For 100 years, Cincinnati-based manufacturer R. A. Jones & Co Inc has delivered packaging machines to end users in a wide range of industries. As technology has evolved, the company has implemented several improvements that have helped its customers succeed, whether in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, or consumer product industries.
At the turn of the 21st century, R. A. Jones''s customers found themselves in a competitive pinch, requiring higher efficiency levels, shorter build cycles, and the ability to execute faster product changeovers. As a result, the company began exploring and implementing what is known in the industry as Generation 3 (Gen3) machines. Designed to take full advantage of integrated control systems, Gen3 machines rely less on mechanical components and more on digital, all-servo-driven technologies, using advanced solutions to help meet competitive requirements by increasing flexibility and reducing mechanical and control complexity. In contrast, the previous generation of machines -- known as Gen2 -- used some servo drives, but kept many mechanical components as well. Generation 1 machines were completely mechanical.
R. A. Jones developed and introduced its first Gen3 machine in the form of a cartoner called Criterion 2000 -- a machine that has since been installed in many different applications. Using control systems from Rockwell Automation as a standard option on the Criterion 2000, R. A. Jones has reduced its engineering costs and continues to provide customers with a flexible, high-reliability cartoner that compresses installation time and reduces maintenance by eliminating belts, drive chains, line shafts, pulleys, sprockets, and torque tubes.
Challenge
Traditional line-shaft-driven cartoners are rigid machines that often require many mechanical and labor-intensive adjustments. Such requirements can be a problem when, for example, a food manufacturer needs to switch between boxing different types of cereals. Changing line-shaft-driven cartoners between products can sometimes take up to six hours -- downtime that costs the food manufacturer dearly in lost time and profits.
Heavy on parts, traditional cartoners also pose manufacturing and maintenance challenges, taking months for OEMs to build and requiring increased maintenance to ensure all mechanical parts remain in good operating condition. What''s more, most older mechanical carton machines are not able to provide advanced diagnostics to prevent or troubleshoot problems.
"Manufacturers that use carton machines are in an extremely competitive mode," said Darren Elliott, chief engineer, R. A. Jones & Co Inc. "They need to run products faster and more efficiently, and they''re increasingly asking OEMs to build intelligent machines with shorter delivery and installation times, at lower costs."
Faced with competitive pressures, R. A. Jones worked with automation suppliers, including Rockwell Automation, to develop the Criterion 2000 cartoner, which implements the newest Gen3 technologies to solve end-user challenges.
Solution
With a footprint just over 20 ft long x 7 ft wide and new Gen3 technologies, the Criterion 2000 is streamlined and efficient, using 30% fewer mechanical parts than those needed by traditional cartoners.
R. A. Jones starts with a base machine and customizes it for applications in diverse industries. Customers have a choice of continuous or intermittent motion, a range of centers, and right- or left-hand versions. In general operations, the machine''s product handling system brings product into the machine. Cartons are loaded onto the machine by an operator. Inside the machine, flat cartons are opened, product is loaded, and cartons are then glued shut. Each Criterion 2000 machine is constructed of stainless steel and other noncorrosive materials, making it ideal for key food-packaging needs and other washdown environments.
As a standard option, R. A. Jones installs each Criterion 2000 with the Kinetix® Integrated Motion control solution from Rockwell Automation. The Kinetix system leverages Rockwell Automation® Integrated Architecture, and includes Allen-Bradley® ControlLogix® controllers, Kinetix 6000 servo drives running on the digital SERCOS network, MP-Series motors and actuators, VersaView® or PanelView™ Plus human-machine interface and POINT I/O™ distributed I/O.
"The control system has greatly reduced the complexities and problems of previous machines," Elliott said. "We''ve been able to shift from around 100 I/O points down to about 50, just by streamlining the architecture."
Results
The Criterion 2000''s streamlined Gen3 architecture replaces many of the line-shaft-driven components of previous mechanical cartoners, creating a machine that is modular, flexible, and fast -- meeting the demands of both end users and R. A. Jones.
Offering a machine with 30% fewer components means R. A. Jones can design and build a cartoner faster than previous machines. The company has been able to reduce its programming time by more than one-third, thanks to integrated motion and sequential control, reduced I/O points, and the easy-to-use ladder logic employed by the ControlLogix controllers.
For the end user, the Gen3 technology used in the Criterion 2000 means product changes can be accomplished with little more than a push of a button, using VersaView or the PanelView Plus HMI. The improvement brings changeover times down from as much as 6 hours to as little as 15 minutes.
With fewer mechanical parts, the Criterion 2000 has exceptional reliability and efficiency compared to its mechanical counterparts, not to mention being capable of running at higher speeds. It''s also a "smart" machine, with advanced diagnostics built into the control system, allowing feedback from various I/O points that can predict or diagnose a failure.
"The Criterion 2000 allows us as an OEM to build machines faster, and the scalable system allows for easy upgrades," Elliott said. "For the end users, it helps them compete in today''s marketplace by being reliable, fast, and flexible. It''s a powerful solution for customers and a great time-saver for the manufacturer -- really a win-win situation for everyone involved."