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Rockwell Automation has introduced its new iTRAK 5730 small-frame intelligent track system, which uses independent cart technology to support smart, flexible and efficient machines. This system is designed for Food and beverage manufacturers, who are constantly under pressure to package a wider variety of products in more types of packaging without compromising productivity, to respond to these trends and help to increase throughput.
Independent cart technology can help to offer many potential benefits over traditional gear, chain, and belt conveyors, such as greater machine flexibility, better traceability and increased uptime. By using magnetic propulsion, the individually controlled carts can start and stop quicker and with higher precision, which helps to reduce machine wear and is more highly energy efficient. The technology also helps to manage changeovers quicker using pre-configured move profiles that can often be implemented with push of a button on an HMI.
The iTRAK 5730 system has the smallest footprint within the Rockwell Automation independent cart portfolio. It has a 50 mm minimum pitch that makes it suited for primary packaging applications, such as flow wrapping, end load cartoning, and form-fill-and-seal pouching. The system also more easily integrates into a manufacturer’s architecture, providing analytics that help to optimize energy use, monitor parts wear, and reduce downtime.
In addition to motion control, the iTRAK 5730 also offers integrated safety. Features, such as safe torque off, Safe Stop 1, a SIL 3, PLe safety rating and the ability to create safety zones help to increase confidence in machine safety. Safety zones can, for example, increase safety without affecting productivity by allowing motion to continue outside of the safety zone after a trip inside the safety zone.
In addition, simulation capabilities allow users to calculate throughput on the iTRAK 5730 system. Users can also create a digital twin that can be used to help virtually design, commission and demonstrate the system, and to virtually train workers. Standardized object-oriented libraries also can help to create a more consistent user experience and accelerate time to market.