Proplas have implemented many machine control improvements, please see below a few examples that demonstrate our capabilities;
Project 1 - Pneumatic proportional control
Request; A paper/cardboard company required to improve the control of a rolling process. The system used a bank of pneumatic rollers to compress the product, the pressure increasing during the process, these increases were completed in 5 stages. Each stage having its own pressure regulator. The improvement requested was to install more stages and reduce the time taken to adjust all the pressures at size changes.
Study; Proplas installed one proportional valve that replaced all the regulators, this valve being controlled via a small PLC.
Result; The rolling can now have infinite number of rolling pressures and is size changed via the PLC's operator interface.
Project 2 - Installation of AC Drives with u/son loop control
Request; A textile company wanted to improve with the control of a multi motored winding m/c, the m/c was modern but the control was crude. The motors started/stopped using "dancing compensation arms", this resulted in the speeds changing constantly that hindered positional accuracy.
Study; Proplas modified the control of the motors by installing variable speed drives, these being ramped by u/son loop control.
Result; The machine as a whole was much smoother as all the motor speeds balanced, this assisted the accuracy of the process. This modification also allowed the line speed to be increased by 130% - This was a bonus, as it was not the objective that justified the project.
Project 3 - Energy saving audit. Auto start of scrap grinding m/c + installation of VSD's.
Request; Proplas offered to complete a free energy audit of the customers workshops, in order to identify opportunities for saving energy, and hence reduce operational costs.
Study; Proplas found two justifiable projects with excellent payback periods;
Several m/cs with hydraulic pump applications that ran at full load unnecessarily. A grinding m/c ran for 24 hours a day, but was only used for 2 to 3 hours per day.
Result; On the hydraulic pumps we installed a variable speed drive to the pump motor, and varied the speed as required by the m/c. Payback period 6 months
On the grinding m/c we installed a new control system, that auto started when the machine was loaded. The machine carried out a cycle controlled by a small PLC, the motor being stopped on completion. Payback period 3 months.