FEATURE MACHINE CONTROL
CONTROLLING DEMANDING AND COMPLEX PLASMA PROCESSES
Needing an advanced control solution for its new complex low-pressure plasma surface treatment system,
Henniker Plasma specified the compact yet high performance MELSEC-L series PLC from Mitsubishi Electric
D
eveloped by Henniker Plasma, the Nebula advanced surface
treatment system is a UK designed and manufactured machine that offers customers the ability to develop and manufacture new products with innovative and attractive material surface properties. During the design process, the company
knew that a complex low-pressure plasma surface treatment system like the Nebula needs advanced control to make sure each process recipe is actioned with extreme precision and repeatability. “Due to the level of sophistication
offered by the Nebula, the system required a PLC. Unlike other plasma treatment machines that use simpler controllers, the Nebula needed to provide more treatment process options and a much wider scope of adjustability,” explained Gill Bolton, marketing and communications manager at Henniker Plasma.
SELECTING THE CONTROL SYSTEM To ensure the machine’s performance and reliability, it was crucial that the company specified a high quality PLC from a provider that was renowned for the quality of its products and had global brand acceptance. As well meeting all these requirements, Mitsubishi Electric also had the ability to offer the responsive, localised, support needed through a combination of its base in Hatfield and specialist technical distributor, LC Automation. Following an in-depth discussion on the
Nebula’s system requirements, Mitsubishi Electric, LC Automation and Henniker Plasma selected the MELSEC-L series PLC. While Nebula is larger than other,
simpler, plasma treatment units, the company required the control panel to be as compact as possible to minimise the machine’s overall footprint for customers. So, while the diminutive size of the L series would fit perfectly within the machine, its high-end performance would support the advanced plasma treatment functions that it offers. The PLC connects to the Nebula’s HMI operator terminal where users can create,
10 MARCH 2020 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
modify and test new recipes. The PLC then communicates with the vacuum system’s different valves. These are responsible for the release of one or multiple gases in the correct amount in order to create the most suitable mix for the selected process. In addition, the PLC controls an optional rotary drum mechanism to treat high volumes of small parts and the monomer dosing inlet for plasma polymerisation. The control system is also able to record and store process data to ensure full visibility and traceability.
A FULLY AUTOMATED MACHINE The resulting advanced plasma treatment unit combines different plasma treatments – such as surface cleaning, activation, etching and coating – into one fully automated machine, providing benefits for both research centres and manufacturing facilities. Thanks to the highly flexible recipe driven control system, it is possible to batch manufacture and develop bespoke plasma methods for pioneering products for a wide range of sectors such as aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, industrial printing and medical devices. In effect, the low-pressure machine
provides a comprehensive solution and empowers users to have full control over the plasma process, the company explains.
Henniker Plasma’s
multi-function plasma surface treatment system, the Nebula, provides benefits for research centres and manufacturing facilities
According to Bolton, the Nebula
is one of the most advanced compact plasma surface treatment machines available on the market today and is able to
The MELSEC-L series PLC controls an optional rotary drum mechanism to treat high volumes of small parts and the monomer dosing inlet for plasma polymerisation
perform unique processes based on a customer’s independently developed recipes. Users can, for example, use a selection of gasses for coating treatments in order to produce homogenous and reproducible advanced surfaces. The machine also offers the Henniker
The system required a powerful but compact PLC – Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC-L series was the perfect fit
design team room for continuous improvement, enabling them to deliver more state-of-the-art solutions based on the same control system components and architecture. “We believe that the Nebula will have
a significant impact on a number of research projects and manufacturing processes,” added Bolton. “The creation of such a sophisticated system with this level of flexibility would not have been possible without the support from Mitsubishi Electric and LC Automation. We are extremely pleased with their expertise and round-the-clock availability, as well as with the quality of the controller. “We look forward to working together
on future projects developing cutting- edge plasma treatment systems.”
Mitsubishi Electric Europe
gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com
Image source: Henniker Plasma / DESIGNSOLUTIONS
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