Product innovation: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG has launched an innovative solution for contactless power supply for the packaging machine industry: the vPOWER U015 Pickup. The system enables the continuous inductive supply of energy to the moving elements, also known as movers, of packaging machines. In this way, applications can achieve higher process performance compared to complex alternative solutions. The vPOWER U015 pickup is a standard solution which can be integrated into different machines. The first installations were realized at Rockwell Automation Inc’s iTRAK. Other well-known companies are also already interested in the VAHLE solution.

"The vPOWER U015 Pickup enables the packaging industry to significantly increase its production volume. In addition, the complexity of the power supply can be reduced, and the robustness increased," says Marc Detweiler, Product Manager at Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG. The contactless power transmission allows the Movers, which were integrated in in the machines, maximum travelling speeds which cannot be reached with traditional power transmission systems. With classical transmission methods, such as busbar rails, occur strong friction between carbon brush and copper at high speed. This can result either in power supply problems or in damages to the products which need to be packaged in sensitive industries such as the food industry. Also, a punctual inductive charge reduces the production volume, because they can only charge at downtime.

The new VAHLE Pickup works like a transformer: The primary winding consists of a cable which is wrapped around the packaging machine. It generates a permanent 45A high-frequency current. The secondary winding is located on the mobile pickup and absorbs the energy inductively. There is no risk of wear on the line and there are no open contacts which could cause faults due to dirt or water.

The maximum performance of the new VAHLE pickup is 150W and a voltage of 24VDC. The vPOWER U015 pickup is only 67.4 x 67.4 x 71 mm in size and weighs only 650 g. "VAHLE is the first company to offer a system for the inductive transmission of such an amount of energy in this small size and with this low weight," says Detweiler.

So far VAHLE has installed the system in four test installations by customers in the field of packaging machines. Michaela R. Kaufmann, Global Product Manager iTRAK at Rockwell Automation Inc., describes the solution as a perfect complement. "The new VAHLE pickup expands the unlimited flexibility of our technology by adding power to individual movers". In principle, the vPOWER U015 pickup is suitable for almost all systems as long as good mechanical guidance is available.