PC-Based Control for Distributed Industrial Automation.

John Cosgrove, Centre for Industrial Control Networks, Limerick Institute of Technology.

Abstract PC-Based Control Systems are particularly noted for their excellent user interfaces, their smooth integration with IT Systems and their impressive data-handling abilities. These systems, in conjunction with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), are setting the benchmark for industrial automation applications requiring discrete product identification and product tracking and validation. Such innovative systems are being developed in Irish Manufacturing Facilities in preference to traditional PLC based approaches. This paper presents a summary of an Automatic Filter Transfer (AFT) System developed and implemented by Inisys (Systems Integrators) on behalf of Braun Ireland Ltd. in Carlow. Introduction Problem Definition The client company required an integrated system that would automatically transfer a high volume of plastic filters (up to 14 million per week) from a KIEFEL Thermoforming Machine, to a THEILE Packaging Machine. Product from the Thermoforming machine is stacked in Fig.1. Product in Tubes Tubes containing approx. 350 filters each. A set of 90 Tubes (containing 31,500 filters), held together on a stainless steel frame, makes up each Carrier. The Carrier end plates are designed to unload the filters into a drop hole. Three XY Co-Ordinate machines, each holding two Carriers, are used to provide a continuous gravity feed to the packaging machine. When a full Carrier is removed from the Thermoforming machine, it is sent to the Quality Lab for test purposes (Transmissivity). Each Carrier has a unique Carrier Number, which is visible on the side and is electronically tagged with an RFID Tag so that an individual Carrier can be recognised and coupled with a set of Test Results. An operator performs the tests and enters the results for each tube into a Test Database (Oracle) on the Factory IT Network. At various points in the process, the control system will query the Test Database for tube status and will process the Carrier depending on the data available.
Fig.2. Carrier www.lit.ie/cicn 1 www.inisys.ie

Hardware Components Routing System The routing system starts with an elevator which takes the Carrier from the Thermoforming machine, rotates it 180 degrees and lifts the full Carrier 3.6m to the buffer area. The elevator also automatically returns the empty Carriers. The buffer area consists of a multitude (~200) of zones, consisting of power roller conveyors (single-directional and bidirectional) and/or UBTs (Universal Belt Fig.3. Elevator Transfer) and 22 RFID Readers. As the Carriers are moved through the buffer the RFID Readers identify the Carrier Number and cross-check the Test Database. Depending on the Test Status, the Carriers are routed to their destination (Quarantine / Queue / XY / Purge / Return). There may be up to 130 Carriers in the buffer zones at any time and the system is operated at up to 14 million filters per week. XY Machines The routing system loads two Carriers at a time into each of the XY machines. The function of the XY Machines is to unload the good filters from the Carriers into the packaging machine. Where the test results for a tube are out of tolerance, the rejected filters will stay in the Carrier until reaching the purging station. There are three XY Machines, one to feed each of the packaging machine carousels. The maximum changeover time between tubes is 2 seconds and between Carriers is 4 seconds.

Fig.4. XY Machine with two Carriers

Purging Machine The purging machine removes any reject filters or any filters jammed in the Carrier after the XY operation. The purging machine automatically receives and empties any Carriers where the level of reject filters exceeds a set point. The empty Carriers are then routed back to the elevator for re-filling.

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Controls Platform The controls platform selected for this application comprises 5 Beckhoff CX1000 Controllers with direct I/O for dedicated control of the 5 machines (Elevator, 3 x XY, Purge). These controllers monitor approx. 420 Digital Inputs and control approx. 200 Digital Outputs. The controllers are programmed with Beckhoff TwinCat Software. Each machine has its own Graphical User Interface for data display, diagnostics and manual override.

Factory Netw ork TEST DB

Gatew ay PC Ethernet Sw itch

Computer Computer

Ethernet

MACHINES

DB
IPC

ELEVATOR Controller, I/O & HMI.

CONVEYORS
Profibus ASI bus

RFID Readers XY01 Controller, I/O & HMI.

RFID

RFID

RFID

XY02 Controller, I/O & HMI.

