From track systems for robot automation, to heavy duty systems and precision-engineered small components, HepcoMotion delivers reliable performance for both simple and complex applications.

Products include Hepco’s GFX Guidance System for Beckhoff XTS (eXtended Transport System). This smart conveyance system offers incredible flexibility in terms of motion profile and application design. The new GFX-r provides movement in rectangular paths. Based on the existing GFX design and incorporating the inherent flexibility and precision of GFX/XTS technology, curved segments have been removed, enabling the transportation of payloads up to 40kg.

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In the past decade, HepcoMotion and Beckhoff have forged a strong relationship, yielding the market-leading linear SCT (Smart Conveyor Technology) product in the form of GFX/XTS. In that time, there has been a major uptake of SCT.

As early adopters have seen significant benefits in performance, service life, capabilities, and flexibility, GFX/XTS has become their go-to product for Smart Conveyor Technology for many industries including pharmaceutical, food handling and processing, mid-line and end-of-line packaging, EV battery assembly and handling, inspection, and product sorting operations. With thousands of metres of GFX/XTS out in the market, working year-in, year-out, industry confidence in the product is very high.

Incredibly flexible, the Beckhoff XTS drive uses unique linear motor technology to independently drive and control movers around a track, enabling the seamless combination of work processes of varying durations, on the fly product changes, and the addition or removal of workstations as needed. Hepco’s GFX serves as the transport path, mechanically guiding the movers along the motor modules. It absorbs the substantial forces acting on the movers, ensuring precise alignment and resistance to deflection with great precision.

GFX-r is the integration of Beckhoff and Hepco’s TMS (Track Management System) and the increased drive capacity of XTS 7 and 10 pole magnet arrays. By removing the curved sections, a larger mover, powered by Beckhoff’s longer magnet arrays can be used. TMS completes the rectangular path, transitioning movers between tracks.

Increased payload capacity

With an impressive load-bearing capability, GFX-r is ready to make a significant impact across many industries including automotive and EV, aerospace and logistics. GFX-r is ideally suited for machine cells incorporating robots, power tools and sensors, as well as for automated assembly and inspection systems. The possibilities are endless; indeed, any application with loads up to 40kg, significant moment loads, and heightened in-process stresses, stands to gain immensely.

The absence of curved motor sections allows movers to be stronger, more powerful and with a larger mounting platform, while maintaining accuracy, durability, and agility. Mover speeds of 4m/s, payloads up to 40kg and press loads up to 1500N are possible. Additionally, movers with longer magnet arrays also reduce heating losses by up to 60%. GFX-r is available in both 4- and 6-bearing versions for increased strength and stability.

GFX-r utilises the existing parts and expertise that have made GFX/XTS, the industry-leading solution including GFX-PRT2 straight slide hardware, base plates, and motor brackets, as well as Beckhoff’s XTS motors and TwinCAT system. GFX-r offers repeatability of 10µm, even when carrying a 30kg payload at a speed of 3m/s.

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The product configurator quickly calculates bearing, beam and end stop requirements to specify the optimum gantry solution to meet the customers’ needs. With over 50 years of experience, Hepco’s technical department can provide the optimum gantry configuration, saving customers significant design time.

Customers will receive a full technical report including detailed load calculations, assembly, commissioning and maintenance requirements. All required documentation can be provided to demonstrate compliance with essential health and safety requirements and to support CE marking.

Hepco’s heavy duty gantry systems (HGS) incorporate the HDS2 heavy duty linear motion elements, which have been used throughout the industry for many years for applications such as palletising, sorting, and pick and place.

In addition to the new specification tool, HGS has several product updates designed to simplify and speed up design time and installation. The introduction of X-Y axes adjustment plates simplifies lifting and handling and reduces assembly time. New X-axis catches mitigate problems caused by abnormal loads, and slide-mounted end stops simplify beam machining. The specification tool will automatically size the gantry mounting legs, which have options for beam adjustment/alignment and foot position adjustment for ease of installation.

The scope of HepcoMotion’s supply has been extended to provide complete stand-alone gantries in most configurations. Motors, controllers, pre-programming and turnkey solutions are all available according to customers’ requirements. The introduction of standard sizes and axes lengths reduces design time and allows quicker turnaround of projects.

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Highly accurate, GV3 is particularly suitable for high precision applications, or any application where accuracy is paramount. One of the quietest linear systems on the market, GV3 offers high speeds of up to eight meters per second.

Hepco will also be showcasing the highly-regarded GFX Hepco Guidance System for Beckhoff XTS (eXtended Transport System). This solution utilises Hepco’s PRT2 and 1-Trak guidance systems to work with Beckhoff’s XTS circuit linear system to meet the needs of higher duty XTS applications where motion profiles and long-term durability requirements are particularly demanding.

