Tectra Automation aids PG Bison with router upgrade

To aid PG Bison improve the speed of its production systems, Tectra Automation was contracted to upgrade the company’s 10-year-old router at its Boksburg plant. The scope of work, conducted in latter 2019, included CAD design, specification of the required equipment, component manufacturing, off-system start up, installation and commissioning.

Enhanced production speed, required to accommodate increased volumes, was achieved with the installation of two Bosch Rexroth CKR 110 compact linear modules with Rexroth drives and controls. The two modules, required to cut both ends of the pressboard simultaneously, achieved the required higher production rate and resulted in improved product quality.

The CKR compact modules, standard with ball rail system and toothed belt drive, enable maximum lengths of 10 000 mm and have repeatability accuracy of up to ± 0.05 mm. “The previous system, a Bosch Rexroth Spindle system, took 22 seconds per pressboard,” says Cobus Snyman, Senior Sales Representative, Tectra Automation. “The newly installed CKR module, also from Bosch Rexroth, achieves 8 seconds per board without compromising quality.”

The CKR modules include a pre-tensioned tooth belt and intelligent toothed belt guide that protects inner components. Additionally, system monitoring is enabled via the Rexroth control system, which facilitates feedback on heat, speed, location and faults, among others, via the plant PLC.

Installation and commissioning was carried out over two days, with personnel consisting of Tectra Automation’s project manager, two Tectra Automation millwrights and PG Bison’s Boksburg plant and maintenance managers. “Our projects department played a huge role in facilitating all aspects of the project, which was no mean feat,” Snyman points out. “They combined the Rexroth drives and controls, assembly technology and linear motion products into the application effortlessly, to customer specification and in the required time frame.”

Compact Modules from Bosch Rexroth are precision, ready-to-install linear motion systems offering high performance. They are compact in design and have a good price/performance ratio. They are able to withstand high travel speeds and heavy loads over great lengths, simultaneously maintaining high precision. Both durable and economical, they are configurable to customers’ precise specifications and requirements.