An Industrial Hardened PC Digital I/O, Pneumatics (Beckhoff PC6250) is used Fig.5. System Architecture. to interface over Profibus with the RFID Readers and to control the Carrier Routing over an ASI / Profibus Network of I/O. This monitors approx 300 Digital Inputs and controls approx. 320 Digital Outputs. All the Controllers are connected on an Ethernet backbone. The existing Test Database and the AFT Database (used for storage of data, tracking, validation, trail audit) are also connected to the Ethernet network. Control System Components The CX1000 is a SoftPLC with a Pentium MMX 266 MHz Microprocessor running Windows XP Embedded. The main internal memory is 128 Mbyte and additional memory can be added on a Compact Flash disk. The Controller can be interfaced via an Ethernet connection or the serial port. A large number of modules can be connected for specialist Fig.6. Beckhoff CX1000 functions, graphic displays, audio, fieldbus networks, UPS and Digital I/O. Fieldbus connections are available for PROFIBUS, CANopen, USB, DeviceNet, SERCOS interface and Lightbus, all as master and slave versions. In this application a SERCOS interface is used for the motor controllers. The CX1000 is programmed using the Beckhoff TwinCat Software via a laptop or a desktop PC connected over Ethernet. All CX1000 stations, periphery and fieldbus cards are detected by a network scan and are immediately accessible to the programmer.

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The 24V DC Digital I/O Terminals are of the standard K-Type produced by Beckhoff, Wago and a number of other manufacturers. This aids in ease of connection and standardisation of wiring. An Industry Hardened PC is used to control the conveyors, monitor the RFID readers (Pepperl & Fig.7. Controller & Digital I/O Fuchs - Ident I System V) and maintain the AFT Database (SQL). The Beckhoff 6250 is a 7-slot ATX Industrial PC, with an Intel Celeron 2 GHz microprocessor designed for installation in a control cabinet. Software Components TwinCat Software The Beckhoff TwinCat Software is an IEC1131-3 compatible programming environment and run-time engine. The control applications for the Machines and Conveyors were primarily developed as function blocks. Depending on the application, the function blocks were developed in high level languages such as Structured Text (ST) or Continuous Flow Charts (CFCs). All of the applications use Data Strings to run queries to the Test Database and send tracking information to the AFT Database. The Devices are either polled on a 1 second basis or are event-triggered to keep down the level of traffic on the network. The system was designed to run at up to 30 million Filters per week over twice the current operation level. The primary development effort took approximately 4 months with a team of 3-4 engineers and programmers. Customised Software In addition to the control task, programmed on TwinCat, this application required a number of additional software tools, which interfaced directly with the PC-based Hardware. A Software Application called TASP was developed in Visual Basic (VB) by Inisys and run on the Industry Hardened PC and on the machine controllers. The acronym TASP is derived form the various aspects integrated into the application; Test_DB <-> AFT_DB <-> SCADA <-> PLC.

Fig.8. Visual Basic HMI Screen

TASP included the customised HMI (Touch) Screens on each of the 5 machines to provide data display, diagnostics and manual over-ride. TASP also included the main programme on the Industrial Hardened PC to control the network communications, to handle the queries from the controllers back to the Test Database and to maintain the AFT Database for data-storage, tracking, validation and record-keeping. As a product designed for personal use (an accessory to an Infrared Thermometer) the filters are classified as Class IIa products under the EU Medical Device Directive 42/93/EEC and Class II under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thus all

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aspects of the system have to comply with Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP) and all electronic records and programmes were designed in line with FDA (21CFR11) requirements. The AFT system uses Intouch Wonderware Software running on the Industrial Hardened PC as the SCADA interface. The SCADA uses OPC clients/connections to connect to the data from the various Beckhoff controllers.

Fig.9. Intouch HMI Screens

The Beckhoff OPC Client is used to configure and connect to all the data required in the Beckhoff controllers and an Intouch OPC client is then used to create the connection between Intouch and Beckhoff. These two drivers/clients must run in the background in order for the SCADA to function so they are automatically loaded by the TASP application on start-up. All data contained in the AFT Database is archived over the network to secure storage on a daily basis. Why select PC-based control ? A key component of this application was the existence of a legacy database, which needed to be accessed on a regular basis by the automation system. Thus the primary focus was on the integration of the control systems and the distribution of large amounts of data over Ethernet. The chosen platform is especially suited to such applications. One possible alternative, using a PLC-based system, would have required the development of a number of additional add-on components, adding both to cost and lead-time. In particular, access to the test database results is provided at each of the machine stations and manual intervention is allowed where required. All such changes are recorded and tracked in the AFT Database. And what of the key criticism of PC-based controls; the lack of robust hardware and the lack of deterministic operation ?

