The CFT Group designs and builds production lines and turnkey systems primarily for the food and beverages industry. One of its customers, Menz & Gasser, which specialises in producing and packaging preserves and honey in portions for hotels, restaurants and catering, had CFT develop a rotary filling plant to a very high specification. The plant was to meet strict safety requirements and increase production capacities, while being exceptionally user-friendly. Key elements were extreme ease of maintenance of the machines, ideally during operation. To achieve this, CFT turned to motion control solutions from the Siemens portfolio. This ensured that not only were the customer’s strict safety requirements satisfied but the cost for planning and commissioning each individual machine could be reduced by approximately 30% due to the Siemens technology.
One of the key factors in the filling process for Menz & Gasser is safety – for both plants and employees. This is particularly important when employees, for example, have to have access to the interior of the machines during the filling process for monitoring or maintenance purposes. “It is very important for us that we provide a guarantee to operators that they can work safely when the protective enclosure is raised,” explains Ruggero Zanco, the manager responsible for industrial automation at Menz & Gasser, “and the use of up-to-date solutions from Siemens is the primary reason we are able to meet this requirement.”
Up to 30% cost saving
The basic precondition for safe intervention is precise throttling of the speed and control of the torque. “It is not only parts moving within the machine that pose a danger but also the liquids used to clean and sterilise it,” says Filippo Tedeschi, filler and seamer automation manager at CFT. The CFT experts therefore turned to the extended functionalities of the Siemens Simotion motion control system to complete this demanding task. The motion control ensures that not only do all the axes inside the machine come to a complete standstill when an operator intervenes, but that they also retain their position and start up again quickly and efficiently once the work is finished. Project planning is carried out in the TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) Portal engineering framework. “Thanks to TIA Portal and its associated software solutions and diagnostic tools, we have succeeded in reducing the working hours for planning and commissioning by approximately 30 percent for each individual machine,” explains Tedeschi.
The next step – up into the cloud
Tedeschi can see potential and benefits from the installed Siemens technology in areas other than just commissioning: “The expanded diagnostics mean we can offer a significantly more efficient after-sales service for our customers for both test runs and customer service itself.” CFT is also using the condition monitoring system for predictive maintenance and is now planning the next steps. According to Tedeschi: “The next project we would like to tackle with Siemens is using its MindSphere cloud solution to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of our performance even further by processing and monitoring the vast quantities of data our machines produce. This will allow us to improve our machine quality even further and launch more innovative machines onto the market.”
Modernising acid cooler protection without disrupting production Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Omniflex has supplied an advanced anodic protection control system to phosphate producer Foskor, replacing a legacy transformer rectifier system while maintaining uninterrupted production. The distributed PowerView CP solution provides remote monitoring and DCS integration.
Read more...Engineering partnership delivers longer life for vibrating feeders in mining
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
: OST-Africa’s combination of VISAM vibrating motors and advanced rubber mounting technology has helped Euro Sales achieve a 30 to 40% increase in component life on vibrating feeders at several major mining operations, with zero mount failures in the first 12 months.
Read more...Sinamics G210X for advanced pump, fan and compressor applications Siemens South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens has introduced the Sinamics G210X, a frequency converter for pump, fan and compressor applications combining easy engineering, IP55 protection and integrated S2 system redundancy for reliable operation in demanding infrastructure environments.
Read more...Siemens software scales with Simple Energy EV development Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
: Simple Energy, an Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturer, has expanded its use of Siemens Xcelerator software to manage complex vehicle variants and enterprise-level bills of materials, accelerating product development as its EV portfolio scales.
Read more...When oil can’t take the heat
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Unlike the slow ageing of oxidation, thermal breakdown is the sudden chemical collapse of a lubricant under excessive heat. Steven Lumley of WearCheck explains how it happens, where it strikes, and how oil analysis detects it.
Read more...Mini data loggers for temperature and humidity monitoring
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Testo’s range of four compact data loggers covers temperature and humidity monitoring for storage, refrigeration and transport applications, with USB-C or Bluetooth connectivity and capacity for up to 16 000 readings.
Read more...Alternative fuels for cutting, brazing, soldering and heating
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Bolt and Engineering Distributors, as an authorised distributor for the Harris Products Group, is helping South African industries transition from acetylene to safer, more cost-effective alternative fuels for cutting, brazing, soldering and heating applications.
Read more...Rethinking corrosion protection in process plants Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Remote monitoring is changing how cathodic and anodic protection systems are managed in process plants, giving operators continuous visibility of corrosion protection performance and enabling more proactive maintenance decisions.
Read more...Installation safety tester Vepac Electronics
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
A combination measuring device for testing electrical installations, offering safety tests including RCD, voltage, loop, low-resistance, earth resistance and insulation checks via a 3,5-inch TFT colour display.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version