Festo was a recent core contributor in the successful upgrade of a large beverage bottling plant in Gauteng. The company became involved in the project in the first quarter of 2010 by supplying a state-of-the-art control valve terminal for use in the processing plant’s control and monitoring system and was subsequently present from concept phase through to installation and commissioning.
“The system is specifically designed to bridge the gap between electronics and pneumatics. The MPA FB-VI terminal not only improves the plant's cost efficiency, but also maximises its productivity,” says Peter Mulock-Houwer, sales engineer, Festo.
The MPA FB-VI valve terminal is designed to be configured to suit the end-user’s individual requirements exactly. This means that the user is free to choose the performance rates, features and communication methods, prior to the valve terminal being integrated into the plant’s processing system. This feature also saves time during installation and commissioning, resulting in lower costs for the end-user.
The compact design of the terminal also allows over 100 valves to be fitted into the panel, with room to spare for future expansion. The valves on the terminal are only 10 mm wide and provide a flow rate of 350 litres per minute, thus reducing the number of panels required to produce the same level of performance as larger valve terminals.
The MPA FB-VI acts as a pneumatic control block that controls the process actuators throughout the plant. The ball and valve actuators are used to control the flow of the product from the manufacturing point right through to the packaging section of the plant.
Festo added value to the project by building the panels to near-completion in its own workshop and then delivering an already tested product. In addition to providing free software and GSD system files, it also agreed to supply all the documentation required for maintenance and operation.
“Constant communication with the customer and end-user, as well as understanding each participant’s requirements completely enabled us to supply a superior service,” says Mulock-Houwer. “Despite tight delivery schedules, several changes in design and installation requirements, the project was completed within eight months.”
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