SINAMICS S120: Application

Cross-cutter with DCB extension

https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/view/109477746

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Table of contents

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Differentiation to
Flying saw

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Flying Saw vs. Cross Cutter / Rotary Knife
Differentiation between Cross Cutter/Rotary Knife and Flying Saw

Cross Cutter Flying Saw

• Also called: Rotary Knife, Flying Knife, Rotary • Also called: Flying Knife – Flying Shear etc.
Scissors, Flying Shear, Guillotine, etc. • Linear system
• Rotary system

There are different application examples available, depending on the mechanical system (rotary or linear) you need to select
the right one. The terms for the application are often mixed up.

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Cross cutter overview
and details

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Cross Cutter
Overview

Typically, a cross cutter comprises a rotating roll equipped with a knife, which cuts a material web transverse to
the direction of motion, generally in identically large sections (formats).

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Cross Cutter
Functionality

The cross cutter application includes the following technology specific* functions:
• Measuring wheel correction (for fine adjustment of the material length)
• Traversing to maintenance position
• Single cut (on material position or immediate)
• Test cut (on material position or immediate)
• Continuous cutting (on material position or immediate)
• Cutting curve (to influence the synchronous phase)
• Print mark correction for the material position (on leading axis side)
• Multi-knife systems
• Speed and torque pre control
• Absolute physical units (mm, °) with adjustable fine resolution

* additional standard functions like jogging etc. are available

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Cross Cutter
Additional fields of applications

▪ Perforating ✓

▪ Sealing or embossing ✓

▪ Cross Cutter with several knifes ✓

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Cross Cutter
System geometry

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Cross Cutter
System geometry

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Cross Cutter
System geometry – multi knife systems

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Cross cutter
Format cams

constant movement at the synchronous speed:

𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝜔𝑠𝑦𝑛𝑐 =
𝐹𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑒
results in the synchronous format:
2 ∙ 𝜋 ∙ 𝐹𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑒 =
𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚
Other format ranges require a motion profile:
• format < synchronous format
• format > synchronous format

• Format >> synchronous format (format > critical

format)
• With waiting
• With oscillation*

All format curves are modeled by a 5th order polynomial

*From a ratio is greater than approx. 6, the application prevents

oscillation to not force the knife oscillating backwards into the cutting
range

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Cross Cutter
Cutting operation – Continuous cutting

▪ „Immediate
continuous ✓
cutting“

▪ „Continuous
cutting“ with ✓
format beginning

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Cross Cutter
Cutting operation – Single cut

▪ „Immediate
single cut“ ✓

▪ „Single cut“ with

format beginning ✓

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Cross Cutter
Cutting operation – Test cut

▪ „Immediate test
cut “ ✓

▪ „Test cut“ with

format beginning ✓

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Cross Cutter
Operating modes – Sequence control

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Cross Cutter
Cam Sequence

The Application example uses the following three cams for the start, run and stop sequence:
• Start Cam – from waiting angle/position to the first cut
• Continuous Cam – as long as cutting operation is enabled and cutting mode is selected, this cam is repeated
• Stop Cam – from the last cut to the waiting angle/position
• Standstill Cam – as long as cutting operation is enabled and no cutting mode is selected, the waiting
angle/position is fixed with this cam

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Cross Cutter
Material thickness and product separation

Synchronous knife movement on the flight circle

is theoretically only correct for infinitely thin
material with an infinitely small cutting area.
In practice, for thicker materials, the speed must
be adjusted based on the material thickness.
If a product separation (gaps between the
products) is required, an overspeed or an offset
must be switched on directly after the cut.

Material thickness compensation (maximum

thickness plus knife penetration as parameter)
requires only the input of the maximum values

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Cross Cutter
Cutting profiles

• Free programmable cutting

curve (position based) up to 5‘th
order + linear segments

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Cross Cutter
Cutting profiles

• Overspeed function with 4

modes and with parameterizable
position offset

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Cross Cutter
Cutting profiles

• Free programmable cutting

torque curve (position to torque)
with polynomial interpolation (up
to 5‘th order, linear segments)