The combination of technologies from Beckhoff and Hepco provides users with a robust, high production and flexible solution that will revolutionise production processes in many manufacturing applications. This system is ideally suited to a range of applications, such as a variable speed lane divider to sort randomly positioned items into separate lanes, or a double-sided system for a compact application that requires multiple motion profiles.

Further products on the stand include the DTS belt driven track system – an ideal choice for a food or packaging application that requires high positional accuracy and a demanding duty cycle. DTS is a complete unit ready to be incorporated into a continuous positioning or dedicated assembly machine. The provision of all transmission and mounting components as a complete integrated package means huge savings are made in both design and build time.

Demonstrating the depth of its product ranges ideally suited to designers of processing and packaging machinery, Hepco looks forward to welcoming visitors to its stand (F60, hall 5).

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Asparagus has been steadily growing in popularity among British consumers, yet for the farmers it means spring time stress. This is because they have to harvest enormous quantities in such a short time – in 2015 according to the Federal Bureau for Statistics it was 112,100 tons. Work in the fields is arduous and workers have to cut through each individual stalk. It is therefore no wonder that farmers find it more and more difficult to get workers, and because of the cost of wages, are only able to offer asparagus at high prices.

Automation is greatly desired, which incidentally has long been taking place in the cultivation of asparagus. It is true that there are numerous approaches, however up to now no machine has been able to outdo humans when it comes to harvesting. Aware of this need, the green asparagus harvesting robotic system project (Garotics) is developing a harvesting robot for green asparagus. The Bremen Centre for Mechatronics (BCM), the packaging machine manufacturer Strauss from Buxtehude, and the British agricultural company C. Wright & Son are also working on this project.

The basis of the harvester robot is a chassis with four wheels and a front-wheel drive. In the centre between the front wheels there is a camera system installed, which films the green asparagus stems as it goes past. Unlike white asparagus, green asparagus grows above the ground. Photographic processing software then identifies stalks that are ripe for harvesting. “It wouldn’t make sense to build a type of lawnmower which mows everything down because the stalks grow at different speeds” explains Sebastian Allers, Design Engineer at Strauss. “One of the challenges was therefore to implement image processing which can differentiate the different stages of growth.“

Software then guides the coordinates of the ripe samples further to the tool head, which is mounted under a hardened and precision-cut linear guide rail made of stainless steel from HepcoMotion. The tool head can travel across the full vehicle width from side to side on a timing-belt-driven carriage.

The driving force comes from an AC geared motor with a worm gear, located on the side of the linear guide rail. “The motors of the DLS system can have a power of up to 1.1 kW, this gears a reduction of 5:1 up to 75:1, explains Mark Völkers, Area Manager Field Sales North Germany at HepcoMotion. “This allows driving forces up to 750 Newtons and speeds of up to 1.4 metres per second, with special motors it is possible to achieve 5 metres per second”. The harvesting robot works with two tool heads simultaneously, which can move on two rails positioned one behind the other independently of each other – enabling a high throughput.

As soon as the tool head is positioned, it swivels a gripper arm from the back downwards. For this movement the engineers have used another HepcoMotion system: PRT2. The solution involves a spectrum of stainless steel rings and ring segments. They can be linked by straight guide rails to a diversity of open and closed stretches of rail. With the asparagus robot there are 90-degree bends on both sides of the tool head fitted with attached straight pieces. The gripper arm is screwed onto a carriage with V-guide bearings, which are arranged concentrically and eccentrically. These rollers engage from above and below with the induction-hardened V track of the ring segment.

The movement is affected by means of a timing belt which pulls the carriage and gripper arm across the 25-millimetre-wide rail thus producing a pivotal movement. The motor is mounted on the outer side of the tool head. “The special feature is that thanks to the rail system a linear movement and rotation of the gripper are achieved with only a space-saving drive,” says Lasse Langstädtler, research assistant of the Bremen Institute for Structural Engineering and Production Equipment (bime), in the faculty of Production Engineering at the University of Bremen. “The roller guide also allows the gripper arm to lower relatively quickly, and thanks to the combination of a linear movement and rotation when lowering, it is possible to fit in a small distance between the stalks of two asparagus.”

A slower movement would have to start earlier which could cause the gripper arm to damage any immature asparagus stems which are not yet ready for harvest. As soon as the gripper arm is lowered, a pneumatic cylinder is triggered to drive a shearing off action and simultaneous gripping of the asparagus while the robot continually moves forwards at 0.5 metres a second. The whole tool head then travels to the side and deposits the asparagus on a conveyor belt.

Asparagus is grown in many different countries, which means the environmental conditions are quite diverse (it can be hot or cold, dusty and wet). This was another reason why the engineers decided on HepcoMotion as the system can withstand the rough environmental conditions. “The V-guide principle is virtually self-cleaning,” says Völkers. “During the carriage’s journey, the bearings push the dirt off the rail.”

