Nitto, an industrial group of Japanese origin, produces, among other things, industrial adhesive tapes and sealing foams for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, metals and other sectors. To guarantee product quality, safety and prevent technical downtime, the company's production line for double-sided industrial adhesive tapes in Genk dit not meet the strict requirements of the customers anymore and therefore wanted the F line in plant 3 to be retrofitted.The F-line is a 'coating line' where adhesive is applied to a carrier, requiring constant and precise web and wrap tension. With the existing installation of DC Motors, an S5 PLC and numerous analog controls, it became increasingly difficult to meet the increasingly strict requirements of the customers.  One of the biggest challenges was the conversion of DC motors.
Part of the F– line is also located in an ATEX or explosion-sensitive environment (Zone 1 + 2). This created additional complexity.

To determine the precise dimensions of the drives, the line speeds, and the required power development, the team of the Siemens partner AMR made measurements on site. With this information, the correct components were selected in Siemens' TIA Selection Tool. The fact that F-line in factory 3 is partially located in an explosion-sensitive (ATEX) environment added complexity.  

Large control range
The DC motors on the line gave way to the more maintenance-friendly AC versions. Because DC motors have a large control range, 87 Hz was chosen in the AC versions, instead of the standard 50 Hz. In this way the full range could be covered with the standard motors Simotics 1LE16 and 1MB15. Due to the smaller construction of the configured motors, the use of forced cooling in combination with an encoder was not possible.This is a problem, especially at low speeds, because the fan in the motor then provides insufficient cooling on its own.  

ATEX makes it extra complex
Together with Siemens, AMR and NITTO then went in search of a motor that could also guarantee sufficient internal cooling within this ATEX – Zone 1 and that met the performance requirements. That is how they automatically ended up with the Simotics 1MB15 from the ATEX motor range. This high-tech solution with integrated encoders makes these motors extremely high-performance.

By oversizing, we achieve sufficient internal cooling. Sinamics S120 frequency converters complete the solution.

Minimal downtime and quick commissioning
To guarantee minimal downtime and quick commissioning, AMR completely expanded a number of parts of the line and processed them in its own workshop. Footplates, shafts and flanges were custom-made. That proactive approach paid off: The team completed the job in two weeks instead of the intended three weeks.

Genk Belgium / Retrofit with double win at Nitto Belgium thanks to motion control