Eurocan 110G Linear Seamer

[John Jenner]

We started today on the assembly of another 110G Linear Seamer which is going to a UK customer for closing 'Illy' coffee cans in a Nitrogen gas environment. This thread will be a pictorial reference of the build process, starting with a few pictures of the table frame, the already completed seaming head assembly, and the bins of sub-assembly parts.

[John Jenner]

The table plates are fitted with the can feed chain track and sprockets. Servo motor and gearbox, and end feed turret indexing sub-assemblies all complete ready to attach to the motor mounting plate and the lower table plate.

[John Jenner]

The following picture sequence shows the electrical control panel now mounted in the table frame together with the four emergency stop boxes. These are all 316 Stainless Steel IP 67 rated enclosures. The can infeed spiral assembly, the can transfer chain and can guide rails are now fitted, as is the indexing unit and the end transfer turret plate. The Mitsubishi servo motor and Wittenstein gearbox and drive chain are installed.

On this build we have commissioned a new design pneumatic control panel. Being a 110G model seamer, everything is specified to facilitate the retrofit of a second seaming station at a future date for increased production capacity; hence the extra ports and terminals in the 'air' box.

[John Jenner]

The electrical wiring has now all been completed on the seamer, with all the main cables run in liquid tight flexible conduit back to the control panel.

Each of the four e-stops has independent cables, as do the pair of safety interlock switches for the rear folding doors.

There are three sensors mounted on the end feed assembly. We use capacitive sensors to detect the presense of an end in the end feed turret pockets and as a low end stack height sensor. This type of sensor will detect non-conductive materials and therefore will see aluminium as well as tinplate ends.

The control logic checks if an end is present in the centering ring position prior to the end feed magazine to prevent an end being dropped into the same pocket, and also to confirm an end is in the centering ring after the end feed magazine. 

The can present sensor mounted adjacent to the lifter at the seaming head station detects the presence of a can which initiates the lifter and trigger cylinders to raise and seam the can, and then checks the presence of the can on the lifter as it comes back down, before initiating the servo motor to index the can feed chain and the end feed turret. These will keep indexing until another end and can are detected.

There is a fourth sensor mounted over the right hand idling sprocket on which the timing disc assembly is mounted which is used to control the stop and start position of the can feed chain.

The main cables are terminated in sealed junction boxes, with short protected connection cables exiting through sealed glands to the sensors and switches. This provides for the future simple replacement of components without having to run cables back through the conduit to the control panel.

The seaming station has a quick disconnect plug and socket for the drive motor power and the reed switch wires attached to the lifter cylinder.

[John Jenner]

The final part of the assembly process is fitting the safety guarding. This comprises four stainless steel panels around the bottom of the seamer, which are attached to the table frame with mounting studs and security socket screws, left and right upper safety frames with polycarbonate panels, and a rear folding door assembly. A pair of polycarbonate canopies also ship with the seamer that sit on mounting studs over the top of the end feed assembly and facilitate access to the stack rods for replenishing ends.

Also now fitted is the seaming head safety guard covering the drive pulleys and belts, the Deublin rotary union on top of the end feed turret shaft for plumbing the Nitrogen gas to the centering rings, and the extruded clip on wear strips on the can guide rails.

[John Jenner]

And this is what it was all about, a new coffee tin launch for Marks & Spencer in time for Christmas!