Glass is a favorite packaging material in the food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries. It has no taste or odor, does not react with other materials and does not emit any harmful substances. Colored designs are applied to glass containers using special screen printing equipment. EG-YES, based in the northern Italian town of Maranello, specializes in developing and manufacturing industrial machinery for the processing of glass and ceramic products. The company uses the latest CNC equipment to realize its customers’ specific design requirements, supporting them with the upgrade of older equipment and putting their skilled workers’ industry expertise to use as a service provider for system integration.

Project goal: Modernization of an automated screen printing machine
EG-YES uses a special screen printing machine to print texts in up to six different inks on cylindrical, elliptical and flat containers made from glass or plastic. The model is composed of individual components, each of which has its own printing assembly and a special drying system. The modular construction accommodates up to six individual units, giving the company a high degree of customization for individual product batches. Now, EG-YES wanted to make comprehensive upgrades in order to be able to fulfill even more complex orders, replacing a number of components with higher-performance options. Due to its positive past experience with existing solutions, the company turned to Delta as its implementation partner.

Wanted: a powerful motion controller
EG-YES had a clearly defined specification: The machine needed to use a motion controller that could replicate and control both the ten ‘real’ axes and one virtual axis during printing in ECAM. Given this requirement, the company opted for the compact DVP50MC multi-axis motion controller from Delta. This model is compliant with the PLCOpen standard and supports single-axis motion control instructions such as position, speed, torque and homing as well as multi-axis motion control instructions such as ECAM. The DVP50MC controller connects via EtherCAT to all ten Delta ASD-A2-E servo motors installed in a single module and controls all movements during the printing process. The motors were also upgraded to make them more efficient: they are brushless and use less power than their predecessors.

Easy to connect and configure using Delta software
Another argument in favor of Delta was that this option allowed EG-YES to obtain everything it required from one single vendor. System connectivity and configuration in ECAM generally involve a lot of time and money. To improve the efficiency of this process, Delta not only supplied the new hardware but also provided the software to go with it. Using Delta’s ISPSoft system, the EtherCAT connections between the DVP50MC and the ASD-A2-E motors were simply plug and play. Configuration of the axes in ECAM is also a simple affair thanks to an integrated graphical tool, so that modifications can be made quickly and easily for new jobs.

A model project for future upgrades
EG-YES is clear that the project to modernize the screen printing equipment with Delta has been a complete success. In addition to simpler configurability, the company is also benefiting from lower operating costs for the entire system thanks to the upgraded components. Delta’s ability to not only supply the latest hardware but also provide the software to go with it played a key role in the fast roll-out. The project could also set an example. Given the excellent results, EG-YES is now considering whether the upgraded system can be used as a model for future refurbishment plans. “We are delighted that we have been able to provide all of our customer’s desired functions and features quickly and without a fuss,” said Giuliano Castioni, Field Application Manager, Industrial Automation Business Group at Delta Electronics EMEA region. “The fact that this project, in which we played our part, is being considered as a pilot for future refurbishment plans speaks volumes, highlighting just how successful it has been.”