When Timrå
Betong decided to invest in a new control system for their concrete
factory they chose to work with Grabitech Solutions AB which is a
Registered Wonderware authorized System Integrator. The core of the modern
system was FlexFormula and InTouch.
The
initial reason to invest in a new system was to be able to automatically
add chemicals when mixing the concrete. The pre project analysis lead to
the decision to automate and control the whole process with the
FlexFormula system. The project also required an installation of a
moisture meter which controls the automation dosage of water. Their
new control system supports them in their daily work but also satisfies
their high requirements regarding trace-ability and history.
Timrå Betong AB benefits the lower costs from the automated process.
Timrå Betong chose FlexFormula in order to:
q
Keep track of every
batch
q
Gather
all batch related data, including operator actions, material tracking
information and process parameters.
q
Have a reliable queue
system.
q
Save 4 man-hours/day
The plant is a
concrete making facility. The different components are measured, dosed and
mixed for each batch before it is transported by a "rail car"
out to the pre designated forming station. The process consist of 3 basic
systems:
- Measuring
of the components. Where the water content in the different components
are reducing the addition of water.
- Mixing
the components. Where the components are added at different times.
- Transporting
of the batch (concrete). The concrete is transported to the station
from where it was ordered by a "rail car".
The plant was
previously partly automated, however the water addition was decided
controlled by the moisture meter and the preset WC-number.
The network is
communicating on Ethernet according to the following picture:
System overview Timrå Betong AB.
The local
panels is containing the following functions:
|
Main
picture
|
- Choice
of recipe
- Volume
of concrete to order, in batch
- How
many batches in queue
- Order
the batch
|
|
Emergency
stop picture
|
Informs
which emergency buttons are active
|
|
Manual
operation
|
Buttons
to operate the conveyor from the floor
|
|
Alarm
|
Alarm
list of all alarms active and acknowledged
|
|
Status
|
Information about the status of all the local panels
|
Table 1
Description of the functions in the local stations
Only one computer is used with
Window 2000 as the operating system.
HMI
functions are provided by InTouch. The InTouch application reads and
writes process data to the PLC. The InTouch application provides the
operators with access to the process control parameters and the process
output. InTouch presents process data in a user-friendly graphical format
and it is responsible for real-time trends, historical process data and
operator event/alarm data logging. Then the InTouch application is
completed with FlexFormula utilities and interfaces to provide batch
management functions.
FlexFormula is responsible for the
receipt handling, batch scheduling, initiating, control system enabling,
batch history, queue handling and process data logging for reporting.
FlexFormula communicates with the PLC through InTouch which provide batch
management functions. It is possible to change settings in the batch
control system through the InTouch HMI.
About Timrå Betong AB
Timrå Betong AB provides concrete
pipes, sound proof walls etc. for road constructions. They produce
products by order which can be customized.
About Grabitech Solutions AB
Grabitech is a
company with expertise in Process
optimisation, Process design, Programming, ERP, CRM, SPC, Project
Management, Management Consulting, Telecommunications and Training.
Our goal is to
increase our clients' competitiveness through decreased costs, higher
quality and increased productivity. Our experienced consultants and our
patented software gives us the ability to maximize
results and client benefits.
We
offer result related pricing since our opinion is that only measurable
benefits count.
We
believe that our new software, MultiSimplex®
and OMM™ combined with our skilled consultants
will make us the best choice within the optimisation field.
