In 2021 alone, Germany generated over five million tonnes of plastic waste. Companies such as Diamat Maschinenbau are required to ensure that this waste is reused sensibly and contribute to greater sustainability. As specialists in plastics recycling machines, Diamat gives PET bottles a second life with the help of drives from KEB, which also reduce costs.
A wide range of services, a good price-performance ratio and fast delivery times – for Tobias Feeß of Diamat Maschinenbau, there are several good reasons to rely on drive systems and components from KEB Automation. Based in Dinkelsbühl, Germany, Diamat Maschinenbau operates in the field of plastics machinery, particularly flat film lines, and specialises in the recycling of plastics. This is quite a challenge as flat film lines require a high degree of automation, reliability and user-friendliness.
In daily operation, the fully automated flat film lines, for example, from Diamat ensure the production of highly transparent, durable films made entirely from recycled plastic – and the lines are designed for 24/7 operation. The COMBIVERT F6 and S6 drive controllers from KEB provide the ideal drive solution for these systems. The frequency inverters cover the power range required for plastics machines, from 0.37 kW to 400 kW.
“KEB is one of the few manufacturers that can fulfil this very broad power range that we require,” says Feeß. The drives have numerous features that benefit Diamat’s plastics machines. These include blockage detection and precise torque display, which prevents unplanned costly machine downtimes.
High overload capacity for optimum dynamics
The COMBIVERT F6 drive controllers combine the frequency inverter and servo drive in one device and are available in both air-cooled and water-cooled versions. “Liquid cooling is particularly efficient and increases the service life of the frequency inverter. It also makes it possible to dispense with cost-intensive proportional valves and install two-way valves instead,” says Tim Aufderheide, Team Leader Application Sales at KEB Automation. “The special aspect of the Diamat application is that the air-cooled versions of our drives are also required in addition to the liquid-cooled version.” Diamat also uses the compact, flexible COMBIVERT S6 servo drives in book format, which provide high overload capacity for optimum dynamics.
The COMBIVERT F6 and S6 drive controllers are DC-coupled, which simplifies the energy equalisation of motion axes. As a result, energy is saved and, in regenerative operating states, the braking resistors that would otherwise be required – with thermal losses and the risk of fire – can be avoided. “DC coupling minimises the installation effort and the costs of the drive controllers can be partially reduced by eliminating the typical input circuit,” says Aufderheide.
As Feeß concludes: “The smooth interaction of different components was particularly important to us. It helps that KEB, as a systems provider, supplies harmonised products from a single source. This is why synchronous, asynchronous and geared motors from KEB are also used in our machines. For us, the cooperation with KEB is very good – with customised solutions, reliable service and high quality products.”
For more information, please visit www.keb.co.uk
