A second application is shown in Fig. 11-91. In this application multiple filling heads line up with bottles as they move along a continuous line. Each of the filling heads must match up with a bottle and track the bottle while it is moving. Product is dispensed as the nozzles move with the bottles. In this application 10 nozzles are mounted on a carriage that is driven by a ball-screw mechanism. The ball-screw mechanism is also called a lead screw. When the motor turns the shaft of the ball screw, the carriage will move horizontally along the length of the ball-screw shaft. This movement will be smooth so that each of the nozzles can dis-pense product into the bottles with little spillage.

The servo drive system utilizes a positioning drive controller with software that allows the position and velocity to be tracked as the conveyor line moves the bottles. A master encoder tracks the bottles as they move along the conveyor line. An auger feed system is also used just prior to the point where the bottles enter the filling station. The auger causes a specific amount of space to be set between each bottle as it enters the filling station. The bottles may be packed tightly as they approach the auger, but as they pass through the auger their space is set exactly so that the necks of the bottles will match the spacing of the filling nozzles. A detector is also in conjunction with the dispensing system to ensure that no product is dispensed from a nozzle if a bottle is missing or large spaces appear between bottles.

The servo drive system compares the position of the bottles from the master encoder to the feedback signal that indicates the position of the filling carriage that is mounted to the ball screw. The servo drive amplifier will increase or decrease the speed of the ball-screw mechanism so that the nozzles will match the speed of the bottles exactly.