FEATURE MACHINE CONTROL
Staying in control when the temperature drops
Rugged TBEN-L-PLC IP67 modules, capable of withstanding temperatures down to -30˚C, are providing the decentralised control required for an automated loading and unloading
system for trucks at a major food manufacturers’ facility. Here Turck explains why its solution was specified
Each conveyor element has its own controller, and the TBEN-L-PLCs can be mounted directly on the line
T
asked with installing an automated shuttle transport system between
the factory and coldstore of a French fries manufacturer, Asbreuk Service, a Dutch special machine builder, needed a control solution capable of withstanding very low temperatures. Looking into the options, the company
turned to Turck Banner for a solution that would meet its design requirements. For the resulting solution, the
intralogistics system for conveying pallets consists of elements that are remotely controlled by Turck’s TBEN-L-PLC compact IP67 modules, even at ambient temperatures of -25˚C. Multiprotocol I/O modules expand the range of inputs and outputs at specific points, while K50 lights from Banner Engineering are used to indicate any faults along the line. According to managing director, Marco
Asbreuk: “For us it was important for the controller to have the ability to
Two control cabinets, which contain FEN20 multiprotocol modules, are used for manual control
MEETING REQUIREMENTS In the factory, Asbreuk Service provided each of the 32 line modules with their own controller. These modules include chain and roller conveyors as well as a section for inspecting pallets. Laser sensors are used here to check whether a pallet is too wide which means it is incorrectly packed. Lasers and scanners are connected locally to the relevant
HMIS PRELOADED WITH SCADA SOFTWARE
A range of HMIs, preloaded with Movicon 11 SCADA software, have been launched by Products4Automation (P4A). The hardware is from the Pixsys range of HMIs, offering high resolution touch screens in 4.3”, 7”, 10.4” and 12.1” sizes. The casing is manufactured from high-strength aluminium, enabling their used in most panel, process and machine applications. The pre-loaded Movicon 11 software is based
on XML standards and provides a comprehensive visual environment for managing process control and production data analysis functions. Movicon
8 MARCH 2020 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
11 SCADA provides functions such as vector graphic objects, dataloggers, schedulers, trend analysers and alarm management, as well as OPC and web client/server technologies. It is compatible with all industry standard network communication protocols and a wide range of third-party drivers including Siemens S7-TCP, Mitsubishi MELSEC and Omron TRI-TCP. The HMI body is just 29mm deep and it has
communication ports for RS232, RS485, CANbus, Ethernet and USB; and the on-board soft PLC of the Pixsys unit offers both cost and practicality
advantages, allowing higher level system control functionality without the need to add separate PLC hardware. The HMI is designed for direct connection of I/O expansion blocks.
Products4Automation
www.products4automation.co.uk
/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS
communicate with different bus systems and at least operate at temperatures as low as -30˚C. There is actually only one PLC suitable for this field, and so the decision to use Turck’s TBEN-L-PLC was more or less obvious from the start.” Of further benefit for this application,
the decentralised modules also require considerably less cabling, which is said to result in enormous cost savings – particularly in the coldstore area which requires the use of special cables.
Turck PLC. An identical TBEN-L-PLC module, which acts as a higher-level central controller and is connected via a CAN bus, is used for removing pallets. To transfer individual pallets from
the usual line route to the buffer, a conveyor element with three directions is needed. As each direction requires a separate RS485 port, one Turck I/O module provides the additional range of interfaces at this node. The ultra compact TBEN-S-2COM I/O module connects the serial interfaces directly in the field to the controller via Profinet so that the RS485 functionality is retained. If human intervention is required, line
sections can be controlled individually at two modular and decentralised operator panels. Functions such as a controlled stop or the running of an alternative route are possible, the company explains. Furthermore, multi-coloured K50 lights
from Turck’s optoelectronic partner Banner Engineering are used to indicate such things as the module where the fault is present, or the conveyor section that is currently in manual operation. As signal transmitters such as
pushbutton actuators at the control consoles require additional inputs and outputs, the Dutch engineers installed three IP20 I/O devices in the cabinets: Turck’s FEN20-16DXP multiprotocol modules effectively make standard switching signals bus-capable in a short time. The use of the FEN20 modules is not, however, only restricted to the control consoles – central control is still retained in the automatic truck loading system (ATL), which the pallets reach by means of an hydraulic lift. This area is monitored by a centrally controlled frequency converter and a Siemens PLC. Turck’s FEN20 offers additional inputs and outputs in the control cabinet and communicates with the main controller. Asbreuk, however, is not excluding the possibility of soon implementing the decentralised operation of an ATL zone.
Turck Banner
www.turckbanner.co.uk
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