Replacing Pneumatics with Smart Linear Motors in an Engineered Lumber Facility

Overview

Applied Motion Systems (AMS) was engaged to retrofit a veneer placement system at an engineered lumber (LVL) facility. The facility relied on pneumatic air cylinders to place veneer sheets onto a moving belt for downstream lamination. That process had become increasingly unreliable in a hot, dirty production environment. AMS replaced four of those pneumatic actuators with Iris Dynamics ORCA™ Series Smart Linear Motors. The result was a step change in motion consistency, controllability, and PLC integration.

A second, more demanding application is also currently underway at the same facility. A high-speed graded veneer stacker must extend and retract 12 inches in approximately 300 milliseconds, clearing each sheet before the next arrives.

The Challenge

Wood products facilities are among the most demanding environments for motion control equipment. In particular, heat, dust, and continuous high-cycle operation take a significant toll on pneumatic actuators. As a result, at this facility, the air cylinders controlling veneer placement had degraded over time, becoming inconsistent and increasingly difficult to control. Without any profiling ability, the cylinders would simply slam to end-stops, causing misalignment, veneer skew, and downstream quality issues in the lamination process.

For the stacking application, the challenge was even more acute. Stacking graded veneer sheets at production speeds requires precise, repeatable retraction within a narrow timing window. Any hesitation or inconsistency risks sheet collisions and jams. On a line where downtime costs $50,000 per hour, even brief stoppages carry significant consequences.

Beyond mechanical performance, the controls team had one clear requirement: new motion technology had to integrate directly with the Rockwell PLC already running the line. A separate software package for motor configuration or control would not be accepted on the plant floor.

The Solution

AMS designed and fabricated custom brackets to mount Iris Dynamics ORCA linear motors directly into the existing air cylinder locations. This preserved the mechanical footprint of the original installation. The control enclosure was also designed and built by AMS, and the initial system was installed and commissioned in a single day.

Integration evolved in two phases. In the first phase, AMS used Iris Dynamics’ IrisControls software to configure motor move profiles and the ORCA IO SmartHub to interface with PLC commands via analog and digital I/O. This approach provided immediate controllability and allowed the team to validate performance in the live production environment.

Phase Two: EtherNet/IP Integration with Rockwell ControlLogix

The second phase introduced the ORCA-EIP (EtherNet/IP) communication module. This allows the ORCA motors to function as standard motion axes on the Rockwell ControlLogix network. With EIP integration, the AMS team was able to create virtual motion axes in the PLC and stream motion profiles directly to the motors. The result is seamless, native control from within the same programming environment that the plant’s electricians and controls engineers already use every day.

Products Used:  Iris Dynamics ORCA-6-48V (Feeder Knockdown application, extended shaft configuration) — max force 638 N at 60V, max speed 3.6 m/s, IP68 rated with integrated motor driver, position sensing, and force control.

Products Used:  Iris Dynamics ORCA-3-36V (Dryer Stacker Knockdown application, extended shaft configuration) — optimized for high peak speed applications, max speed 5.3 m/s, delivering the rapid cycle times the stacking application demands.

Results

The ORCA motors delivered immediate improvements in veneer placement consistency. Better belt alignment, reduced skew, and improved correction in downstream lamination processes. On the stacking side, more precise placement reduced overhang in finished stacks, cutting material damage during forklift transfer and jams during unstacking. Therefore, both outcomes contribute directly to line throughput and veneer quality.

Equally important was the integration story. By upgrading to the ORCA-EIP protocol, AMS gave plant personnel exactly what they needed: full control from within the Rockwell PLC, with no separate software tools. As a result, motion profiles can now be created and modified on the fly from within the PLC, and multiple moves can be blended together, enabling complex motion sequences that were not possible with pneumatics.

In Their Own Words

“Iris is very pleased and fortunate to have a quality partner in Dan Walser and the AMS team. Together, we are able to provide competitive solutions to many problems industry faces today, specifically related to improving uptime, throughput, and intelligence in manufacturing. As a team, Iris and AMS are well-positioned to deliver value to industry over and over in the coming years.”
— Iris Dynamics

About The Partners

Applied Motion Systems (AMS) is a systems integrator and machine builder specializing in custom machine design and motion control integration for complex industrial environments. Iris Dynamics is a trusted OEM manufacturer developing smart linear motion technology through integrated electric actuation.

Together, AMS and Iris Dynamics deliver high-performance, reliable, and precise motion solutions where uptime and control are critical. Iris Dynamics’ smart linear motors reduce complexity at the component level. AMS integrates that capability into complete, production-ready systems.

With a shared focus on dependable systems, the partnership means less time on system development and more time on innovation. Through close collaboration, particularly on ORCA-EIP integration, this partnership enables streamlined system design, seamless PLC-based control, and reliable, high-performance operation.

To learn more about how AMS and Iris Dynamics can bring smart linear motion to your facility, contact us. All of our collaborations begin with an open dialogue.