Distributed I/O for Food Equipment
Product customization
Peerless Machinery Corporation’s Peerless provides integrated systems for its customers, such as dough handling systems that move dough from the mixer to make-up and forming equipment.
The first obstacle Peerless faced was standardizing on a network protocol that would synchronize all systems in order for them to operate in tandem. EtherNet/IP was the network protocol that Peerless chose to use because it provides tighter control and helped Peerless streamline operations. “We see EtherNet/IP as the emerging standard, as it is gaining worldwide acceptance in the industrial sector,” says Eric Cruse, Controls Engineer with Peerless. “We also wanted a system that would allow expansion of diagnostic information and provide an open platform for our customers.” Although implementing EtherNet/IP gave the company tighter control, Peerless still had a centralized cabinet full of drives and PLCs, and was running lines of conduit with hard-wired cables from its machines to the controllers. Because of the layout of the plant floor, the lines of conduit can be up to 250 feet long, and are sometimes routed to a different floor in the plant altogether.
Another challenge for the company is maintaining a clean manufacturing environment without harming the components that keep the plant up and running. Since all of Peerless’ applications are used in the food industry, it is imperative that the machines remain sanitary. High pressure, high temperature washdowns, often using harsh cleaning agents, are necessary to maintain a sterile working environment.
Implementing standard I/O
To address these issues, Peerless chose to implement distributed I/O to remove the main control panel away from the potentially harsh environment. The company accomplished this by creating substations on each machine using Turck USA’s BL20 EtherNet/IP terminal-wired I/O. BL 20 is an IP 20-rated I/O designed for cabinet installation, and provides the company with the local control it needs on the plant floor without the primary control panel. “We chose to use Turck’s BL20 line because it’s easy to troubleshoot at the machine,” adds Cruse. Peerless also uses Turck NEMA4X rated junction boxes within the distributed I/O structure, and runs all localized sensors and other equipment through these boxes.
Each substation contains one BL20 system that maintains control for one machine, and utilizes Turck fully connectorized cordsets to transfer information from the substation to the main control cabinet. By doing this, Peerless no longer needs to run long lines of conduit and hard-wire each machine to the main control cabinet. “Converting to distributed I/O has cut in-plant installation time in half,” adds Cruse.
- Automobile
- Press Shop – Tool Identification
- Sheet Metal Thickness Measurement
- Body Shop – Welding Nut Detection
- Paint Shop – Skid Identification
- Area Guarding for Robotic Cells
- Final Assembly – Robot Assembly
- Inspection of Tips on a Welder
- Final Assembly – Diagnosis of Leaks
- Tier 1 – Bumper Identification
- Manual Feeding in Weld Cell
- Powertrain – Contactless Verification
- Body Detection in Automobile Production
- Detecting Black Parts on Black Door Panel
- Moonroof Clear Glass Detection
- Long-Range Inspection in Automotive Assembly
- Rubber Washer Detection on Engine Block
- Engine Block Part-In-Place Detection
- Electric Vehicle Detection in Charging Station
- Vehicle Detection in a Self-Serve Car Wash
- SUCCESS STORIES
- RFID Guides AGV in Suspension Production
- IO-Link Wired Silencer Production
- Workpiece Carrier Identification in Rear Vent Production
- Weld Nut Sensing
- RFID Traceability
- RFID in Engine Production
- Bumper Production with Identification
- Solutions for Paint Shops
- Welding and Assembly Sensors
- Angle Sensors for Assembly Systems
- Tool Identification
- RFID Identification of Injector Nozzles
- RFID in the Body Shop
- IO-Link Eases Differential Gear Production
- Pick-to-Light for Bumper Assembly
- RFID and I/O Modules for Safe Tool Changes
- Ply Orientation Inspection
- Chimie
- Detection of Pigs
- Remote Signal I/O
- Easy Connection of Field Devices
- Remote Tank Level Monitoring with DX70
