The requirements were straightforward: a new machine for producing credit card slots in wallets needed to offer maximum flexibility, short cycle times, and optimize the use of materials. Autec, a manufacturer of automation equipment for shoe and leather goods factories based in Pisa, Italy, developed the machine for a renowned Italian brand. As an ideal solution to meet these requirements, the company selected the Festo Motion Terminal.
The software and apps played a pivotal role in the implementation of the system. They determine the functions of the valves and significantly contribute to the flexibility of the machine. In addition, the various tools and the operation of the machine as a whole can be controlled remotely via app. Ilario Barsacchi, engineer and PM at Autec, explains: “Reconfiguring the Festo Motion Terminal is now extremely fast. Instead of ordering, installing, and reconfiguring additional proportional valves, all we have to do is activate an app.”
Autec’s new machine controls the process of gluing together two parts, one made of leather and one made of silk. A servo robot then transfers the bonded pieces to a leather folding machine. “In this space-saving compact solution, eight credit card slots are glued and folded in only 14 seconds,” continues Barsacchi.
In other words, the system is like a piece of hardware that can be reprogrammed again and again via software components that are simply adapted to the application in question. The days in which a valve had only one function are long gone. Management software was also developed for this machine and installed on a PLC, which serves as an interface for controlling the device. The entire process was extremely simple and posed no difficulties whatsoever.
This genuine IIoT solution has eliminated the inherent susceptibility to errors associated with manually producing these credit card slots and maximizes the use of the available raw material.