Keeping accurate tabs on cooking oil consumption
October 2001
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Simba Foods recently contracted Ana-Digi Systems to construct and program an intelligent PLC system to route and log the flow of cooking oil in its Parow, production facility.
The oil for the four production lines is pumped into and stored in three main tanks and two reserve tanks. Tank levels are monitored by loadcell and ultrasonic measurement equipment, with production line routing being effected by 18 butterfly valves. Oil inflow is measured in litres via a flowmeter common to all tanks. A second flowmeter measures the consumption of oil to the soft extrusion (SE) line. By utilisation of inflow and outflow information and current tank quantities, accurate records can be kept of oil consumption on all lines. Pump and valve sequencing is selected on a LG PMU 200 HMI connected to a LG GM6 rack-mounted PLC, while tank level and mass values are retransmitted from the measurement equipment to two analog input modules on the same PLC.
The tank content inflow and consumption values appear on the HMI enabling accurate record keeping to be realised. Value sequencing grids were set up on easily understood screens. A flow selection then automatically excludes any illegal valve or pump combination. As the sequencing is correlated with the pipeline versus product information, accurate records of individual line consumption can be interpolated.
Tank level screen
It is the intention of Simba management to tie oil consumption records to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet at a later date. The facility is available via an OPC server or DDE link. After three months, the system has performed impeccably, so much so, that expansion of the system is being contemplated to accommodate additional storage tanks handling maize flour.
Usage screen
Abbreviations used on screens:
PC - Potato chips
NN - Nik-Naks
FR - Fritos
SE - Soft extrusion
Ra - Reserve storage tank A
Rb - Reserve storage tank B
Ana-Digi Systems
(021) 948 1452
[email protected]
www.anadigi.co.za
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