Columbia Automation Systems recently completed a laminator upgrade project that included the addition of a new extruder, laminating station, and unwind stand to an existing laminating line. The customer chose many different vendors for their individual areas of expertise. Columbia Automation Systems was chosen for our tremendous integration and coordinated drive systems experience. Our portion of the project was to provide new drives, programmable controllers, and HMIs, to coordinate the different vendors' integration efforts, and to work closely with the customer while incorporating the new equipment into the existing control system.
The original system was comprised of Allen-Bradley PLC5s, ABB PAD drives, an ABB gauging system, CTC Interact HMI for drive setpoints, and a Genesis HMI for supervisory control of Eurotherm 808 single loop temperature controllers. New equipment chosen by the customer included Allen-Bradley PanelViews, a ControlLogix controller, Flex I/O, RKC SRMini temperature controllers, and an updated ABB gauging system. CAS provided new ABB DCS600 drives and enclosures, ControlLogix controllers, RSView32 HMIs with touchscreens, and associated modifications to the original equipment.
CAS designed a system that united all of the existing and new equipment with a variety of communication networks. The existing PLC5s were configured in adapter mode as Remote I/O to the ControlLogix. The new ABB gauging system and ABB DCS600 drives were connected to the ControlLogix through a Profibus interface, the SST-PFB-CLX from SST. The ControlLogix controllers and PanelViews were connected on ControlNet. Ethernet was used for the HMI connection. A DHRIO card connected the new equipment to the existing plant programming loop. Existing RS-422 serial single-loop temperature controllers were incorporated into the system using Prosoft Technology's MVI56-GSC generic serial module. The new RKC temperature controllers were incorporated with RS-422, as well.
CAS provided on-site project management services throughout the project. By working closely with the customer, we were able to identify issues before they became problems, and helped to ensure a successful start-up. We worked with production, maintenance, and operations personnel prior to, during and after the start-up to make sure the customer received the features and functionality they wanted. Small group training sessions were provided for operators and maintenance personnel on the new system.
The new system is powerful and flexible, yet designed to incorporate as much from the original system as was possible and beneficial. The HMI is easy to use and controls are familiar to the operators. Maintenance personnel can browse the entire network from their office. Production personnel have access to all system data for production reports. The system was designed to also provide a migration path for the legacy equipment. CAS was instrumental in creating a complete system by merging the different vendors' equipment and engineering efforts with the existing system to fulfill the needs of the customer.
Contact Don Ruoff for more information.