Software-Defined Motion Control Replaces Mechanical Linkages

Application Area: Software-Defined Motion Control and Industrial Automation
Industry Sector: Metal Packaging and Container Manufacturing

Historically focused on tooling, technical support, and services for cold forming and deformation processes, Italian manufacturer SPL Soluzioni s.r.l. expanded into designing and building machinery for producing and finishing aluminum containers across the beverage, cosmetics, beauty, and healthcare sectors. Conventional finishing machinery uses a single master motor mechanically connected via physical cams and rigid linkages to determine tool paths, requiring complex physical modifications to alter motion profiles. SPL chose to replace rigid mechanical synchronization with software-coordinated mechatronic drive technology.

Mechatronic Architecture and Dynamic Motion Dynamics
In packaging lines, mechanical complexity increases wear and downtime. SPL configured its machines so that each axis is driven by an independent servo motor, replacing physical cams with electronic master-slave correlations governed by a central motion controller. This direct-drive architecture eliminates mechanical couplings and allows operators to adjust motion profiles through software reconfiguration.

Intermittent operational cycles present severe mechanical challenges. Operating at production rates of 220 cans per minute, the indexing kinematics generate high acceleration forces and elevated jerk. Machines deliver a linear thrust force of 15 metric tons while maintaining mechanical tolerances between 0.2 and 0.3 millimeters. Machine controllers must synchronize large moving masses to prevent tool collisions during both high-speed indexing and emergency safety stops.




Modular Software Engineering and Drive Sizing
Transitioning from tooling supplier to machine builder required mechatronic engineering support. SPL partnered with Alpha Progetti for outsourced mechanical drafting, and collaborated with KEBA for motion control architecture, kinematics calculations, and motor sizing.

KEBA’s engineering team developed a modular software layer that operationalized electronic gearing across all machine axes, enabling SPL to transition from conventional mechanically linked kinematic chains to a fully software-defined automation architecture. KEBA modeled dynamic movement profiles to calculate dynamic loads and size the servo drives. For primary axis movement, two large torque motors were paired with high-performance servo drives, providing dynamic multi-axis synchronization and direct-drive actuation without intermediate reduction gears.

“In the end, with KEBA we found valuable skills that supported us in making the ambitious decision to design machines adopting direct drive technology. In addition, the KEBA servo drives proved to be excellent in perfectly controlling the two large torque motors that drive the two main movements of the machine. This radical choice allowed us to be recognized as an innovative outsider in an established market that relied on conventional technologies,” stated Carlo Pisoni, Owner of SPL Soluzioni.

By replacing mechanical cam mechanisms with mechatronic motion control, SPL reduced mechanical wear points and streamlined machine assembly. The electronic synchronization allows high-volume beverage can makers to run continuous 24/7 cycles with tight tolerances, while smaller cosmetics packaging producers gain rapid changeover flexibility between short production runs.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.