The winner of the 2009 control Engineering panel design award is CP Packaging of Appletonwww.cechina.cn, WI. The company’s design for a plant-floor machine control panel reduces space on the machine, provides easy access for maintenanceCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, reduces costs, and saves build-out and installation time.
　　In the winning video describing the entry控制工程网版权所有, CP Packaging’s Ray Buchko Jr., vice president of operations, explains that the rugged design of the panel meets the needs of the VisionPak Horizontal Form-Fill-Seal Vacuum packaging machine. “In the environment where these machines are usedwww.cechina.cn, the panel also had to be durable enough to withstand high-pressure washdownCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, so designing for sanitation was also important,” Buchko says.

www.cechina.cn, WI. The company’s design for a plant-floor machine control panel reduces space on the machine, provides easy access for maintenanceCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, reduces costs, and saves build-out and installation time." src="http://www.cechina.cn/upload/article/0489065a-3b00-4b3a-9a9d-44168c9de793/1.jpg">

　　Viewers who commented on the CP Packaging VisionPak Control Panel video cited enclosure access as a strong feature of this winning entry.
　　The design removed the servo drives from the cabinet and distributed them onto the machine. “That change saved about 60% in control cabinet space, and 30% or more in wiring costs,” Buchko says. Because the Bosch Rexroth integrated motors and drives are connected by one cable (instead of the previously required 12), adding more drives won’t change cabinet size.
　　The servo power supply is mounted sideways to reduce the cabinet depth. The integrated drive motor technology saves panel space and cabling, up to 1.5 square feet on a 6-8 axis machine. Less energy is used overall because integrated motor drive regenerates electricity.
　　Buchko calls the panel enclosure (32 x 36 in.) unique, because it swings out for maintenance and doubles as a machine guard for areas behind it. A finished back panel is bolted into a water-tight, high-pressure-washdown stainless steel enclosure that swivels out from the machine. With small size and low weight, the panel for the seven-axis machine can be lifted into place by one person, Buchko says. Mounting the panel on the machine (instead of remotely) reduces possible points of failure and saves time on w