Industry 4.0: Smart Solutions for Smart Packaging Machines

Galdi’s 4.0 packaging machines are the result of a journey of development and technological implementation that began several years ago.

Over time, research has led to solutions that leverage technological innovations, which have enabled us to bring to market digital native machines such as the RG80 and the RG280.

The benefits 4.0 models bring to customers are plain to see:

• Seamlessly integrated systems
• Efficient and simplified user experience
• Remote assistance
• Remote recipe and production batch check
• Measurable performance
• Automation and fewer errors
• Advancements towards predictive maintenance

Galdi packaging machines comply with Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory requirements, but are designed to offer solutions that go beyond the required standards.

Taking as a reference the Italian machine requirements for Industry 4.0 conformity, Galdi has gone the extra mile to optimise machine efficiency and improve the way our customers work. Let's see how.

- Interconnection to customer's IT systems: instructions and/or part programs can be loaded remotely

Production metrics can be monitored remotely. Work recipes and production batches can be written/edited remotely too.

In particular, Galdi's Automation Team improved the automated recipe changeover, also thanks to the requests and feedback from our customers.

Together, we streamlined the process to ensure optimal machine-operator-factory interaction, incorporating solutions to measure performance and changeover times.

- Integration with factory's logistics system or supply network and/or other machines in the production cycle

Galdi's 4.0 packaging machines are set up to be automatically integrated into the customer's existing systems.

Upstream:

• Interfacing with factory system for product supply and cleaning cycles through all the most popular fieldbuses or via wired connection;
• Integration with other machines/devices for M2M communication.

Downstream:

• Inkjet printers to print the expiry date on finished products;
• Equipment such as ejectors for automatic removal of rejects;
• Belts and/or conveyors;
• Additional machines for the packaging line, like case packers, wrap-around machines, palletising systems, etc.

Thanks to Artema Pack, we implemented industry 4.0 requirements in end-of-line machines too, with the goal of ensuring integrated and increasingly automated packaging lines.

- Simple and intuitive HMI

Galdi’s digital packaging machines are equipped with a new HMI interface, updated with new touch screen features and innovative graphics solutions:

• Dynamic animation: operators can supervise the entire process in one place;
• Wizard and Help modes are designed to make inspection and maintenance operations faster and more efficient.

The objective is to ensure a simplified and efficient user experience through navigation modes that were designed to offer maximum support to specific user categories: operators, department managers, Galdi maintenance and field service technicians.

- Compliance with the latest safety legislation

Our packaging machines comply with the European Directive on Machinery (2006/42/EC) and other relevant regulation (e.g.: EMC Directive 2014/30/EU and Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU).

For several years now, the models have also met the strictest safety requirements, with ad-hoc solutions designed according to the principles of Ergonomic Design and Design for Maintenance.

Safety is also a priority when transporting or handling a packaging machine or line. The instructions on the transport box and on the machine itself make the operations easier.

In addition, Galdi's expert technicians and Project Managers are on hand to provide field support.

- Integration with cyber-physical systems

Secure connections enable Galdi technicians to access the machine's systems remotely and use the collected data for faster troubleshooting.

Information on the machine's operational status can be gathered remotely and, subject to customer approval, changes can be made to operational metrics and software applications.

With the goal of offering further cybersecurity guarantees, Galdi has recently upgraded its IIoT infrastructure.

Galdi's 4.0 packaging machines are equipped with advanced sensor devices (EtherCAT, IO-Link) that provide both quantitative and qualitative data, useful for measuring performance and preventing potential malfunctions. Along with process data, statistical and diagnostic parameters are collected to measure and predict machine behaviour, as well as efficiency.

In order to make monitoring even more effective and get key operational metrics (KPIs), Galdi used IIoT technologies to create MaSH, the advanced monitoring system for Galdi packaging machines.

Moreover, Digital Twin and Machine Learning systems are becoming increasingly important in our work, enabling us to simulate a machine environment in real time, adjusting process control metrics, and predicting deviations from optimal operation of one or more components. Virtual technologies will help us deliver increasingly efficient and "robust" machines.

MaSH was created as part of a series of high-innovation projects (VIR2EM), developed through collaboration between local companies and the Universities of Padua, Verona and Venice.