Bay Plastics Machinery, a pelletizing equipment manufacturer, has entered the smart factory arena with its S.M.A.R.T. Control Pelletizing System, which monitors and analyzes system performance, stores recipes and provides tools for training workers.
The system combines concepts from two types of control systems — supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and a distributed control system (DCS) — into what Eric Misiak, electrical controls engineer at Bay Plastics Machinery, calls a “dynamic platform.”
A SCADA system gives a broad supervisory view over many separate machines, focusing on monitoring, alarming and data trending. A DCS provides real-time, tightly coordinated control of machinery across a unified process.
The S.M.A.R.T. Control is housed on the line’s pelletizer but also controls downstream auxiliary equipment. Depending on the configuration, that equipment can include water baths, air knives, dryers, water slides, blower skids, conveyors and pump skids.
The system has changed substantially since Bay Plastics Machinery debuted it at NPE about two years ago, Misiak said. At that time, it was “really kind of our first prototype,” he said. Since then, the company has been expanding the platform to cover more of its equipment.
“The concept here is that we have a lot of machines and downstream extrusion, and with this new S.M.A.R.T. system, we can just plug and play any type of line configuration,” Misiak said.
The acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for System, Monitoring, Analysis, Recipes and Training.
Smart tools include data storage and graphical trend displays. Operators can review historical data and trends and use the information to make fine adjustments, Misiak said,
The control stores recipes, which can speed changeovers and startups. Once an operator has a process running smoothly, the process settings can be saved and recalled later.
“Rather than having to turn a bunch of manual knobs and dialing it every time you're on the process, you can pull that information up and run it exactly the same way every time,” Misiak said.
Event logging records starts, stops, emergency stops, faults and other errors in real time, creating a history that operators and maintenance personnel can use to investigate problems.
A diagnostic screen gives maintenance personnel access to information from the machine's fieldbus. Misiak says the information can allow Bay Plastics Machinery personnel to troubleshoot problems remotely.
S.M.A.R.T. also stores machine maintenance and troubleshooting documentation, including training videos and drawings. A 3D model of the specific machine is stored on the machine and can be used to identify components and part numbers, potentially making it easier to order replacement parts, Misiak said.
Contact:
Bay Plastics Machinery, Bay City, Mich., 989-671-9630, www.bayplasticsmachinery.com
