B&R keeps BMW building
June 2008
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Since the beginning of series production over 100 000 BMW 3 series sedans have come off the line at the Bavarian car manufacturer’s newest plant in Leipzig. Control technology from B&R contributed to this success by executing a smooth commissioning of the building services.
Breaking new ground
BMW’s goal for its new building services technology was to create an efficient, reliable, and safe system to monitor, control, and drive the technical systems in its Leipzig plant. In the process, the company broke new ground by selecting uniform technology to be used consistently throughout the entire facilities.
The challenging task facing the control technology was no less comprehensive: It would have to handle a facility-wide network of more than 53 000 real data points - from sources such as sensors, actuators, and measurement systems - and more than 70 000 virtual data points - such as data from the PLCs. In addition to heating, ventilating, and airconditioning offices and production halls, the system would have to use collected information to distribute power, turn lighting on and off according to a time controlled and energy saving schedule, and provide media necessary for production such as water and air pressure at the right locations and in the right quantities.
B&R preferred
During an intensive evaluation phase, BMW experts tested and evaluated solutions from a number of measurement and control technology providers. In addition, the supplier was required to provide any necessary training to Cegelec Anlagen, the company hired to manufacture the automation systems for the plant. B&R’s automation technology prevailed in this demanding evaluation, and the company was named as the preferred supplier of measurement and control technology in the area of building services. This means that automation solutions from the Austrian specialists will now be the preferred standard for construction of new plants and renovation of existing locations.
BMW was confident that they had chosen a reliable partner with robust products, since they had already been successfully implementing B&R technology for years. These years of cooperation over numerous projects convinced BMW of the reliability of B&R controllers and the potential for connecting them to the control software planned for Leipzig: zenOn from Copa-Data. Configuring and preparing the systems in Leipzig proved to be a simple process, since BMW was already familiar with the necessary hardware and drivers. Kurt Fingerhut, project manager for Building Systems at Cegelec confirms: “Drivers for the B&R controllers were implemented in the control system without any problems whatsoever.”
For more information contact Chris Simpson, Klare Technologies, +27 (0)41 503 9900, [email protected], www.klaretech.com
Further reading:
Innovating control and display solutions
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Mimic Group, founded in 1971, started with electronic and mimic displays before expanding into control desks, software and display electronics.
Read more...
ABB technology for greater circularity in metals and mining industries
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has been selected by GreenIron, an innovative Swedish company working in the mining and metals industries with its patented materials reduction technology, to provide automation and control system solutions for a first commercial facility in Sandviken, Sweden.
Read more...
EtherCAT Box modules for confined spaces
Beckhoff Automation
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Users of EtherCAT and EtherCAT P Box modules from Beckhoff’s EP and EPP series benefit from 25 years of IP67 expertise in the I/O sector. The broad product range for decentralised distribution of the I/O level directly at the machine or system has been continuously expanded and further developed during this time.
Read more...
ABB updates distributed control system
ABB South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Leveraging 30 years of continuous innovation and reliability, ABB’s updated Freelance 2024 distributed control system (DCS) offers greater plant adaptability, faster and more reliable device communication, improved system security, and seamless data exchange.
Read more...
Four ways modern operations control can boost sustainability and efficiency
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
With the growing importance of digital transformation, HMIs and scada have evolved from control panels to vast operational hubs. Next-gen HMI/scada can bring together data, personalisation, and advanced insights to successfully achieve organisational goals, it is important to think about HMI/scada holistically within the operations ecosystem.
Read more...
The convergence of intelligence: DCS, SCADA and TLC
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
In the early days of industrialisation, control systems were primarily mechanical, and relied on manual intervention and simple feedback loops to manage processes. Now, in the 21st century, industrial process automation systems are mind-blowingly intelligent, and provide almost unparalleled control and monitoring capabilities, making them integral to modern industrial systems.
Read more...
PC-based control for advanced hydrogen storage technology
Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
The proportion of renewable energies from solar, wind and water is rising continuously. However, sufficient storage options are of the essence to use these energies as efficiently as possible. GKN Hydrogen offers a particularly compact and safe option, low-pressure metal hydride hydrogen storage systems with PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...
ABB modernises key board mill
ABB South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has secured a landmark contract to modernise Smurfit Kappa’s Paper Machine 5 at its corrugated cardboard mill near Mexico City. ABB will provide Smurfit Kappa with DCS, accompanied by a comprehensive paper machine drives system, encompassing some of the market’s most advanced drives and motors meticulously designed to optimise PM5’s performance.
Read more...
The synapses of the distributed control system
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Industrial operations require a distributed control system (DCS) to coordinate and control their process subsystems in real time. Like the brain, a DCS is a multitasking maestro, controlling and coordinating complex processes in a myriad of industrial setting such as large manufacturing plants, providing valuable top-down control.
Read more...
Modular assembly platform for clean manufacturing
Beckhoff Automation
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
JR Automation delivers custom automated solutions for numerous industries. It has done this through its scalable, modular automation platform, FlexChassis, which speeds up time to market while cutting costs. The company chose the XTS linear transport system from Beckhoff because of its speed, and modular design that allows for multiple configurations.
Read more...
printer friendly version