Siemens & Jacobs Automation Team Up To Offer SIMOTION-PackTrak System

By working together on this linear motion technology, Siemens and Jacobs Automation aim to dramatically increase machine productivity and flexibility for the global packaging and converting industries.

PackTrak is a flexible linear drive system with straight and curved modules that allow customers to form unique motion paths.  Based on an advanced linear motor design, PackTrak’s revolutionary technology reduces changeover times from hours to minutes to help customers potentially save millions of dollars per year.

By replacing belts and chains with a linear drive system, the spacing of moving carriages mounted on tracks can be independently controlled.  Additionally, variable pitch capability can be applied to a wide variety of re-circulating processes to facilitate faster changeovers and higher speeds.

PackTrak is one of the newer “green” technologies that reduce the waste of packaging materials, such as paperboard or plastic that can occur during lengthy changeovers. It also improves the energy efficiency of production machines by eliminating chains, belts and gears that waste energy and consume petroleum-based lubricants.

Siemens’ Simotion is a programmable machine controller that enables machine builders to control motion, drives and process elements (i.e. temp control, logic and safety) within a single platform. The use of Simotion as the motion controller for the PackTrak system facilitates the integration of PackTrak technology into packaging and converting machines.

“We looked at all the major automation companies.” says Jacobs Automation President, Keith Jacobs, “Siemens was the only company with a widely-used controller and hard real-time Ethernet capability that are in production today.  For PackTrak to deliver high performance and easy programming, Siemens Simotion was the obvious choice.”

For more information on the Simotion, please log on to: 

www.siemens.com/simotion

About Jacobs Automation 

Jacobs Automation is an automation technology leader, focused on providing increased flexibility, speed and energy-efficiency for manufacturers worldwide.  From its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company is rapidly expanding into the automation market with its leading edge technologies.  For more information, visit :

www.jacobsautomation.com.

About Siemens 

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. is one of Siemens’ operating companies in the U.S. Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Ga., Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. manufactures and markets one of the world’s broadest ranges of electrical and electronic products, systems and services to industrial and construction market customers. Its technologies range from circuit protection and energy management systems to process control, industrial software and totally integrated automation solutions. The company also has expertise in systems integration, technical services and turnkey industrial systems. For more information:

www.sea.siemens.com.

Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors.  For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions.  With nearly 400,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide sales of $96.6 billion in fiscal 2007.  With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA reported sales of $19.8 billion and employs approximately 70,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  For more information on Siemens in the United States, visit: