Crailsheim, Germany For over two years now, Schubert has been working on the development of a new TLM component under the name "transmodule". "Trans" comes from transport and module indicates that it is to become or has become part of a whole, as the transmodule began moving for the first time a few weeks ago. The transmodule will be used beginning in 2010 as a connecting element between the TLM sub-machines, and therefore replaces the TLM vacuum conveyor, which in its turn replaced the chain conveyors six years ago.

There will be a rail system in every sub-machine. A continuous section of rail then results when assembling the sub-machines. The transmodules have a vacuum pump, a drive motor and their own control electronics or electrical system. Power and data transfer will be contactless. The modules are part of the Schubert VMS controller.

In the TLM packaging machines of the future, a transmodule holds the erected boxes in place at the bottom with suction cups. This process has proven itself well on the vacuum conveyors. The boxes are carried through the entire machine or all sub-machines by the transmodule. At the end the module swivels downward and moves along the rail section back into the starting position while hanging. If a module should fail, the machine stops briefly, the next module pushes the defective module out of the system and the process continues.

It is enormously important with all these high-tech components and especially with the TLM system components to ensure that the devices bring along enough of their own intelligence and programming then only consists of entering parameters. This requirement is also taken into account at Schubert.

Two transmodules will probably already carry out the tool transport from and to the individual sub-machines for the size change in 2011. From this standpoint, the development work for the automatic tool change was the reason for the development of the transmodule.

However, the transmodule will set new standards in packaging machine construction and, in the opinion of Schubert, be the topic talk of the day at the latest at the Interpack in 2011. In the end, it will contribute to further rationalizing packaging machine construction and will open up even more efficiency and even greater flexibility for packaging machines.

As always when new roads are travelled, unforeseeable possibilities come to light. And that's why it is also never possible to say when new developments will be completed. According to CEO Gerhard Schubert, that's what makes it so exciting to forge ahead as a technology pioneer. As a result, the further development of the transmodule is sure to be an exciting one.

In addition, the requirement for an ever lower energy requirement has also been taken into account here. The transmodule only really requires energy when accelerating from a standstill up to its travel speed, which can be up to 5 m/sec. When the transmodule decelerates again and is positioned exactly under the filling area, e.g. of a filling robot, the drive motor switches over to generator mode, thus supplies electricity stored in capacitors, which is used when starting up again. By the way, this is a technology used in all servo drives of the TLM packaging machines.

The first TLM machine to be equipped with the transmodule is a packaging machine built especially for trade fairs, which was shown for the first time at the Fachpack in Nuremberg, Germany. There was also a TLM machine with transmodule technology at the LOGIPACK booth at the drinktec in Munich. This year two further machines will also be heading to customers in the dairy and confectionery industries.