Engineer Foulke designed a comprehensive control architecture powered by the Unitronics UniStream® platform. This system acts as the "brain," coordinating every movement of the rotating conveyor and its auxiliary robotic cells.

Core Control Platform

• 2 UniStream controllers, 1 PLC + HMI, a ‘Built-in’ model with a 7” touchscreen, 1 UniStream PLC
• Distributed I/O architecture
• Dual-panel design:
  • Low-voltage control panel
  • High-power motion/servo panel

Motion System

• 10 Unitronics Servo Drives (UMD-0002B-B3)
• 10 Unitronics Servo Motors (UMD-0002BA-B4)

Integrated Subsystems

• 2 Universal Robots UR5e cobots (adhesive + die-cut placement)
• Keyence Vision System (inspection + validation)
• Designetics adhesive system (precision dispensing)
• Pneumatics:
  • SMC valve stack
  • Electric slides

Machine Topology

• 12-station rotary indexing conveyor
• Dual-lane (left/right part processing)
• Continuous, synchronized workflow

Engineer Alex Foulke developed the entire application within the UniLogic software environment. UniLogic’s "Servo Made Simple" pre-written motion code significantly reduced development time for the 10 Unitronics Servos.

• Station 1-4: Handles parts loading from magazines via Oriental Motor linear actuators and applies adhesive using a UR5e cobot and a Designetics pumping system.
• Station 5-9: Precision tape application. Unitronics servos precisely feed out the liner while pneumatic peelers place the die-cuts. Secondary servos manage the empty liner take-up to keep the workspace clear.
• Station 11-12: A Keyence vision system performs a final inspection, while a pneumatic arm automatically diverts any rework parts into a separate bin.

AMPS’ HMI application provides a clear, station-based visualization of the entire assembly process on the 7” high-resolution UniStream touchscreen: 

• Real-time station status (12-station layout)
• Alarm indicators and diagnostics
• Production counters and cycle tracking
• Manual/Setup/Diagnostics modes
• Intuitive Start/Stop/Reset controls

Operators and technicians can immediately identify bottlenecks, faults, or inactive stations, reducing troubleshooting time.

Modern industrial connectivity was a priority.

• Modbus TCP: The backbone of the system, facilitating high-speed communication between the UniStream PLC, the dual Universal Robots, the Keyence vision system, and the Designetics adhesive system.
• Secure VNC Access: Both UniStream PLCs are securely accessible from any VNC-supported device, allowing AMPS or the plant manager to monitor performance or provide remote support from anywhere in the world.

• High Precision: The system successfully achieves accurate pick-and-place within tight cross-web tolerances that were previously impossible to maintain manually.
• Increased Throughput: The 12-station rotating design allows for continuous production, with operators only needed to swap out parts magazines.
• Development Efficiency: Using "Servo Made Simple" code saved dozens of engineering hours during the commissioning phase.
• Reliability: The integration of Unitronics servos and controllers provides a unified, rugged hardware stack that minimizes downtime.

By combining Unitronics’ UniStream PLC controllers and servos, with robotic vision and smart HMI design, AMPS Industrial Controls transformed a tedious manual assembly task into a state-of-the-art automated production line. 

The UniStream platform proved to be the ideal choice for synchronizing 10 servos and multiple third-party systems into one cohesive, high-performance solution.

"UniLogic’s built-in 'Servo Made Simple' motion code was a game-changer for this project. Managing 10 servos across a 12-station conveyor could have been a programming nightmare, but Unitronics made the motion integration seamless and efficient." — Alex Foulke, Engineer, AMPS Industrial Controls