Futamura’s turn: New drives secures UK production - Case Study
Established in Japan in 1950, Futamura is now a global leader in renewable packaging films. At its production site in Cumbria, UK, the company is pursuing renewal of a different sort - by replacing 10 outdated churn drives with Hagglunds hydraulic direct drive systems from Bosch Rexroth.
SUSTAINABILITYIN PRODUCT AND PRODUCTION
Though built on a long tradition. Futamura as a company Is clearly looking ahead. At its site in the UK. the company manufactures sustainable packaging films under the Cellophane1* and NatureFlex"" brands. The NatureFlex"" range is a next-generation film, not only produced from managed wood sources but also certified for home and industrial composting.
"Futamura is aiming to produce only compostabie Turns by 2025." says Christopher Green. Mechanical Design & Development Engineer. "We get a lot of inquiries, especially for the compostabie range. That increases demand for us to deliver orders on time and to potentially increase production."
Future-proofing production is one of the main reasons Futamura is updating to Haggiunds hydraulic direct drive systems. The churns at the UK site are used lo convert wood pulp into viscose, and seven out of ten have had their drive systems replaced since 2017.
A LEGACY BEST LEFT BEHIND
The churns, as well as their original drive systems, are nearly 70 years old. Moreover, they are located in an ATEXIIC T6 area.
"On the original drives, you had a legacy FLP (flameproof) motor driving a self-change two-speed gearbox, which provided a slow-speed mode of 12 rpm and a fast-speed mode of 60 rpm." says Shaun Asbndge. Electrical Design & Development Engineer. `But ATEX wasn`t even applicable when the gearboxes were installed, and so there were a handful of reasons why that legacy should bo modernized." `It was difficult to obtain spare parts and sustainabillty was becoming a problem, so we had to find a solution to the risk." adds Green.
TAKING A NEW PATH WITH HYDRAULICS
While the need for change was clear, however, it took several years and a number of study visits to other plants to arrive at a hydraulic solution. "We use a lot of inverter drives and mverter-d riven motors at Futamura." says Asbridge. `That was our common practice on site, so it was our go-to solution."
Although different possibilities were explored, the combination of ATEX and two fixed speeds proved difficult with an electromechanical solution. One option was installing a slow and a fast motor, then switching between them using mechanical gearing. Another was a single motor with a gearbox.
"The latter was a no-go because of the size of motor needed to get the required power at such a slow speed, as well as the high speed required," says Asbridge. "When we came through it all, the hydraulic option was the only suitable option."
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