Page 26 - Industrial Technology July 2021

MACHINE BUILDING

NEAT, PACKED

AND SUSTAINABLE

DRIVES, MOTORS & CONTROLS

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS HELP TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE WRAPPING MACHINE

itsubishi Electric has supported Mailroom
Machines in the redesign of a Norpak mail
wrapping machine to improve the
Menvironmental footprint of its activities. The
new, highly versatile setup leverages the innovative FR-
A800-R2R inverter with dedicated winding functions, to
accommodate the use of sustainable packaging materials
while eliminating waste. To optimise operations, the
Norpak machine also features other system-matched
components from Mitsubishi Electric, such as a GOT2000
series HMI and MELSEC-iQ-F PLC.
Mail wrapping machines are time- and cost-effective
automated solutions that package a wide range of
mailings, such as catalogues, magazines and brochures,
for subsequent despatch. They consist of two main parts:
a feed station, where rolls of packaging material are
unwound, and a wrapping section, where the mailing
pieces are enclosed in a protective layer.
This activity is traditionally known as ‘polywrapping’,
as plastic materials, such as low-density polyethylene, are
commonly used for the packing of mail pieces. In the case
of Mailroom Machines, a leading provider of wrapping
solutions for the mailing industry, the company sought to
increase the sustainability of its solutions. To achieve this,
the machine builder planned to adapt the design of one of
Norpak’s existing solutions to utilise paper as a more
sustainable alternative to plastic wrappers.

In order to modify the unit, the company contacted
Mitsubishi Electric to provide key automation components
and engineering support throughout the project. Paul
Jones, Managing Director at Mailroom Machines,
comments: “We looked at various automation specialists
and quickly decided to work with Mitsubishi Electric
because of its remarkable products and services. In
particular, we were impressed by the competitive, reliable
hardware solutions as well as the comprehensive,
localised support the company offers. This helped our in-
house engineering team effectively complete the project
and was extremely important for us.”

The right level of tension
For the wrapping machine to support paper, the feed
station required modification to accommodate rolls with a
thickness three times higher than the thin plastic film
rolls. In addition, the tension used by the system had to

26 INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • July 2021