- Signal Processing with System I/O in the Control Cabinet
- Signal Separation with Interface Technology in the Control Cabinet
- Identification of Hose Connections
- Efficient Monitoring of Cabinets in the Field
- Monitoring of Quarter Turn Actuators
- Planning and Assembly of System Solutions
- Success Stories
- I/O System Excom Creates Space in the I&C Rooms
- Zone 2 and 22 RFID
- Efficient Testing Control
- Intrinsically Safe Field Communication
- Process Control System Partnership
- Hazardous Area Remote I/O
- Dual Valve Position Feedback
- Flexibility with Fieldbus
- Asset Management with Remote I/O
- Correct Positioning with RFID in Carbide Production
- Energie
- Agro-alimentaire
- Dough Height Inspection for Accurate Measurement
- Dough Thickness Control in Rolling Machines
- Leading Edge Detection of Plastic Container
- Identification of Food Containers
- Date/Lot Code Verification
- Container Check
- Detection of Valve Position
- Barcode Reading on Depalletizer Station
- Reliable Cap Orientation Verification in Aseptic Areas
- Detection of Pipe Elbows
- Clear and Tipped Bottle Detection on Depalletizer
- Clear Plastic Bottle Detection
- Identification of Chocolate Moulds
- Frozen Food Packaging Label Inspection
- In-Line Bottle Accumulation on Single Filer
- Detecting Refrigerated Breakfast Rolls on a Multi-Lane Conveyor
- Success Stories
- Track and Trace in Meat Production with RFID
- Contact-free Encoder in Potato Production
- UHF RFID in Food Distribution Center
- RFID for Chocolate production
- Distributed I/O for Food Equipment
- Remote I/O for Distilleries
- RFID and Autoclaves
- IP67 Power Supplies for Conveyors
- Transparency in Chocolate Manufacturing
- Identification in Food Product Storage
- Equipement Mobile
- Distribution Lines for Field Sprayers
- Loading Dock Occupancy Monitoring
- Measuring the Ground Clearance on a Field Sprayer
- Monitoring Railcars Wheels Wirelessly
- Reach Stacker Status With Bright Lighting Indicators
- Angle Measurement on a Field Sprayer
- Determining the Boom Angle Position
- Material Flow Monitoring on a Combine Harvester
- Vehicle at Loading Dock
- Equipment Compartment Illumination on Fire Engines
- Wireless Forklift Signaling
- Two-Axis Tilt Measurement on a Combine Harvester
- Success Stories
- Position Measurement with RFID and Encoder
- Speed Control via Radar Sensor QT50
- RFID Guides AGV in Suspension Production
- Block I/O Modules on Super Yacht
- Wear-free Encoder on Hopper Dredger
- I/O for Dust Suppression
- Cabinet Cooling
- Quick Disconnect Connectivity
- Automation Solutions for Extreme Cold
- Remote I/O for Cranes
- Rugged Heavy Metal Lifting
- Rollercoaster Positioning
- Mobile Machinery Solutions
- Exact Height Positioning
- Critical Angle Sensing
- Angle Sensor Detects Platform Lift
- Predictive Maintenance of Machine Parts at Port-Based Coal Conveying Facility
- Pétrole et Gaz
- Emballage
- Identification of Printing Color Cartridges
- Reliable Operation of Machines
- Monitoring of Caps in Filling Lines
- Monitoring Changeover Processes
- Identification of Test Bottles
- Level Monitoring of Ground Coffee
- Box Insert Detection
- Carton Dimensioning
- Clear Container Detection
- Correct Label Verification
- Detecting Different Size Packages on a Conveyor
- High-Speed 2D Barcode Inspection
- Multicolored Reflective Package Detection
- Plastic Roll Diameter Measurement
- Tube Positioning Using a Registration Mark
- Vertical Form Fill Seal Machine Solutions
- Success Stories
- Pharma
- Monitoring of Quarter Turn Actuators
- Detection of Pipe Elbows
- High-Speed Tablet Counting With Fiber Amplifier
- Remote Signal I/O
- Planning and Construction of Super Skids
- I.V. Bag Liquid Detection
- Easy Connection of Field Devices
- Identification of Portable Tanks
- Identification of Cryovessels
- Identification of Mobile Containers
- Liquid Level Monitoring In A Large Tank
- Identification of Mobile Containers with Handheld Devices
- Identification of Hose Connections for Precursors
- Identification of Hose Connections in Sterile Areas
- Identification of Hose Connections in Ex Zone 1
- Identification of Big Bags and Bioreactors
- Identification of Single-Use Applications
- Semi-conducteur