Solema's headquarters is located in Pedrengo, just a few kilometers from Bergamo in Italy. The company specializes in producing printing machinery. “In 25 years, our production started in the transport system of the printing and binding industry. Soon, we started to produce special-purpose machinery,†said Marco Maraglino, software manager at Solema. "The technology we have acquired allows us to design, produce and develop machinery and build factories to meet the needs of every customer." Customized factory's standard machinery One example of Solema's investment is Pluton, which is used to stave product pallets in various specialty areas of the factory. At the same time, Fast Book is an automatic sewing machine that can provide various kinds of application software such as hardcover book series, perfect loose-leaf cover and spine gluing machine. Solema's machinery does not directly produce books or other printed matter, but instead processes books or other printed products. They stack, move and even delay the time they have to travel from one line station to another line station, which allows the product to dry enough in a limited space. “When we set out to produce large machinery such as complex stackers, stacked memories with multiple output paths, we made a big step forward,†explained Maraglino. “Today, 70% of our products are exported around the world. Our member companies in the United States handle sales and service projects. In other parts of the world, we also have business partners.†There are now about 70 employees working at Solema. “We are unique because we have developed a customized solution,†explains Maraglino. “Because of the wide range of products available to us, we have been able to try to implement solutions using standard machinesâ€, which is why Solema's stackers and pallet machines are considered to be suitable for standard machines in a customized environment. This is undoubtedly very beneficial, especially for large companies that require extremely high precision "cutting" measurements. “Where are our service advantages? First, mobility and reliability,†Maraglino said. “There are many other companies that produce machinery similar to ours, but our knowledge of the industry, the solutions we have developed in the past, our more comprehensive capabilities, and the very broad (always updated) market portfolio are unique in the marketplace. ." Mature automation The state-of-the-art machinery made by Solema - the new Pluton palletizer, consists of several synchronized shafts that require the fast and precise movement of conveyor belts, cranes and translation trays. In some cases, a fast crane with a capacity of 1.5 tons is also required. This represents the standard maximum load capacity of these pallets. In this case, it is necessary to introduce a brushless motor controlled by a single actuator. B&R's ACOPOS family meets these drive requirements. “The machines have a maximum of 9 simultaneous axes. We started using the Ethernet POWElink network about a year ago and we are very satisfied with them,†Maraglino said. “This is mainly because it is easy to implement and provides a very neat connection and can use longer cables without causing any conflicts. When we have to handle so many axes, even when they have not been inserted, they are A very brief communication will also occur. With Ethernet POWERlink, we can get timely command execution and axis response.†In the X67 system, Solema appreciates the diagnostic phase because there is a signal close to the sensor that signals the operator that the sensor is performing the activity type. Large machines use B&R Power Panel devices with integrated CPUs and remote CAN bus systems as operator panels. "The CAN bus technology allows us to process line instructions synchronously, and these instructions are especially important in special situations," explained Maraglino. "For example, if a magazine or paper is processed in a "fish scale," that is, the top one is slightly inclined to the next, the position between the two fish scales is fixed. A fieldbus system is a control. The only line of the entire line can be gradually reduced in speed, allowing it to be fully or partially restarted." Perfect integration For historical reasons, Solema still uses automation components from other manufacturers in its machinery. These products and B&R products coexist without conflict. “It is difficult to find more affordable and better-performing automation products than B&R products,†Maraglino emphasized. “The fact that we still use them for many years shows that we are very satisfied. Different scenarios require complex project migration, which makes us The machinery is expensive and will make us lose our competitiveness in the market.†"By using the high efficiency of B&R products, and more importantly, the friendly relationship we have established with each other, we have been able to use the most advanced products in a timely manner by integrating different solutions."
