Linear axes Reliably and precisely mark

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Elried relies on components from Igus and ink technology from Edding. This creates powerful marking systems.

Industrial marking is gaining importance in modern production. Reasons for this include stricter regulations for product traceability and the desire for more transparency in the supply chain. "The market for industrial marking is growing rapidly. We expect the demand for our solutions to continue rising," predicts Bastian Hofberger, CEO of Elried Markierungssysteme GmbH. The company from Oberhaching near Munich specializes in marking solutions. For more than 60 years, it has been developing and producing systems for product and packaging marking, long relying on plastic components from Igus. "Marking is a comparatively small cog in production for many customers, but a very crucial one," explains Hofberger. "Let's assume a company fills apple juice and produces 120,000 bottles per hour, all of which must be printed with the filling date. If the marking is faulty, the damage runs into the millions. That's why the reliability of our systems is extremely important."

Edding contributes its expertise in ink

The printers are used in a wide range of industries, from the food and beverage industry to logistics and transport, and the automotive industry. The compact yet robust aluminum housing, designed and manufactured entirely "Made in Germany," along with intuitive programming and easy handling, set the series apart from its market competitors. For several years, there has been a partnership with Edding AG. "Edding brings in ink expertise, while we contribute our expertise in printing systems and software," Hofberger explains the cooperation. Together, the two companies develop and market innovative marking systems under the brand "Edding in-line."

Position print heads quickly and precisely

A core component of the systems is the linear axes, which ensure the precise positioning of the marking systems' print heads. For many years, the company has relied particularly on Drylin ZLW toothed belt axes and Drylin D1 motor controls. "The toothed belt axes from Igus are extremely precise and low-maintenance. This is crucial for us, as our systems must operate autonomously for years," says Bastian Hofberger. "And the combination with the powerful motor controls offers us further potential to provide customers with new solutions for their applications—such as in terms of dimensions, weight, speed, or FDA compliance."

The plastic components are FDA-compliant and suitable for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. These two sectors are important target groups for Elried. In its systems, the marking specialist mainly uses the ZLW-0630 and ZLW-1040. They are characterized by high precision and speed. They enable very fast, linear movement of the print heads and are maintenance-free, as they do not require external lubricants.

What about the lifespan of the components?

At the same time, the ZLW toothed belt axis is extremely durable, as proven by endurance tests in the Igus laboratory in Cologne, where it undergoes approximately 1.5 million double strokes at a speed of 1.64 ft/s and an acceleration of 6.56 ft/s² with a load of 6.61 lbs. "Based on these endurance tests, the lifespan is easily calculable for the designer using our online tool," states Erik Neb, technical sales advisor for Dry-Tech bearing technology at Igus.

Neb continues: "Another major advantage of the sliding guide is that it does not create migration through the rolling of the balls, as is the case with recirculating ball guides. This ensures smooth running behavior." In this context, migration refers to the undesirable shifts of the balls in a ball bearing that occur due to the rolling of the balls. The ZLW toothed belt axis is available with a maximum stroke length of up to 118.1 inches and can optionally be equipped with a suitable stepper motor.

The Nema stepper motor series is available in a variety of sizes with holding torques from 0.13 to 4.35 ft-lb and with a wide range of options for the respective application. Elried primarily uses the Nema24 with a holding torque of 2.58 ft-lb, depending on the application with brake and/or encoder. Erik Neb explains: "The Nema stepper motors are ready to connect and customizable. Furthermore, they are very quiet and sustainable, as they do not require lubricating oil—and they are extremely reliable."

To ensure the autonomous operation of the marking systems, the components' requirements in terms of low maintenance and durability in the marking systems are very high. But that's not all: they must also be extremely precise. "For printing, we need repeat accuracies in the 0.00394 inches range—and this over many years," describes Hofberger the requirements. "We achieve this with Igus components."

Control is configured via the browser

Another advantage is the coordination of the axis, motor, and control: the Drylin D1 motor controls are optimally tuned to the linear axes and enable easy and fast configuration. They are suitable for stepper, DC, and EC/BLDC motors. They require no additional software or app, as they are operated via the browser IP address. This allows usage via PC, tablet, or smartphone. The controls require no prior knowledge, and a teach function allows for position settings with just one click. "This facilitates parameterization and significantly reduces possible operating errors," reports Bastian Hofberger from his experience.

This is how Elried evaluates the supplier

The collaboration between Elried and Igus has existed for many years. "The machines we equipped with Igus components over seven years ago are still running flawlessly. This, of course, significantly enhances confidence in the quality of the products." The CEO particularly values the service and quick response times: "When I call, I reach a contact person directly without a long wait in the hotline, who is familiar with the product and can assist me immediately. This is a huge advantage, especially with technical products."

Food safety as a growth market

The close cooperation between the companies allows them to respond quickly to requirements and develop new, innovative solutions. For example, Hofberger predicts that the area of food safety will be an important growth market, as regulations preventing food from coming into contact with pollutants are becoming increasingly stringent across Europe.

Together with Edding, Elried has therefore been intensively working on the development of food-grade inks over the past two years. For applications in the food sector, Igus offers the Drylin ZLW toothed belt axis with FDA-compliant materials. The sliding bearings are made from the tribo-plastic Iglidur A160, which enables low-friction dry running—without external lubricants, which could pose a contamination risk and burden the environment.

Hofberger also sees innovations of this kind as key to Elried's continued success: "Many can print—but always thinking ahead, trying new things, and sometimes taking the risk of failure is something few can do. Yet, it is the only way to open up new markets. With Igus, we have a partner who not only meets our high standards of precision and reliability but also brings in ideas and solutions, providing us with the flexibility we need for our solutions. This, combined with excellent service, are important factors for being able to successfully operate in the market in the future."