Capping: wave of the future

Jun 04, 2013

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“Miray” means “future” in Japanese, and it’s no coincidence that the latest generation, versatile, high speed single-head capper developed by CMI SpA, which is setting new standards for the sector, bears this name. Fundamental to this process is CMI’s collaboration with Bosch Rexroth, which has helped the concern to create a high tech and high yield solution.

For more than thirty years, CMI SpA has been designing and building machinery for bottling, capping, labeling and casepacking throughout the industrial process, from the arrival of the liquid at the plant to its display at the POP. Long oriented toward developing machines on the cutting edge in terms of functionality and ease of use, the concern, based in Oleggio (NO), focuses as much on technological knowhow as on product customization that can adapt to any requirements. Such an approach is made possible by the characteristic flexibility of a small, highly qualified enterprise. «We can declare, without conceit, to be the only Italian concern with a complete range of products that covers all sectors: detergency, personal care, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemical and food&beverage. This has enabled us to gain a reputation as a supplier to many different multinationals, among which PPG, Rohm and Haas, Bayer, Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Nestlé, Johnson, Kodak, illycaffè, Nalco, Unilever and Mafra», states Franco Comoli, managing director of CMI SpA.
The concern has continuously updated in recent years and, even in the current economic climate, the concern has dedicated much attention to innovation, investing substantial resources in R&D. The Miray® capping machine represents the highest achievement of this effort. Presented to customers already at the design stage, this solution has garnered excitement beyond every expectation, and the consensus has been made clear by the sale off five machines in less than seventy days.

Flexibility and speed. Anticipating the market
The Miray project came into being following an assessment of current market demands. The first installation was made last year in the Enger (D) facility of Meyer Chemie, a German manufacturer of cosmetics and detergents for car care. In developing the capper, CMI focused not only on the customer’s requirements, but also on long-term considerations, integrating all the adjustments and solutions capable of making the difference.
The story is told by Riccardo Colombi, R&D manager, and Diego Vullo, Technical Department manager: «We are still in the process of discovering the full range of versatility of the machine we have developed. And even though we are only taking advantage of 50% of its potential, it’s already clear that this is a revolutionary system».
Miray is a completely automatic and autonomous single-head capper that can be installed on pre-existing packaging lines. The machine is suitable for bottle closure using a vast array of caps: screw, dispenser, trigger, press-on and press-on with orientation.
Its salient feature is that, thanks to completely automatic management, it enables easy and ultra-high speed format changeover.
The procedure takes a few simple steps: tool-free starwheel and side rail replacement, tool-free replacement of the cap-picking system and rail; automatic bottle height detection via sensor.
On the basis of this solution, the machine adapts to the height of the bottle, the cap and the straw, significantly reducing the time between processing one cap and/or bottle type and another. «All in just 3 minutes: an astounding achievement compared to the 15 and even 30 minutes required by solutions available on the market until now» comment Colombi and Vullo.

Simplicity and elegance
An aspect of the project to which CMI has dedicated particular attention is simplicity.
«While it’s important to tailor solutions to the particular needs of one’s customers, it is equally necessary to offer simple and versatile machinery capable of taking on diverse configurations and combining high tech with low cost. These are demands we can’t afford to ignore», adds Comoli again. And so the operator’s job is made simple, requiring nothing more than entry of hourly output rate data.
Another distinctive feature of CMI is its attention to aesthetic appeal. Miray, which will be presented at Rimini for the occasion of Packology 2013, has a simple design, with no visible mechanisms, a characteristic resulting in part from its application in the fields of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The role of the controller
The apparent simplicity of these foundations masks a remarkable complex of ideas, technologies and competencies. However, the project’s total success nevertheless required CMI to rely on a partner in excellence of the caliber of Bosch Rexroth, which contributed to the creation of a complete automation solution based on the interaction of electronic, mechanical and pneumatic systems.
«On our very first meeting we went over the problems together and discussed some mechatronic solutions best suited to satisfy the project’s technical and functional requirements», comments Luca Stanzani, manager of Rexroth’s Food, Packaging & Printing division. «What’s more, one of our distinguishing features in the market is our willingness and ability to study and approach the projects in a holistic and interdisciplinary manner, and not in mundane terms of product and technology».
Specifically, the result was an electronic control architecture based on the Indramotion for Packaging platform, with an MLC controller that performs all motion functions, six IndraDrive Cs servo-drives with STO-certified safety function (SIL 3, Cat. 4 PL e), high efficiency brushless motors and epicyclic reduction gears. The application’s mechanics, on the other hand, employs linear modules and electromechanical cylinders. To complete the solution, the pneumatic automation is characterized by solenoid valves, an air treatment unit, regulation cylinders and pre-straightening gripper. The management software is CMI’s own.
The result? «An extraordinary concentration of technology. By using a multi-axis controller, Miray synchronizes motion and cams during all phases and in all process modes, obtaining output rates in the order of 2000 pcs/hour and beyond. That’s at least 40% faster than conventional system» explains Colombi.

Developments in the spirit
of collaboration
In any case, the process of innovation and improvement doesn’t stop there. CMI’s design team has already announced that forthcoming machines will feature an additional brushless motor to regulate the cap’s tightening torque and correct orientation in relation to the bottle. Called Screwmaster®, this exclusive new screw-on system monitors torque, speed and positioning parameters, and guarantees 100% quality control of the finished product.
Furthermore, it can calculate screw phase statistics, identifying the cap’s threading or the force necessary for press-on capping, and the corresponding waste in case of non-conformity.
Miray’s automation was thus defined during the course of a collaboration that goes beyond that of a simple supplier, in which the constructive and collaborative participation of Rexroth in the project has proven fundamental. The sharing of information and experiences has also enabled drastically reducing the time necessary - 3 months total, from design to testing - and refining the installation until we reached the excellent performance it currently displays.

«Creating Miray - says Comoli - was at the same time a great challenge and a successful team effort. Bosch Rexroth operated with openness and profound technical skill. That concern’s mechatronic approach and its knowledge of the specific issues facing the sector proved truly fundamental».
Bosch Rexroth is equally satisfied: «The thing that most struck me during our collaboration with CMI were their extraordinary determination and enthusiasm. We have had the good fortune to work with a highly motivated enterprise, one that has always believed in innovation - concludes Stanzani - and today it’s all the more important to find partners like this, because ongoing dialog is the most valuable resource for growing and improving».

Miray: technical characteristics
Automatic pick & place system
Automatic straw pre-straightening
Screwmaster algorithm: controls cap tightening torque, correct orientation in relation to the bottle and 100% quality control
Electronic bottle height check sensor
Scheduled lubrication system (alerts operator when needed)
Self-diagnosis system for axis temperatures, managed via operator panel
User’s manual available to the operator, accessible via the touch screen panel