In addition, unlike bearing circulation systems, there is no need for greasing as all the components are corrosion-resistant. The asparagus therefore never comes into contact with rust. “This is one of the basic requirements that needs to be fulfilled in the food industry,” he concludes.

The engineers together with their project partner from England, C. Wright & Son have tested the asparagus harvest machine in real conditions. “Among other things with this field test we wanted to find out how long the batteries can supply the machine with energy,” says Strauss. One of the challenges is also the speed of the harvesting tools. “Up to now they have been no faster than human harvesters, but if they had a sufficient supply of energy, they could work in the fields for 24 hours without any problems. This could make harvesting in the future more economic and make asparagus cheaper.”

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Sporting a brighter, lighter, cleaner and quieter environment, the new area is perfectly suited to assemble complex systems. As a world-leading manufacturer of linear motion systems and automation components, this was of paramount importance for Hepco. The improved facility is also well served to accommodate future demands in line with Hepco’s continued growth.

The impressively sized 60 square metre assembly area can now accommodate systems up to 30 metres in length – a marked increase from the previous 14 metre capacity.  The bigger space has already been fully utilised by HepcoAutomation, a division of HepcoMotion that offers advanced automation solutions, who recently tested a 20m DLS5 Belt Driven Actuator for a nuclear customer in the new facility.

Designed for quick and high quality production, the new assembly area is located directly next to stores. This location promotes greater efficiency due to a reduction in transportation of components, packaging and shipping.  As there is now less movement of product, there is also a reduction in manual handling of cumbersome systems and consequently a reduced level of risk in terms of accidents. The new location also fosters improved communications across the manufacturing team, resulting in greater efficiency. Fully equipped, the new area has a double crane gantry system to manoeuvre heavy, long and large products.

The facility is flexible in layout so that Hepco can build several projects simultaneously. Hepco can now assemble products, undertake final testing and ship a finished product all within the same area, resulting in greater efficiency. Furthermore, with its quiet and clean environment, the new high quality assembly area provides the perfect platform for Hepco to showcase its world-leading products to customers.

The space for the new assembly hall has become available following the movement of Hepco’s raw materials to a new, purpose built £650K building last year. The new assembly hall has generated a further 200 square metres of available space for future capital investment and growth opportunities.

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Early in the development phase of the MRT robot cell, Weber was looking for a very flexible drive system. One of his business partners made him aware of HepcoMotion, a supplier of linear motion systems. Weber analysed the products – which can not only be used separately as individual units but also combined with different technologies to build linear, rotary and continuous systems – and was impressed by the cleverness of the systems, which can be customised individually for most diverse requirements.

The combination of Robotronic’s modular design and HepcoMotion’s DTS2 linear system offers an individual solution, ready for serial production, and proof of concept is already taking place at a well known international customer in the pharmaceutical industry. Small glass vials in packs of five are moved onto a transport system by the new robot cell, where they are packed into blisters every second and afterwards put into a cartoning machine.

This is carried out by two parallel working robots, each of which equipped with a double gripper to pick up two times five vials and put them into blisters. The trays containing the ten vials are transported by an accurate screw drive; the carriages are directed and driven by a belt between V-slides. A Mitsubishi servo motor controls the position of the blisters.

Fast and precise handling of delicate products

Weber explains that he was looking for a system that works very precisely. The vials are made of fragile glass and can break easily, but at the same time the handling was supposed to be working both rapidly and precisely together with the robots and the feeding system. This is necessary to guarantee high efficiency and avoid problems such as machine breakdowns.

According to Weber, HepcoMotion’s system meets these challenges. Its design works with high speed and still is mechanically robust and very accurate.

Stefan Kaufmann, HepcoMotion’s salesman for Switzerland, explains that the DTS2 system which was used here uses a screw drive that positions the carriage exactly where it is needed. In this special application, six carriages are placed with a positional accuracy of ±0.2mm. An extra long drive screw was built for this custom-made design so six carriages can be driven by one screw. The carriages themselves (21 all in all) are fixed onto slides. On the outside these carriages are connected with a belt, just like a railway.

In Weber’s opinion, another reason why the modular design and the DTS2 system match so perfectly is the possibility to combine it with Mitsubishi motors. Standard motors are often used together with ready designed systems – with HepcoMotion’s solution, they can work with their own individual motors.

When using Mitsubishi motors, up to eight extra servo axes can be driven directly by the robot system. The additional axis is designed for the robot and operated by the robot controller. This is an interpolating task which must be carried out with high positional accuracy, another important aspect.

This system offers a very flexible but at the same time robust and easy to handle technology which mechanical construction guarantees high positional accuracy during a long system life.

Weber plans to use HepcoMotion products as a standard component for the modular robot cells, enabling higher dynamics with the ability to drive the screw at higher speed without risk for the belt to skip.

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