correction system is integrated to track and adjust in real time, calculating the cutter position to ensure consistent cutting location and uniform pattern alignment on each bag.

● Electronic Anti-Cutting Function:
During operation, a misalignment sensor detects whether the product might be cut by the transverse sealing blade. If a potential collision is detected, the system adjusts the next sealing action accordingly, effectively protecting both the sealing blade and the product. This eliminates the need to stop the machine for misaligned products, significantly improving production efficiency.

● Empty Bag Prevention Function:
A dedicated sensor detects the presence or absence of products on the conveyor belt and sends the signal to the system. If no product is detected, the film feeding and cutting servos stop, while the feeding mechanism continues to supply material. Once a product is detected, the film feeding and cutting servos resume operation.