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1) In this application the Industrial Hardened PC and Embedded Controllers are every bit as robust as current PLC Technology and are more suitable for long-term maintenance as they are based on modular generic components rather than proprietary form-factors. 2) PLCs are designed for deterministic operation in stand-alone mode. When dependent on the distribution of data over a network, their time-based performance degrades. With the use of intelligent switches and parallel processing, PC-based systems can easily compete. It is also true to say that 70-80% of manufacturing automation applications do not need deterministic (<50ms) responses and thus do not need to incur the additional costs for proprietary PLC hardware. Finally, it is the software that makes the difference. Accounting for 40-50% of the cost, the software development is also the greatest factor in the lead-time and in the longer-term maintenance, adaptability and flexibility of the system. The software development phase is particularly critical in a system designed to FDA criteria. The TwinCat Software provides all the IEC1131-3 programming languages in accordance with the specification and the run time system includes an ActiveX interface for communications. Generally PLC manufacturers provide some of the lower-level programming languages with proprietary functions or structures included. Some of the higher level languages, such as Structured Text and Sequential Function Charts, are available as expensive add-ons and external communications generally require a compatible SCADA system. The software development team for this application has extensive experience of both PLC and PC-Based automation systems. In addition to the advantages above, the developers highlighted the following as their experiences on this project; The overall development time was considerably shorter than for an equivalent PLCbased Project. The ability to develop the software and test and simulate all the hardware operations without the physical hardware being present, led to shorter development times and easier allocation of programming effort across a team of programmers. The use of the high level (IEC1131-3) languages is strongly supported in the toolset and allowed each part of the code to be developed in the language most suited to that application, allowed the re-use of code libraries and the development of code in a modular fashion. The builtin interface (ActiveX) to external applications and across the IT network was very straightforward. The debugging facilities for the programmes and the operation of the on-line monitoring and system diagnostics led to faster and easier system installation and commissioning. Summary There are many examples of successful automation projects where PLC and PC technology have been mixed and matched to meet the needs of the industrial applications. What is evidenced in this case study is that there is no longer any sustainable argument for the inclusion of proprietary PLCs in the mix.

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Embedded PCs provide versatility, performance and value for money and for the majority of manufacturing automation applications, simply cannot be rivalled by PLCs on any level. For a start, PC-based control systems can offer totally dependable, real time performance, even in the most demanding distributed control applications. What's more, PC control is no longer futuristic or developmental - it is practical and deliverable at a reduced cost and shorter lead-time. The increasing use of industrial Ethernet is creating even more pull for PC-Based control. By using conventional Ethernet components to link all PC controls, data can be archived, recipes managed centrally and data acquired directly from the production plant control system. Ethernet is widely understood, available anywhere, reasonably robust, has high bandwidth and high speed. Communication options such as wireless and broadband will soon be playing a larger part in the factory and PC-based control is already opening the door for these options. The scalability, reliability and flexibility of PC-based systems means it is undoubtedly the future of control. Software development which utilises a Model Driven Approach (MDA) and is programmed in strict compliance with IEC1131-3 is proven to deliver advantages in terms of code quality, shorter development time, reduced debugging, simpler installation and better code reuse. There is an irreversible trend towards end-users turning their backs on expensive and inflexible proprietary PLCs and specifying PC-based control for specific automation projects such as the Braun AFT System right up to full factory control systems. John Cosgrove 31st August 2005.

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Appendix 1

inisys
Inisys Ltd. has a reputation for successfully delivering Controls & Automation and Systems Integration solutions to meet the needs and business objectives of our clients. Inisys is a young, energetic and proactive company committed to quality, formed by experienced professionals with a wide range of industrial experience. From both our offices in Dublin and Limerick, we work in close partnership with our clients, analysing their needs and then recommending and implementing strategic investments in Controls & Automation and Systems Integration. Our design team offers a vast pool of experience in Control & Automation and Systems Integration, with particular emphasis on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's), Fieldbus, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA), Distributed Control Systems (DCS) software and Microsoft Visual Studio. All of our solutions are based on open systems, international standards and the latest technology. Mike Reynolds, Director Inisys Control Systems, Limerick. Inisys Limited, Unit A3, Oak Road, Centrepoint Business Park, Dublin 12. Inisys Limited, 2nd Floor, 18 Johns Street, Limerick. Telephone: +353 1 213 0715 Facsimile: +353 1 213 0515 Web: www.inisys.ie Email: info@inisys.ie

Centre for Industrial Control Networks The Centre for Industrial Control Networks (CICN) is an initiative established in LIT as a focal point for industrial partnership in Applied Control for Industrial, Renewable Energy and Environmental Systems. The centre acts as a local resource for automation users in the region, developing applied research, examining and showcasing new technologies, providing web based resources, running training courses, organising seminars and providing impartial mentoring. Current Projects include a Linux Based PLC, Embedded Linux for Controls, Automated Code Generation for PLCs, Remote Monitoring for Distributed Environment Sensors and an embedded controller for energy management. John Cosgrove Lecturer Industrial Automation. Dept. of Electrical / Electronic Engineering, Limerick Institute of Technology, Moylish Park Campus, Limerick. Telephone: +353 61 208208 Facsimile: +353 61 208209 Web: www.lit.ie Email: john.cosgrove@lit.ie

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