Practical example: MOVITRANS at Starline in Valkenswaard

Best practice in contactless energy transmission transport

Starline uses the advantages of induction for the transportation of its swimming pools by applying MOVITRANS® from SEW-EURODRIVE.

You can see it for yourself in the new production hall at Starline: moulds, large and small, that on a conveyor system are transported to the polyester spraying robot to be sprayed in swimming pool colours. The system uses contactless energy transfer, making a chain driving path that would normally be integrated in the floor unnecessary. As a result there is no risk of chain fracture anymore, less maintenance, no downtimes and a better return.

Starline uses transport by contactless energy transmission with MOVITRANS^®

Starline (www.starline.nl) is a manufacturer of luxury swimming pools and distributor of whirlpools, saunas and related products for the private market. The company is market leader in the Benelux for one-piece swimming pools. Beside pools Starline also supplies all peripherals, such as filter units, equipment for water treatment and canopies.

Dilemma

Hardy van Mierlo, project leader and Walter Verburg, R&D manager at Starline, were in a dilemma concerning the construction of the hall. Should they opt for movement by means of the traditional chain or break new ground in order to avoid the disadvantages of a chain conveyor?

They knew induction, through which electricity is transmitted to an automated guided vehicle without immediate touch, but they did not know of an example that worked well in practice. However, their supplier ATS Transporttechnieken did, elaborated a concept in consultation with SEW-Eurodrive and convinced Starline of the benefits of applying SEW’s MOVITRANS® system.

Advantages of contactless energy transmission

With Movitrans® electrical energy is transferred contactless from a fixed conductor to one or more mobile users. The electromagnetic coupling is realized via an air gap and is maintenance- and wear-free. This method of energy transmission does not cause any pollution, is immune to moisture and temperature, does not produce no annoying noises and allows high speeds. The floor stays flat and clean, which ensures a safe situation, also because live parts are completely tucked away in the floor area.

Praktijk bij Starline

Grooves were milled in the concrete floor to house a shielded medium frequency cable. Because of the presence of steel fibers in the floor, the groove was filled up and cast with epoxy. ATS designed and delivered six trolleys on which the mobile inverters and pick-up transducers are mounted.
The inverters provide a voltage of 500V and 24V dc. The 500V dc is connected directly to the MOVIMOT® frequency inverter that is mounted on the axial SEW geared motors. The 24V dc is used for the PLC wireless connection and safety.

With contactless energy transmission the movement path can be freely constructed with curves and switches. Starline chose an oval carousel route of 100 m with a guide rail that runs along the processing robot. In the past manufacturing took place statically in a hall of 4,000 m2, which had to be climatized. Now the 8-ton moulds travel on transport trolleys through a much smaller space (18 x 9 m) three times a day, which saves a lot of climatizing costs. Furthermore the employees work in a cleaner and healthier working environment.