Simple solution for wood-cutting application
November 2000
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
A customer wanted to control the feed rate of lumber into a saw to maintain efficient speed without loading down the saw motor. A Red Lion motor drive controller was used to implement this function.
The saw blade runs at a maximum speed of 2200 rpm and at this speed the conveyor should feed the lumber at a rate of 3 m per minute. The MDC is used in the follower mode. The saw blade is driven by a shaft which has a 60 tooth gear; this is used as the lead input. The feedback signal will be provided by a 120 ppr encoder that uses a 300 mm circumference wheel riding directly on the conveyor that feeds the lumber. The MDC effectively monitors the saw and conveyor speed and adjusts its 0-10 V output to increase or decrease the conveyor speed accordingly. The customer also opted to use the two standard alarm outputs of the MDC. One was programmed as zero speed to inform the operator if the conveyor had stopped moving by turning on a light. The customer programmed the other alarm as a deviation alarm to warn the operators if the blade loading exceeded its limit, by turning on a buzzer. To eliminate the need for external pushbuttons, the front panel F1 and F2 keys were programmed for run and stop respectively.
Further reading:
Advanced DCSs preserve what must not change while enabling
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Next-generation DCSs, such as Schneider Electric’s Foxboro, are preserving the best of the old while introducing the new in a less disruptive manner.
Read more...
DCS for maximum plant efficiency and reliability
ABB South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has introduced SPR2025, the latest Symphony Plus DCS package release to enable modernisation and efficient performance for the process and power industries.
Read more...
Robust PLC for field applications
ifm - South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ifm is a leading suppliers of robust control systems for mobile use. Its ecomat series comprises PLCs, I/O modules and sensors that can withstand the harsh environmental influences of mobile applications.
Read more...
ABB’s new flagship DCS
ABB South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has launched the latest version of its flagship distributed control system, to help industrial operators modernise without disruption and accelerate their path toward next generation automation.
Read more...
Adroit Technologies drives global SCADA for Iochpe-Maxion
Adroit Technologies
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Adroit Technologies has been appointed by Iochpe-Maxion, parent company of one of the world’s largest wheel manufacturers and producers of structural components in the Americas, as its global SCADA partner. The partnership will standardise operational visibility, reliability and control across 34 manufacturing facilities worldwide.
Read more...
Extended DCS enables industrial innovation with continuity
ABB South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has introduced its Automation Extended programme, a strategic evolution of its distributed control systems (DCS), designed to help industries modernise without disruption.
Read more...
Valmet’s automation powers world’s largest air-to-water heat pump
Valmet South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Valmet will supply an automation system for Helen’s Patola air-to-water heat pump plant and two electric boilers currently being built in Helsinki, Finland. When completed, the air-to-water heat pump plant will be the largest in the world with a full heating production capacity around 30 MW.
Read more...
All eyes on the modern DCS platform
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Modernised DCS platforms are no longer confined to hardware-dependent architectures. These systems have evolved to combine the strengths of both PLCs and DCS while adding capabilities that make them more open, resilient and collaborative.
Read more...
Automation solution for waste management at incineration facility
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Valmet is to deliver an automation system to Seongnam City’s incineration facility currently under construction in South Korea. By leveraging intelligent automation, the plant will optimise energy production, minimise emissions and deliver efficient, consistent performance throughout its entire lifecycle.
Read more...
Valmet’s supplies DCS to Europe’s largest electric boiler plant
Valmet South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Valmet will supply an automation system to Helen’s Hanasaari electric boiler plant and a thermal accumulator being built in Helsinki, Finland. Once completed, it will be Europe’s largest electric boiler plant.
Read more...
printer friendly version