Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, today announced a partnership with Shuttleworth, a leader in automated product handling solutions to optimize the company’s new product handling machine with Schneider Electric’s PacDrive™ open control technology coupled with EcoStruxure, its suite of industrial IoT solutions.
“The internet of things has rapidly gained momentum in the manufacturing industry and as a result, machines are being re-engineered starting with software and services to help manufacturers reap the benefits and support new business models,” said Carlos Villa, vice president, industry business for Schneider Electric. “This exciting new partnership with Shuttleworth is case in point, and we’re pleased to be working with a EcoStruxure Machine market leader to capitalize on the growing smart manufacturing market with our end to end EcoStruxure Machine solutions.”
The EcoStruxure IoT platform brings together key technologies for product connectivity and edge control on premises, using cloud technologies to provide analytics and digital services. Customers are empowered to maximize business infrastructure and face increasingly stringent demands on productivity, safety, equipment availability and performance optimization.
Part of the ProMach family, Shuttleworth designs and develops product handling systems for industries that manufacture products requiring a high level of care, including food & beverage, automotive, pharmaceutical, personal care and electronics. Shuttleworth recently unveiled a new high-speed laner that improves the rate at which product are separated into different lanes on a conveyer system. In addition to several new design advantages, the machine employs Schneider Electric’s PacDrive family of motion controllers and servos to optimize operations and improve performance throughout the machine’s lifecycle.
“Our partnership with Schneider Electric is a critical investment in market competitiveness and the ability to deliver cutting-edge smart manufacturing equipment,” said Ken Tinnell, vice president and general manager of Shuttleworth. “Our new high-speed laner enhanced with Schneider Electric’s technology allows for an increased product rate by 40 to 50 percent and also allows for quicker machine changeover. The improved efficiency translates to significant cost savings for our customers.”
A key feature of Shuttleworth’s conveyor system is the integration Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Augmented Operator Advisor. The custom application employs augmented reality technology to empower users with real-time information and improve operational efficiency and safety conditions. Through the screen of a smart phone or tablet, operators can see superimposed live data, links to documentation, videos and Bill of Materials, and can also virtually open up electrical cabinets or parts of the machine – all remotely via their tablet’s camera.