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Comparison of
available cross cutter
applications
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Cross Cutter
Differences of the solutions
SIMOTION Rotary Knife SINAMICS Cross Cutter with DCB- SIMATIC S7-1500T
Extension
Format change on the ✓ ✓ ✓
fly
Leading value switch ✓ ✓ For test and as ‘virtual leading value’ ✓
over during cut (used if cut has negative
impact on the leading value)
Print mark correction ✓ ✓ ✓
Single cut ✓ ✓ ✓
Test cut ✓ Programmable number of cuts with ✓ Just one sheet with format length ×
different lengths
Continuous cut ✓ ✓ ✓
Immediate cut ✓ ✓ all cut modes ✓
Cam profiles ✓ linear ✓ 5’th order polynomial ✓ linear
✓ 5’th order polynomial ✓ 5’th order polynomial
✓ Sine ✓ Sine
✓ Jerk ✓ Jerk
✓ 7’th order polynomial
Material thickness ✓ For one parameterized thickness ✓ For all material thicknesses equal or ✓ For one parameterized thickness
compensation → Exact thickness must be known and below parameterized maximum → Exact thickness must be known and
set thickness set
→ Only maximum thickness must be set

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Cross Cutter
Differences of the solutions

SIMOTION Rotary Knife SINAMICS Cross Cutter with DCB- SIMATIC S7-1500T
Extension
Overspeed ✓ As speed setpoint at 3 points ✓ As speed setpoint in 4 modes with ✓ As speed setpoint
position offset
Creating a gap ✓ As result of the overspeed ✓ Parameterizable gap via cutting ✓ As result of the overspeed
curve
Cut counter × ✓ ×
Cutting torque curve ✓ Cutting torque cam with 10 ✓ Cutting torque cam with 10 ✓ Cutting torque cam with 10
supporting points supporting points supporting points
DC link voltage ✓ × ✓
precontrol with ALM
Torque precontrol ✓ from CAM ✓ System function in position ✓ from CAM
controller cycle
(auto optimization using OBT)
Vmax calculation ✓ × ✓
Performance ✓ × ✓
calculation
HMI – Commissioning ✓ × (diagnostic pages in project assistant ✓
interface available)
PLC Interface irrelevant ✓ LMCSINA cross cutter FB irrelevant
(for S7-1200, S7-1500 (T))

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Typical issues with
the cross cutter

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Cross Cutter
Common questions – typical problems

Parameterization of the mechanical system

Leading value (measuring wheel or speed-controlled drive):

• Any inaccuracy in the set mechanic (diameter, gear ratio) leads to a repeated length error in the cut material
length

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Cross Cutter
Common questions – typical problems

Parameterization of the mechanical system

• The gear ratio must be set up with exact numerator denominator values of the gear box, the values on the
gear name plate are typically round

Example of 1FG1 name plate

i = 12.380 is round value

99 / 8 are exact numerator

denominator values

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Cross Cutter
Common questions – typical problems

Parameterization of the mechanical system

• If the gear is set exactly, one knife revolution represents exactly 360° (SINAMICS DCB extension application)
and the cut position is correct even after an infinite number of revolutions
• SINAMICS: calculation DINT/LDINT with residual evaluation - stable for infinite time
• SIMOTION/SIMATIC: LREAL calculation - stable over hundreds of years at typical resolutions/speeds
• If the round gear ratio value is set, the 0° position (where the knife has synchronous speed) drifts
continuously out of the mechanical cut position until the cut is completely wrong
• If the diameter of the knife is not exact, the speed during cut is not exactly synchronous, the cut format length
is still correct

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Cross Cutter
Common questions – typical problems
Starter:
• Full range of functions available
• Project assistant based on Excel available
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Startdrive:
• Currently no project assistant available
• Systems with three encoders (motor encoder, knife
encoder and measuring wheel encoder) on one
drive object cannot be implemented at the moment
Disclaimer and
Contact

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Disclaimer

© Siemens 2021

Subject to changes and errors. The information given in this document

only contains general descriptions and/or performance features which
may not always specifically reflect those described, or which may
undergo modification in the course of further development of the
products. The requested performance features are binding only when
they are expressly agreed upon in the concluded contract.

All product designations may be trademarks or other rights of

Siemens AG, its affiliated companies or other companies whose use by
third parties for their own purposes could violate the rights of the
respective owner.

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Contact
Published by Siemens AG
Technology Team
DI FA PMA APC1
Frauenauracher Str. 80
91056 Erlangen
E-mail: tech.team.motioncontrol@siemens.com

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