Packaging automation creates a safe environment for food

With the ever-changing market and social levels, food safety issues are facing unprecedented challenges. Whether it is consumers’ thirst for product quality or changes in industry regulations, they are all promoting the constant improvement of food companies to ensure the production of high-quality products. In order to create a safe environment for food and production processes, the automated packaging model has received more and more attention and welcome.

At present, based on the automation concepts of SIMATIC R and PROFIBUS, a new generation of packaging systems has applied new productivity and has reached higher standards in both quality and flexibility. Whether it's drugs, instant coffee, or cereals and sugar, you can package goods and ingredients quickly, and if you want, you can even put bags in boxes.

The new packaging system is typically used as a dedicated system for investing in special products that can form, fill, and seal up to 1,000 flat sheet packages per minute on eight lines. Of course, if necessary, you can also put the bag into the box.

The most important part of the process is flexibility. The system can quickly switch to different bag sizes and different package sizes. Moreover, many users who have used the system have already deliberately considered the so-called "just in time" standard, that is, they only need to produce and package enough products for the next transportation load. This is certainly possible with powerful automation technology.

The packaging system benefits from the use of SIMATIC S7 (PLC), SIMATIC HMI (Human Machine Interface), SIMODRIVE 611 Siemens automation and drive technology, and the network through the PROFIBUS components of the SIMATIC NET production line.

The centerpiece of the new packaging system is the SIMATIC S7-400 DP, which manages the CP433 extended communication processor as a PROFIBUS and performs all communication tasks, thus offloading the programmable controller central processor.

To ensure high accuracy and maximum packaging power, communication is also separated between the two 12 Mbaud PROFIBUS bus sections. This ensures the bus cycle time, even within the maximum number of network communications, within the safety margin. One of the encoders in the bus (between 10 and 15) is used for the individual axis of the SIMATIC S7 programmable controller. Positioning.

The operating variables of the S7s internal positioning control are passed as similar values ​​to the SIMODRIVE 611 drive. Its standard size system usually sets the average to 20 to ensure proper dynamic performance.

The high computing power of the SIMATIC Central Processor and the division of the system bus make it possible to control some standard performance and vibration and free positioning response times within 3 milliseconds. These quasi-functions and vibrations refer to all the connecting shafts. Some axes are electronically connected to each other (master-slave operation), so that there is no need to pay a big price for using mechanical connecting elements, such as coupling or spools. Moreover, because they allow the change of the operation buttons, the positioning of the shaft is made more precise and more flexible. Angle synchronization makes it possible to fully synchronize the axes.
In addition to at least two and up to eight high-precision weighing cells, several controllable pneumatic valve groups (FESTO) and the SIMATIC TP37 touch panel are connected to the second PROFIBUS section. Sensors and brakes are integrated via the ET 200B distributed I/O module with typical 200-bit inputs and 100-bit outputs (digital and analog values). If necessary, additional frequency converters with PROFIBUS functionality can be connected via this section.

In HMI, packaging also takes an innovative approach. On the SIMATIC TP37 touch panel, touch-sensitive display graphics and easy-to-understand text can be used to guide the operator in machining, and they always show only the current and the most obvious steps. Searching for the correct soft keys, function keys, and cursor control keys is also done by minimizing potential operating errors.

The experts of the packaging system believe that the vertical flow of information flowing within the company is an increasingly important information, both from the management level and the product level, and it is the concept of distributed automation that we have so far adopted. The only way to connect with the field of information technology.

The packaging system is one of the first users of the new CP443-1 information technology communications processor and it establishes a simple and effective connection from SIMATIC S7-400 to intranet users (Ethernet) or the Internet. It can assume the required population privilege on a corporate network or on the Internet, via any standard PC web browser controlling the packaging system. Many departments, such as the purchasing department, can determine the number of products that are currently needed through the buttons, making the command operation easier. CP443-1 information technology can also make S7 into the email server. In this way, service support technicians can automatically send emails when a problem occurs.

In short, the automation concepts of SIMATIC, PROFIBUS and SIMATIC IT (information technology) emphasize the company's "not just packaging" to users!

Source: China Food Industry