Innovation has been the key to driving global timber pro duction, with the develop ment of sophisticated labour- and time-saving technologies resulting in today’s automated high-volume timber milling and production facilities. One Australian company leading the way in the development of such innovative timber production solutions is AE Gibson & Sons.
The innovative first-phase evo lution of AE Gibson and Sons’ automated end-matcher intro duced standard motor and drive technology, in place of a tradi tional pneumatic system. However, recently the company developed this technology fur ther, teaming up with motor and drives company SEW-Eurodrive to design a servo motor-based end-matcher for timber product manufacturer, Coffs Harbour Hardwoods (CHH).
End-matching is a floorboard production step, which involves cutting a tongue or groove joint at either end of the board respectively. As part of a progres sive plant upgrade, CHH recent ly replaced its legacy pneumatic end-matching machines with two servo motor-driven end-matchers from AE Gibson & Sons.
“The latest evolution of our motor-driven end-matcher required more sophisticated drive technology than the previ ous version, so we got SEW involved,” said Christian Gibson, AE Gibson & Sons Manager - Electrical Control. “This resulted in an extremely fast and accu rate end-matcher.”
Both end-matchers are equipped with two SEW- Eurodrive geared servo motors. Each servo motor is paired with the company’s MOVIDRIVE ‘B’ application inverter, while the MOVITRAC standard inverter is used to drive the site’s two pro file cutters. All electronic drives are linked to a PLC via a DeviceNet communications net work, and can be configured via a user-control panel.
According to SEW-Eurodrive NSW sales manager, Martin Broglia, the MOVIDRIVE ‘B’’s integrated IPOS positioning and sequence control is vital to the accurate operation of the end- matcher.
“The IPOS control with encoder feedback is ideal for accurate positioning, to ensure a straight profile cut every time,” he said.
CHH general manager, Garry McCarthy, said: “The new end- matcher machines produce an improved finish on the profile cut compared to our legacy pneu matic system. The end-matcher’s precision positioning combined with its strong clamping means we are able to achieve consis tently square cuts.”
With a design throughput rate of 25 boards per minute, AE Gibson & Sons’ new end-matcher has been developed with speed in mind. More than doubling the typical throughput rate of pneu matic end-matchers (12 boards per minute), the servo motor- based end-matcher incorporates some clever system design and drive programming.
Importantly, each of the end- matcher’s servo/MOVIDRIVE ‘B’ combinations has the ability to switch between ‘torque control’ and ‘position control’ operating modes. “It’s this kind of flexible operation that permits such a fast processing rate,” said Broglia.
“The new end-matchers pro duce finished boards faster than we can pack them. However, we are able to configure the units to deliver finished boards at a rate matched to our current packing capabilities, or ramp it up to meet production demands. It pro vides real operational flexibili ty,” said McCarthy.
With the end-matchers online, CHH is looking to the future.
“The new end-matchers are performing well and providing us with high levels of operational flexibility,” McCarthy said.
“AE Gibson & Sons and SEW- Eurodrive have helped us lay ini tial foundations which will allow us to optimise and expand our production process when the time is right.”