EQUIPMENT | FEEDING AND DOSING
Right: The M7.3 IPC network control system automates control of material flow from source to machine using handheld barcode scanners
(visible right)
protected in such a way that login to its individual components is only possible by entering a user- name and password. Alternatively, a user adminis- tration can be installed that can be operated via RFID cards. For the installation of a coupling station,
Wittmann recommends the use of its Codemax unit. This implements control of the mechanical flow interfaces via contactless coding. All existing interfaces and actions occurring in a central system are visualised on a touch-control panel called M7.3 IPC. Using this panel it is also possible, for exam- ple, to check the connection between a given material source and a drying silo. Material transport can then only occur after the control unit receives confirmation that the bar code relating to the material found on its container has been correctly read by a barcode scanner.
Below: Piovan’s
Winfactory 4.0 supervisory system allows material data to be better managed
Improving traceability Wittmann says that the increase in attention paid to such safety features at processors reflects the desire for improved traceability and production reliability and has come hand-in-hand with the realisation that this all begins with the production staff responsible for operating the equipment. For this reason, user administration of the M7.3 IPC requires a username and password and individual operators can be allowed or barred from using various options related to the setting parameters. In addition, all log-ins and log-outs, as well as changed to param- eters, are recorded and are traceable. The vast majority of errors, however, occur at the
material source, says Wittmann, whether that be an octabin, a big-bag, or a mobile container. “Even when sources are provided with barcodes, this does not necessarily mean that material supplies are only set in motion by qualified equipment operators,” the company says. “The risk of using the wrong material source should not be underestimated.” To take care of this, Wittmann also offers a storage surveillance system for its central stations. Within this system, whenever an unauthorised access is registered all appliances that could cause incorrect material handling are automatically stopped and an error signal issued. The appliances restart only once the correct material is reconfirmed via a barcode scanner.
PHOTO: PIOVAN Behaviour of the system
when containers are replaced can also be pre-set. Indicator lights at the
52 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2019
point of storage will show operators which material source they have access to at any given time. Once the source has been changed, the relevant barcode must be scanned again before material transport can be restarted.
Communication gains The big difference that will be seen in the future of feeding systems is not just the ability for moving pellets from one place to another, says Piovan, but having the capability to collect data and integrate that in the context. The Italian company says it has created a complete ecosystem that includes devices for the automatic distribution of materials for feeding, tracking of material consumption, quality control and plant supervision. This system covers the process from the very beginning, where raw materi- als enter into the customer’s production facility. Its latest innovation is a new handheld logging
device. Said to be more than a simple barcode reader, it incorporates a proprietary Piovan app to guide the operator step-by-step during the loading procedure of the raw material, in what is intended to be a fool-proof process. The overall system is complete with a set of visual indications and with storage devices that include electric locks in order to avoid mistakes and to interact with operators. “In this way, there is no more risk of mixing different materials or to use the wrong resin,” says Piovan. “The managing of the storage is optimised and always updated without the risk of stock breaches and without untraced materials batches.” The company’s Winfactory 4.0 supervising system collects data and oversees everything. Its material tracking tool makes it possible to track each batch of raw material through to its final destination.
Bulk handling
Among the major compounding system producers, Coperion has been showing various feeding and dosing solutions offered under the Coperion
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: WITTMANN GROUP
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