Contact person: Business Client

Phone:Show

Email:Show

Location: Bologna, Italy

Budget: Recommended by industry experts

Time to start: As soon as possible

Project description:
"The KnifeBox is an automated dual-blade system that adjusts with high precision the opening between two knives, controlled by Omron NX102-1100 PLC via EtherCAT and EtherNet/IP.
Each knife is driven by an Omron 1S servo motor (R88M-1M40030T, 400 W) with R88D-1SN04H-ECT drive and a 10:1 Apex AB060 gearbox. The system includes an HMI (Omron NB/NA) connected over EtherNet/IP for operation, monitoring, and diagnostics.

The goal is to achieve and maintain two nominal openings — 400 µm and 700 µm — or a custom value defined by the operator or external PLC. The PLC must continuously calculate the current opening (difference between right and left knife positions), display it on the HMI, and send it in real time via EtherNet/IP to the main line PLC.

Safety is critical: any knife motion requires a two-hand enable (physical button + HMI hold button). If either is released or any safety input is lost (E-STOP, STO, door interlock), motion stops immediately in a controlled way. The system must also handle states for Ready, Running, Maintenance, Fault, and Emergency, including reset logic and safe recovery.

The PLC software must:

Control both servo axes using Omron motion blocks (MC_Power, MC_MoveAbsolute, MC_Home, MC_Stop).

Manage safety and interlocks.

Handle data exchange (openings, states, commands) with the external PLC.

Store knife positions and opening in non-volatile memory and restore them on startup.

Provide clear information to the operator through HMI pages (status, openings, alarms, manual jog, parameter setup).

In short, the KnifeBox must be a stand-alone precision module capable of adjusting the blade gap to 400 µm or 700 µm, ensuring full operator safety and synchronized communication with the production line.

We are looking for an engineer experienced with Omron Sysmac Studio, EtherCAT motion, EtherNet/IP communication, and HMI design, able to develop the full PLC/HMI software and ensure reliable, safe, and precise operation of the system." (client-provided description)