MOVICON SCADA PROVIDES ‘SWEET SUPERVISION’ ON PRODUCT LINES FOR GLOBAL CONFECTIONARY MANUFACTURER

Products4Automation, UK distributor for Progea Movicon SCADA, is highlighting the ability of its Windows-based SCADA package to increase production, improve product quality and reduce product development times in the food industry. By integrating Movicon into its ‘Baci’ chocolate production line, Nestlè in Perugina is now able to plan and optimise production batches, analyse product output with report printouts, historically log the roasting result for each batch of hazelnuts, and deploy the widest range of commands for running the plant in either automatic or manual mode.
The storage, roasting and hazelnut conveyor management system has been designed and installed at Nestlè Perugina’s plant by VITTORIA-COMARK, a specialist in the food sector, in collaboration with Coteco srl, a Movicon system distributor and integrator, based in north Italy.
The system has two distinct parts. The hazelnut roasting machine, which is at the heart of the plant, is an independent unit managed by an Allen-Bradley PLC and an industrial PC, with Movicon supervision system. Communication between the PC and PLC is via the Allen-Bradley DF1 serial protocol. The plant itself comprises a raw material storage and loading section, a roasted discharger and calibrator section, a chopping section and production line transfer section. This is also managed by an Allen-Bradley SLC500 PLC and a standard PC with the Movicon supervisor onboard. Control of the plant sections is via Machine PLCs that communicate over a “Data Highway” network with an analogue PLC incorporated to manage the system.
The hazelnut roasting machine is the most fundamental and critical part of the production process. In addition to supervising the operation of the machine in real-time, the Movicon management system also has the task to set and optimise production data in the best, intuitive and simplest way possible. Using the Windows environment greatly simplifies these tasks, being a consolidated standard for all users.
The Movicon supervision system is completely configurable, providing great flexibility and adaptability to all production requirements. It is very easy to use, allowing quick and intuitive setting of work parameters, through dialog windows, which can be activated using the appropriate buttons, or via a simple mouse click on screen. For example: a simple click on the burner will activate a window for setting its temperatures and alarm thresholds. This same procedure is also used for setting commands manually. By clicking on the desired motor, or valve, on screen a dropdown menu appears, for starting or stopping of plant devices. Purposely designed with user-friendliness in mind, the Movicon system enables commands to be set in the most natural and intuitive way possible. It also provides additional support in the form of help windows, which can be customised and adapted as ‘pop-ups’.
Production management
As a result of employing modern technology, based on PCs with Windows-based SCADA, operators at the Perugia plant can now set automatically, and across the entire production process, batch sequences that are completely different from each other, at the same time. By choosing Movicon as a management system, the client has reduced development times by being able to set all the data necessary for automatic plant production processes, production profiles and batches by simply using dialog windows. Operators can enter a set of values for each type of nut to be roasted in order to regulate temperatures in the roasting drums. A step-by-step sequence can be created whereby each drum can be set with specific temperatures, time durations and the associated P.I.D. control type. This step sequence forms the ‘fingerprint’ of the product roasting profile. To get a clearer picture of each roasting profile, the operator can analyse graphs on screen showing the behaviour of each roasting profile set. Each profile can be recorded on file as a normal recipe. This enables the user to create new recipes or activate and modify those already saved on file by using the appropriate dialog window, relating to the recipe, using the Windows standards.
System management
The second Movicon equipped PC is situated in the Control Room, and linked to a second Allen Bradley SLC 500 PLC. These units provide the Systems Management element of the project. They receive data from the roasting machine section’s P.C.-PLC system, relating to the raw product dispatch and the roasted product line transfer. The system management’s task, subdivided into sections, is to satisfy the roasting machine requirements as set out in the production plan. The “raw section” is designated the task of storing the raw nuts in the right silos according to product type. The product is then sent, in batches, from the raw storage silos to the drums, upon machine request, for roasting according to the preset roasting profile activated. When completed, the roasted product is then transferred to the “calibrator section”, preset with the nut selection type, then to be stored in the appropriate silos in the “roasted section”, according to nut type.
Monitoring and Control
The various plant sections are controlled and supervised using Movicon video screen pages. By using these screens, operators are guided throughout the whole production process with simple and attractive animated graphics. The plant’s real time status is captured by illuminated or colour changing icons and motor status and alarm indications. Particular care has been taken to ensure the graphics are realistic by optimising them with animated conveyor belts, agitator, feeder and burner movements in real time. As a result, operators can clearly observe the progress of a product through each stage of its process cycle.
Both Movicon supervisory systems allow easy diagnosis, machine and system maintenance, by using a complete alarm and message management in accordance with the ISA standard. All the significant alarms and events (messages or self-diagnosis) are recorded on database files, which can be displayed and viewed in the Historical Log window or printed on request. The Movicon supervisor allows customisable historical management, enabling recording to take place only when needed (on event or established by the control logic) in order to optimise the analysis process without wasting memory space.

About P4A

Products4Automation (P4A) is a specialist supplier of new and innovative software and hardware solutions to the UK market. Product ranges available from P4A include the latest touch-screen HMI's and flat panel PCs, SCADA software and plug-ins, a wide range of SCADA enabled hardware, Alarm plug-in software for large automation systems, and a full range of Production Intelligence software solutions.


