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Batch Automation

Client: Johns Manville
Type of Operation: Manufacturer of premium rigid foam core roofing and sheet products for the construction industry across North America.
Application: Poly-ISO Batch Management
   
Application Details:

The Batch Management Control System (BMCS) is the heart of Johns Manville’s Poly-ISO batch process, which monitors and controls the batching and blending of water, Polyol and various catalyst ingredients to produce a precise chemical feedstock for a high speed rigid polyurethane laminator line.

The BMCS was installed as an upgrade to an existing ‘Batchelor’ controller. The system is comprised of one premix and two batch tanks on Mettler Toledo cells equipped with three new JagXtreme indicators, each with Allen Bradley remote I/O cards. An Allen Bradley PLC5/04 provides complete control of the batch process retrofit. A 1747SN remote I/O scanner card installed in the main PLC rack polls the JagXtreme indicators for exact weight status, and downloads setpoint and tare information. The system is designed to run sequential batches in full automatic mode to feed the downstream continuous board laminator without disruption.

Operator interface is provided by a PC based workstation utilizing RS View HMI software with a sealed mylar keyboard. The PC Workstation is networked to the in-house server for recipe validation.

The batch process is fully automated and driven from user-developed recipe screens. All operator interaction and prompts are via full colour interactive graphic displays. Any out-of-spec conditions are alarmed and adjusted before bad product can be produced.

All batch data is stored to an Access database complete with weights, setpoints, operator actions, alarms, trends etc., for traceability and continuous improvement purposes. The BMCS has proved itself since its installation and payback is being realized daily with improved batch consistency, conformity to spec (as part of the ISO9000) and minimized rework and scrap.

 
   

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