Schneider Electric to launch new flexible conveyor system Lexium MC12 soon

At the upcoming 2022 Schneider Electric Innovation Summit Green Smart Manufacturing Summit on July 14. Schneider Electric, the global digital transformation expert in energy management and automation, will officially launch the Lexium MC12 flexible conveyor system for the Chinese market, which will help optimize product delivery, grouping, and positioning in industrial production processes. The new flexible conveyor system will be combined with the recently launched EcoStruxureTM digital twin software for machine experts in China, to meet the growing demand of equipment manufacturers for increased flexibility and shorter time-to-market in product delivery systems.

In an ever-changing market environment, flexible machines and equipment can help OEMs quickly adapt to changes in the environment and the growing demands of consumers. With the Lexium MC12 Flexible Conveyor System and next-generation digital twin design technology, OEMs can design machines and equipment that dramatically increase the flexibility of their factories and help minimize the impact of rising product lifecycle costs.

“Industry is continuously focusing on speed, reliability, efficiency, flexibility and total product lifecycle costs in design and manufacturing,” said Yang Hang, Business Marketing Director, Industrial Automation China, Schneider Electric. ”As Schneider Electric's interoperable and open IoT-based architecture and platform, EcoStrong, we are committed to delivering the best in class design and manufacturing. As part of Schneider Electric's interoperable and IoT-based open architecture and platform, EcoStruxure Machine Architecture, the next-generation flexible conveyor system, Lexium MC12. applies advanced linear drive and digital twin technologies to bring about faster, more flexible, and compact equipment manufacturing, simplify installation and commissioning processes, and help customers adjust their manufacturing and production processes.”

The Lexium MC12 Flexible Conveyor System delivers a number of benefits to OEMs, OEMs and end users by improving performance and flexibility, enabling efficient maintenance, and ultimately optimizing total equipment efficiency:

- Up to 50% increase in machine performance and flexibility

- Up to 30% reduction in machine design and time-to-market

- Up to 50% faster machine installation and commissioning

- Up to 40% investment cost savings

- Up to 20% savings in floor space

More reliable and easier machine installation

Installation of the Lexium MC12 can be done directly on site, without the need for additional tools. During the design of the conveyor track, the motor segments can be assembled without supports or brackets. In addition, the power supply and the fieldbus form a loop through the interconnecting elements, eliminating the need for additional wiring. In the internal circuits, there are no covers or structural elements, which makes it easier to install electromechanical components such as robots or handling stations.

Schneider Electric's EcoStruxureTM machine architecture, the new generation of the Lexium MC12 flexible conveyor system, will help us to consolidate our business,” said Federico Scornaienchi, export business manager at Italy-based Livetech. Thanks to this, our machines have a smaller footprint and are modularly integrated with fast operation, resulting in cost savings of 30-40% and 50% shorter changeover times. The high-performance digital solution helps us to carry out maintenance work more easily and better serve many leading multinationals in the food industry.”

Advanced machine design and maintenance

To optimize maintenance operations and reduce unplanned downtime, the Lexium MC12's Linear Motion technology provides a higher level of diagnostics. With centralized diagnostics, users can easily analyze each machine's components and detect deviations to effectively prevent problems from occurring. Machine manufacturers and operators can remotely track, monitor and repair machines, and provide timely after-sales service through the Lexium MC12 and the digital cloud service platform EcoStruxure Machine Advisor.

Differentiation is particularly important for equipment manufacturers, and those who offer more efficient, flexible and sustainable machines and equipment will be market winners. The combination of two breakthrough technologies, the Flexible Conveyor System and the Digital Twin, is changing the way equipment manufacturers design their machines and the way end users operate them. the Lexium MC12 is helping to make industrial machines more sustainable, flexible, and reliable, as well as simplifying machine maintenance:

● Automatic switching of production specifications: The Lexium MC12 flexible conveyor system automatically switches to accommodate different product specifications, reducing time costs. Users can switch specifications at the click of a button without stopping the machine, and the system can be programmed to automatically switch between different job specifications; ● Support for each carrier on the track.

● Support for independent operation of each carrier on the track at different speeds: In discrete processes, carriers can be positioned or grouped at the right time and in the right place, resulting in greater flexibility; and

● Seamless Adjustment: The motor segments of the conveyor system are modular in design and easy to assemble and disassemble, increasing the speed and flexibility of deployment and helping users achieve seamless adjustment. Encoders are placed around the entire circumference of the track to monitor the movement of each product and ensure that the workflow is carried out as designed. Based on the timely assessment of deviations (e.g., when a machine needs to apply extra force while working), regular maintenance can be added to minimize downtime; ● Flexible Adjustment: With Schneider's encoders, users can make adjustments seamlessly.

● Flexible adjustment: In conjunction with Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure digital twin for machine experts, customers are able to test new products or lines without interrupting the current workflow and adjust the design at any time during operation to better meet production requirements. Overall equipment efficiency (OEE) can be increased by up to 50 percent due to a reduction in unplanned downtime.