Small PLC - impressive task
January 2001
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Ana-Digi Systems was required to solve a particularly difficult problem at Coca-Cola's Western Cape bottling franchise, Peninsula Beverage Co. The object was to determine whether the Coca-Cola crates actually contained the required number of capped bottles.
This problem in itself would not have been too difficult to solve had the bottles all been upright as would be expected. The real issue was that the bottles canted off at angles of 20° or more in different directions as the bottles fitted into pockets at their base only. This made bottle and cap detection seemingly impossible as the first row of bottles infringed on the area occupied by the second row in the crate.
After much thought and experimentation with different specialised wide angle opto sensors, the problem was eventually solved by using two standard fixed focal length diffuse sensors per bottle cap, 'ORRED' in a LG GM7 PLC controlling two lanes of crates.
The versatile and powerful processing capability of this PLC allowed Ana-Digi to solve the problem efficiently. After completion, watching the crates pass under the sensors, with the bottles lying this way and that, it is amazing to witness and difficult to believe the flawless detection of the bottles.
The client is now able to certify that every crate in the store is full, thereby negating claims by delivery personnel that they were short supplied.
For more information contact Ana-Digi Systems, 021 948 1452, [email protected]
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