Yaskawa Application Overview: Rotary Knife

Click here for the full “Application Overview: Rotary Knife” from Yaskawa.

The rotary knife is a common application in the packaging industry where many products are packaged using a seal-and-cut technique. Packaging is fed from a continuous roll and is formed into a tube around the product and the package is then sealed and cut by a rotating knife. Rotary knives are also used in other applications where the process involves matching speed with a conveyor mechanism at consistent product spacing, such as stamping a package.

A sensor reads small marks on the package (called “registration marks”) that determine where the knife is to make its cut. It is almost always important in a rotary cam application that the knife-speed matches the line-speed during the cut. This is defined as the cut region and is consistent on each cycle. The built-in linear cam shifting and linear interpolation of the controller handle all required adjustments. By utilizing the camming function of the Yaskawa controllers, accurate and smooth mechanics can be achieved. Zero drift occurs over time because registration is used on each product, guaranteeing consistent cut lengths each cycle.

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