Conveyor Speed Sync for an Energy Bar Packaging Facility
Project Drive
An energy bar manufacturing facility's processing line used eight standalone pieces of equipment with conveyor belts. For optimal operation, the conveyors’ speed needed to be synced across all of the machines. The speeds were previously synced by manually adjusting potentiometers on each machine, leading to unequal speed variations throughout the line. We worked with the staff to implement a PLC-based system with an operator interface HMI to set the speeds for the line—as well as select which speed should be used at any given time.
Solution
The client's existing process line consisted of eight stand-alone machines which processed raw ingredients, formed bars, enrobed them in chocolate, and dried them before they entered the packaging line. Each machine had a conveyor with a local manually configurable potentiometer for speed adjustment. Operators were spending a significant amount of time adjusting the speeds on each individual machine when changing products. All the manual adjustment created situations with sync and inconsistent running speeds. Corso Systems implemented a system using an Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC and a Panelview Plus HMI to communicate with Powerflex 4 and 5 VFDs installed on each piece of equipment. The local control capability for each machine was replaced by a Panelview Plus screen. Operators can now set a desired speed from the screen, and the PLC will calculate the required values for each drive based on individual conveyor properties and gear ratios. To cut changeover times to almost zero, the operators now have the capability to configure speeds for specific products with a drop-down menu.
Benefits
Full-line automation capability from PLC integration
Eight pieces of equipment with local control can now be operated from one operator interface
Recipe management capabilities enable operators to automatically configure speeds for various products
Increased productivity
Decreased production fluctuations
Decreased maintenance overhead
Project Details
Industry Food & Beverage
Location Carson City, NV
Services HMI & PLC Programming, Technology Migration
Technology
Allen Bradley Powerflex VFDs
Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC
Allen Bradley Panelview Plus
Focus
Decrease production fluctuations
Update equipment to modern standards
Incorporate recipe management