May 30, 2019
Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition AG specializes in the manufacture of foods made from ingredients such as milk, oilseed and cereals. In its new 30-meter high production facility, Tower 9, the Swiss company processes around 75 million liters of milk to produce some 30,000 tons of baby food every year. Ensuring that the resulting milk powder has just right final consistency without being either too powdery or too liquid, precise process control is vital. Here, Hochdorf has opted to rely on modern technology from Siemens, which enables reliable 24-hour monitoring of the plant and seamless traceability of the entire production process. The company has also been able to substantially shorten its commissioning times by using Siemens simulation software.
In Tower 9, the concentrated homogenized milk arrives from the mixing area at a pressure of 25 bar, is finely atomized and then pulverized by a hot air current as it drops. During this process, 663 digital and 637 analog sensors continuously capture relevant process data such as pressure and temperature levels. The required drive output is provided by 300 motors, and 1700 fans control the air currents. A plant of this complexity with all its different components calls for failsafe, reliable and sophisticated automation technology. The solution used is a standardized system landscape supplied by Siemens.
Reliable automation of a highly complex system
A total of ten Simatic S7 controllers and 64 Simatic ET 200SP distributed I/Os are used for closed and open-loop control of the overall process. These communicate using a ring structure Profinet network. Profinet is an open Industrial Ethernet standard for reliable network communication. Use of the “shared device” function enables two thirds of the I/O modules to be actuated by both types of controller, permitting flexible system configuration. Two failsafe Simatic S7-315F controllers are in charge of safety technology and ensure controlled shutdown of the plant in case of a fault. Visualization of all the different processes is performed using a Simatic WinCC Scada (Supervisory Control and Data) system and 16 thin client-based Simatic ITC 2200 operator stations.
Reliable advance testing using simulation
The Siemens solution partner Tophinke Automation & Gebäudetechnik AG, which was responsible for the automation, electrical planning and installation of the new production plant, used Simit simulation software to enable advance virtual testing of the complex functions taking place in Tower 9. “Our simulation process enabled us to trial the system virtually in-house at Tophinke, and so uncover any possible sources of software error before the physical installation took place,” says Heinz Thönen, Project Manager at Tophinke. This meant cutting the time needed for actual software commissioning by half.
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Editor's Pick: Featured Article
Cables and wires in industrial robots and other moving machine parts are often required to withstand extreme stresses caused by torsion. Constant repetitive movements put materials under considerable strain. At the same time, operators expect components to function perfectly and reliably throughout their entire service life to avoid disruptions, outages and safety hazards.
For this reason, at HELUKABEL, we simulate intensive and continuous torsion stresses under realistic conditions with our high-tech testing equipment in Windsbach. We have several types of apparatus for doing this because some of our customers, for example those in the automotive industry, have very precise specifications for how a torsion test is carried out. The tests show that our cables and wires withstand speeds up to 1,000°/s, accelerations up to 2,000°/s² and torsion angles up to 720°. Hence, we make sure that each product always meets our customers’ high standards, and that they receive the impeccable quality they rightly expect from us as a leading supplier of cables, wires and accessories for more than 40 years.
What Is Torsion?
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With Canadian manufacturing suffering from a growing labour shortage, the participation of industry in skills development is emerging as a vital component in hiring and retention.
The needs are stark: The Canadian Exporters and Manufacturers Association says almost 40% of its members have jobs they can’t fill. Five years from now, 60% expect to be short-staffed, especially when it comes to skilled trades. Statistics Canada forecasts the country’s labour force growth rate will remain below 0.2% for the rest of the decade, below replacement levels.
This growing shortage is affecting companies of all sizes. Already, some manufacturers acknowledge losing out on contracts because they can’t find the manpower to fulfill them.
In reality, the challenge is two-fold: to replenish and expand the workforce to help close the gap between the number of job seekers and vacancies through 2030 when the last baby boomers reach age 65, and ensure workers get opportunities throughout their careers to upgrade or add to their skillset as current technologies evolve and new ones emerge. Festo, through Festo Didactic, one of the world leading provider of equipment and solutions for technical education, intends to help Canada meet this challenge on both fronts. In essence, the approach Festo has always taken is that the learning never stops.
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New Product
Emerson recently introduced the ASCO™ Series 209 proportional flow control valves, which offer the highest standards of precision, pressure ratings, flow characteristics and energy efficiency available in a purpose-built, compact architecture. With this combination of size and performance, Series 209 valves allow users to precisely regulate the flow of fluid in a wide range of devices that require exacting performance, like those found in the medical equipment, food and beverage, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industries.
Accuracy, response time and repeatability are critical in high-precision flow control applications, such as controlling tool speed in dental chairs, the flow of steam in coffee makers, water flow in cooling systems and hydrogen flow in fuel cells. Series 209 valves have low hysteresis (less than or equal to 5%), excellent repeatability (less than or equal to 1%) and high sensitivity (less than or equal to 0.2%) that contribute to their precision.
To find out more, click here
Featured Product
Teledyne FLIR Integrated Imaging Solutions is pleased to announce the all new Ladybug6— the latest addition to its field proven Ladybug series. Ladybug6 is the leading high-resolution camera designed to capture 360-degree spherical images from moving platforms in all-weather conditions. Its industrial grade design and out-of-the-box factory calibration produces 72 Megapixel (MP) images with pixel values that are spatially accurate within +/- 2 mm at 10-meter distance.
“The new Teledyne Ladybug6 is designed for mobile mapping and all-weather inspection projects requiring excellent image quality and high resolution,” said Mike Lee, Senior Product Manager at Teledyne FLIR. “With the addition of Ladybug6, we are now pleased to offer a wider variety of spherical cameras with higher resolutions ranging from 30 MP to 72 MP.”
To learn more, click here
