Track-based product transport opens up new possibilities in machine design. Until now, designing a track system and testing its feasibility has been a job reserved for trained specialists. But with B&R's new ACOPOStrak Designer, that will be changing in early 2022. The new software tool will simplify the prototyping phase for machine builders, allowing them to test new layouts with drag-and-drop ease and run simulations with a few clicks of the mouse. Not to mention saving them considerable amounts of time and money in the process. To learn exactly how it works, we sat down with Johannes Vitzthum and Isabella Laasch.

"ACOPOStrak Designer automatically knows whether the shuttles will be able to handle the desired product or if there are changes needed in the layout," explains simulation specialist Isabella Laasch.

B&R created ACOPOStrak Designer to simplify the prototyping phase for machine builders. What exactly can they expect from the new software?

Johannes Vitzthum: They can expect the process of conceptual design and planning to get a lot easier and more intuitive. They'll be able to do a lot more experimentation without having to deal with the underlying technology and test all types of different approaches before investing a cent in the construction of a prototype.

Isabella Laasch: First of all, ACOPOStrak Designer lets you test whether your design is fundamentally feasible. It calculates and displays things like contact forces and shuttle movements. Based on those factors, it's possible to calculate the maximum speeds and loads that can be achieved. Then, it's even possible to perform a detailed mechanical and thermal analysis of the ACOPOStrak layout.

It sounds like really powerful software. What kind of qualifications do you need to have in order to work with it?

Vitzthum: That's the best part: There's absolutely no programming knowledge required. It's exceptionally easy and straightforward to use, despite all the highly complex calculations going on in the background. And you can start laying out your track system right away – without any preliminary work in a development environment.

Laasch: As you design the track layout, an automatic logic check runs in the background. You know immediately whether or not the setup will work in reality, so you can avoid time-consuming layout changes down the road.

Can you give me an example of how that logic check works in practice?

Laasch: You just arrange the track layout how you want it and define parameters like the mass and position of your products. ACOPOStrak Designer knows automatically whether the shuttles will be able to handle the desired product or if there are any changes needed in the layout. Then, it's possible to analyze how the product's mass and center of gravity affect the motion profile. You can begin tweaking the efficiency of the line at a very early phase of development. Shuttles, product holders and the products themselves can all be perfectly coordinated for optimum transport through the production hall.

So, ACOPOStrak Designer shows me a virtual representation of my track system and tells me whether it will function correctly in terms of logic and physics. What comes after that?

Laasch: Once you've finished laying out your track system in ACOPOStrak Designer, the data can be sent to the B&R Automation Studio engineering environment for the next steps in development. All the work you've done so far is sent to Automation Studio at the push of a button. The application developer can get right to work programming the machine controls.

Vitzthum: ACOPOStrak Designer isn't just for machine developers, by the way. Sales representatives can also use it to show prospective customers the different approaches that could be taken for their machine – all with just a few clicks and no in-depth programming. The software provides all the information needed to demonstrate a potential new ACOPOStrak machine directly to the decision-makers.

"All the work you've done in ACOPOStrak Designer is sent to Automation Studio at the push of a button," explains Isabella Laasch.

B&R also offers mapp Trak software. What's the difference between mapp Trak and ACOPOStrak Designer?

Vitzthum: In ACOPOStrak Designer, you can view and test a track layout without any programming knowledge whatsoever. So it gives you a preliminary step prior to programming that has never existed before. With our mapp Trak software, on the other hand, developers create the machine software itself. They use it to define the logic of the motion profiles and the interactions of the shuttles with each other and with external sensors and actuators. Yet, even in mapp Trak, complex topics like collision avoidance are handled by the software in the background, so all you need to do is specify how the processes should work.

Laasch: With ACOPOStrak Designer, B&R offers a whole new level of usability. To me that's the biggest advantage. It's so easy to use – even without any special training – that you can brainstorm all kinds of wild ideas without any big investment or development overhead. When we launch ACOPOStrak Designer early next year, we will have the perfect complement to our mapp Trak solution. The two tools work hand in hand to provide the optimal conditions for implementing new machine concepts with ACOPOStrak.

We can't wait to try it – thanks for your time!

ACOPOStrak – The flexible track system for maximum equipment effectiveness

B&R's flexible and intelligent ACOPOStrak system enables mass customization down to batch size one. At speeds of more than four meters per second, workpieces are carried from station to station on independently controlled shuttles. Electromagnetic diverters split and merge product flows, opening up endless possibilities for machine builders and operators to implement fully automated production of individualized products.

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