Now, they were ready to update the largest and most complex machine. In the five years leading up to this redesign, the engineering team had transitioned all other machines in the MTM portfolio to PC-based control from Beckhoff Automation. This meant fewer parts per minute,” Eduard Streichert, Electrical Lead at MTM, explains. The system had limited capability to perform conditions or commands in parallel. The previous control platform we used fell short of our runtime requirements. “One of the biggest keys was implementing a true multitasking controller. In the redesign of the machine, MTM engineers focused on optimizing throughput, while increasing cut accuracy and reducing component and labor costs. Most other machines stack segment piles in a linear fashion, while we use a space-saving grid format,” he says. “Our integrated method for loading and unloading reduces the size of the machine.

The system is designed to cut and assemble up to four transformer cores at once in e-stacking modes and sort the cut laminations into 30 segment piles when not in e-stacking modes.Īt 13 meters (43 feet) long by 8 meters (26 feet) wide, the X-Shear’s footprint already measured up to three times smaller than many competitors, according to Gord Atamanchuk, General Manager of MTM. After that, two articulated KUKA robots in conjunction with two pick and place arms assemble the core pieces. In the cutting cell, the machine uses an X-shaped blade configuration to cut any required geometry from coiled lamination of varying widths. The XS600-P20E X-Shear machine cuts, stacks and assembles transformer laminations using PC-based automation and robotics.

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