Company Contact
Products4Automation : Paul Hurst
Tel: +44 (0)845 077 3858
Web: www.products4automation.com
Email: paul.hurst@products4automation.com


Article source - http://www.dmaeuropa.com/Clients/Products4Automation/News/tabid/1233/itemid/2347/Default.aspx

SCADA helps keep road tunnel traffic safe and free flowing

Traffic flow and safety have been enhanced in one of Italy’s most important motorway tunnels by the commissioning of a new control system based on Products4Automation’s Movicon 11 SCADA technology.
Because of the country’s mountainous landscape, road tunnels are an important part of Italy’s transport infrastructure. Each tunnel has its own unique traffic management system to handle the safety and security requirements involved with their operation. Because of the ever growing usage volumes as the number of cars on the road increase each system needs to be regularly maintained and developed. Bespoke control solutions are usually specified for each tunnel; programmed for the unique challenges each one presents.
When engineers for the Spogliamonaco Tunnel on the Lauria–Lagonegro motorway in Basilicata were looking to renew their control system, they wanted to develop a system which allowed for both local, on-site control and remote control from head office. They identified a bus architecture and SCADA software as the optimum solution and also wanted an open system so that they could mix and match hardware from different manufacturers – a critical requirement for a system that could be operating for decades.
The architecture the engineers developed consisted of a central PC acting as the overall supervision and control unit. The decision was made early on to design out other local controllers such as PLCs or CPUs, as the simplicity of the system would help contain initial costs and ensure maintenance was straightforward. Instead they ran a single bus the whole 1500m length of the tunnel, with all the I/O nodes distributed along it.
When it came to selecting the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software many options were considered before eventually deciding that the Movicon 11 system was most appropriate to their needs. Movicon 11 is XML-based and combines SCADA with an HMI (human machine interface), which means it offers an all-in-one development environment for managing HMI, SCADA, soft-logic and analysis of operating data. It is also open and highly flexible, and attractive feature in an application where constant design evolution is to be expected.
The I/O control is based on Windows XP, which is freely available, well supported and low cost. Windows XP is not deterministic (able to absolutely guarantee the sequence and speed of signal processing); but this is not a requirement in tunnel control systems, as no instructions are completely time critical. Instead a LonWorks card fitted in the PC handles all the data traffic from the 110 I/O nodes on the bus.
LonWorks is an open networking platform that is used worldwide in a range of automation applications, including many in building automation and HVAC environments, as well as in other tunnel control systems. There are a great many brands and models of hardware products available that are compatible with LonWorks including high power lamps, emergency lighting, ventilation fans and water pumps.
In the Spogliamonaco Tunnel installation, the Movicon SCADA system constantly monitors all the data produced on the bus for alarms, such as failed lamps, and trending towards critical conditions such as rising carbon dioxide levels. It is also able to monitor other parameters such as dangerous vibrations (e.g. earthquakes and rock falls), reduced visibility due to excessive exhaust, wind speed and direction, ventilation extraction rate, CCTV and several other functions.
Many functions are automated by the Movicon system, freeing the staff in the control room from routine duties so that they can concentrate on higher level activities. From the supervision stations, situated both in the local control stations and in the main control centre, operators can monitor the full length of the tunnel as well as facilities at each end, using screen pages that display both current and logged data.
All the commands can be easily and intuitively set by mouse-clicking on the on-screen graphics. For example, the traffic lights that control vehicle movements are normally run automatically by the Movicon logic control function, but users can assume manual override should the situation require it. The same is true of the ventilators and other critical equipment.
All operating data is logged by the SCADA software, and can be analysed for alarms, trends etc. This leads to optimisation of operations and helps to maintain efficiency and smooth traffic flow.
The engineers have also programmed the Movicon SCADA to provide enhanced management of the maintenance programmes. Optimising the work schedules for the maintenance technicians can be complicated because some equipment - such as the lamps - is maintained to regular time schedules while other equipment – such as the fan – is maintained based on usage. Added to this there is the need to attend failures and breakdowns. By working this out automatically equipment is better maintained and people’s time and resources are used to the best advantage.
The Spogliamonaco Tunnel has always been fitted with landline telephones, giving personnel a straightforward and effective means of communication. These landlines have been integrated into the SCADA system so that their use is logged alongside the rest of the operating data. The SCADA also has the capacity to send text messages and pre-recorded mobile phone messages to staff who are ‘on-call’.
In summary, Movicon has provided an innovative tunnel control solution that facilitates rapid development at low cost, yet which still functions at a high level and with simplicity.

Article source -  http://www.dmaeuropa.com/Clients/Products4Automation/News/tabid/1233/itemid/2246/Default.aspx

About P4A

Products4Automation (P4A) is a specialist supplier of new and innovative software and hardware solutions to the UK market. Products ranges available from P4A include the latest touch-screen HMI's and flat panel PCs, SCADA software and plug-ins, a wide range of SCADA enabled hardware, Alarm plug-in software for large automation systems, and a full range of Production Intelligence software solutions.

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