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How can a PLC improve operator efficiency?

Industry - Textile

Summary:  Turkmenistan Aşgabat Dokuma Toplumu is an integrated textile plant that manufactures home products such as bed linens and towels from yarn fiber.  They needed a way  to calculate the efficiency of both their staff and their machinery.  They partnered with by ILGISOFT, a developer of automation solutions for everything from Scada software to stock production monitoring and cost analysis.  Together, they implemented a Unitronics Vision130 programmable logic controller+HMI, impressed by all-in one technology, competitive price, and easy communication with their SCADA system.

Vision130 programmable logic controller+HMI at Turkmenistan Textile plant

Turkmenistan Aşgabat Dokuma Toplumu (TDT) is an integrated Turkish textile plant; they manufacture home products such as bed linens and towels woven from yarn fiber.  The yarn, which comes coiled, is prepared for weaving by a warping machine and is then treated with starch-based chemical in a sizing machine, before finally beginning the weaving process.  TDT wanted to be able to calculate the efficiency of both their staff and machinery via a compact PLC with Ethernet capabilities.

Partnering with ILGISOFT, a provider of customized solutions and software to optomize effciency and quality control, TDT installed a Unitronics Vision130 all-in-one PLC on each of weaving machines.  The Unitronics V130-33-TR20 model selected by TDT offers 10 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs, 6 relay outputs and 2 high-speed transistor outputs on board as well as an integrated HMI panel with a graphical display and keypad.  These PLCs were installed on the weaving machines, allowing the production staff to follow the process of the raw yarn becoming a cloth.

The Vision130 receives a variety digital signals from the machine and records the data, including the instantaneous speed of the machine.  The PLC also triggers alarms for machine stoppages and other problems, like yarn breakages.   Additionally, users manually enter the name of the operator who is in charge of the machine and the production order for which the machine is working, allowing the operator and the order to be linked to the data recorded about the machine’s efficiency.

At the end of day, TDT’s managment pulls reports from the data logged by the Vision130 PLCs. These reports include: an outline and shift efficiency report for the production section; a daily efficiency report for each shift machine; a machine-based outline failure report; a report indicating the total number of yarn ruptures and the machine stop times due to yarn rupture; and an operator based effciency report.  Using this information TDT is able to track and quantify their efficiency, controlling for a variety of factors, both on a daily basis and over a longer period.

Additionally all machines are monitored by a central SCADA system, communicating with the PLC via Ethernet. If any station experiences an error, it will appear in red on the main screan. This visable indication makes it apparant that there is a station down and enables a quick response, reducing down time.

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